Case study
LittleBirdi
A map-first local discovery app that scores cafes, bars, restaurants, and boutiques, and layers in a social feed of what friends have actually been to.
Overview
What this is
LittleBirdi is a local discovery app built around a map: search a city, filter by category (cafe, bar, restaurant, boutique), and browse curated spots ranked by a proprietary Little Birdi Score. A social layer — followers, following, and a 'Social Buzz' photo feed — pulls in what people you follow have actually been eating and drinking.
Problem
2 key points
Solution
3 key points
Problem
Most discovery apps force a choice: a map for finding what's nearby, or a feed for trusting what's actually good — rarely both in the same flow.
Star Ratings Don't Differentiate
A generic 4.2-star average doesn't tell you whether a spot is trending right now or just accumulating old reviews.
No Social Trust Signal
Map-first apps show pins, not people — there's no way to see what places your own network is actually visiting.
Solution
I designed the app around a single map-based discovery flow, layering a proprietary score and a friends' activity feed on top instead of bolting on a separate social tab.
Category-Filtered Map Search
Location search with one-tap category filters (Cafe, Bar, Restaurant, Boutique) keeps discovery anchored to where the user actually is.
Little Birdi Score & Trending
Each curated spot carries a proprietary score plus a live 'trending now' count, giving a faster trust signal than a plain star rating.
Social Buzz Feed
A profile-level feed of followers, following, and friends' own photos ties recommendations back to people the user actually trusts.