```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F74875245-787b-44d0-aa34-bfce48a65468.png?alt=media&token=bb62f8dc-5797-45bd-a9de-44ba6ff738aa","id":"74875245-787b-44d0-aa34-bfce48a65468","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Hero Image.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

## **Simplifying Visa and Tax Compliance Through Intuitive Mobile Design**

***[Sarmiza](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6447767254?pt=126102085&ct=product-design-case-study&mt=8)*** is an app that simplifies tax residency and immigration compliance. You can set day limits, instantly create a timeline, and track your progress. Designed for privacy, it operates offline, processes data on-device, and requires no signup.

As the founding designer at Nomikos, I led the end-to-end design for this product. This included user research, product strategy, UI/UX design, prototyping, and user testing. I collaborated with engineers to swiftly validate a minimum viable product. This established a solid foundation for continuous iteration and experimentation.

## The Problem, Opportunity, & Challenge

**Navigating tax residency and immigration across jurisdictions is a stressful and tedious task.** Double taxation, visa overstays, and filing errors are high-stakes risks that demand precision. Yet, current solutions—whether apps, spreadsheets, or analog calendars—often fall short.

The Nomikos team identified **the opportunity to build a user-friendly solution**, asking:

> *How might we streamline tax residency and immigration compliance for people working across multiple states and countries?*

After thorough user research and careful deliberation, we identified **accurate location and day tracking across jurisdictions as the core challenge.**

## Showcase

I set out to simplify location and day tracking with an intuitive mobile experience. Focusing on user pain points clarified the most critical features. This focus facilitated a consistent design system of patterns and components, ensuring product coherence. The result was a final product that met both business goals and user expectations.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2Fa20225a7-0864-4525-b362-9fe518e633e4.png?alt=media&token=54f5f6f0-6e9a-4f3e-8023-85e29bcba38c","id":"a20225a7-0864-4525-b362-9fe518e633e4","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Showcase - Dashboard.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Dashboard - Monitor your current location, residency status across all relevant jurisdictions, and day count by location at a glance.","border":true},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F09d2ff0f-b992-424c-aed6-0664bfeeaec0.png?alt=media&token=b491d2ed-2a7f-4257-a4a4-091cba27b12a","id":"09d2ff0f-b992-424c-aed6-0664bfeeaec0","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Showcase - Day Limits.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Custom Day Limits - Set minimum or maximum day limits and tailor alerts for any U.S. State, Canadian Province, or Country.","border":true},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F9352bff2-947e-4728-b402-e3a541e28f4d.png?alt=media&token=74195370-7583-4f87-8d8e-2e71cd1ae401","id":"9352bff2-947e-4728-b402-e3a541e28f4d","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Showcase - Timeline.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Timeline - Instantly turn your photos into a clear, intuitive travel timeline.","border":true},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F706945a6-a8cc-4843-bcd1-6cb7785fb34a.png?alt=media&token=44a8176e-79b2-4ac0-a8eb-e37831ad32c9","id":"706945a6-a8cc-4843-bcd1-6cb7785fb34a","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Showcase - Export Reports.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Export Reports - Tap to export a detailed spreadsheet for any date range.","border":true},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F2e3ce7bb-c69b-4810-9d5e-9c3307bd9b63.png?alt=media&token=9b2fccbc-ae26-4979-9391-5447b8b152df","id":"2e3ce7bb-c69b-4810-9d5e-9c3307bd9b63","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Showcase - Private by Design.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Private by Design - Offline mode, on-device processing, and biometric security keep your data safe, while encrypted backups and no sign-up give you full control over who can access it.","border":true}]}
```

## Process

As the sole designer, I led Sarmiza from concept to MVP and beyond. Close collaboration with engineers was key in turning designs into a cohesive product. Together, we ensured each phase—from discovery to delivery—met our goals. **This section summarizes my design process, covering research, user personas, and flows.**

### Research & Synthesis

Initial explorations into tax residency and visa compliance highlighted the need to narrow our focus. With limited resources and multiple customer profiles, we chose to target business travelers for our MVP. Their frequent travel, openness to productivity tools, and higher income made them an ideal fit.

User interviews revealed their primary pain point: accurately tracking travel days across borders. Competitive analysis confirmed that existing tools lacked precision and ease of use. For more details on the user interviews and competitive analysis, see the ***[product management case study.](http://www.sarmiza.io)***

### User Persona

Detailed personas guide the design process by emphasizing specific user tasks. Key features like the watchlist for tracking critical jurisdictions and the ability to export reports emerged from this process.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2Fa7441558-3792-4bf5-b7aa-5f1bdbfd73b3.png?alt=media&token=cca16195-4f54-4cfa-963e-295cbfb77e96","id":"a7441558-3792-4bf5-b7aa-5f1bdbfd73b3","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"User Persona.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

### Flows

Translating research into design, I created user flows that match our personas’ needs. The **onboarding flow** streamlines permission requests and highlights key features, while the step-by-step **set limit flow** ensures accurate input of high-stakes compliance data.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F2ff1c74e-858e-4d53-bd11-925a70cb4cb4.png?alt=media&token=5310f7d1-e55c-4a5a-8f69-751d05ba321f","id":"2ff1c74e-858e-4d53-bd11-925a70cb4cb4","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Flows - Onboarding.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Onboarding user flow diagram on FigJam","border":true},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2Fb1ea2767-3df8-477a-b5c0-ba831a92b130.png?alt=media&token=fd34e175-1c12-4d0b-b991-16e268cc1375","id":"b1ea2767-3df8-477a-b5c0-ba831a92b130","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Flows - Set Limit.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Set limit user flow diagram on FigJam","border":true}]}
```

## Iterations & Handoff

With user flows ready, I moved into Figma to define key UI components, iterating toward high-fidelity wireframes for engineering. Using Figma Dev Mode, Jira, and Scrum, we collaborated to ensure a smooth, goal-oriented development process. This iterative approach refined the user experience to be seamless and engaging. I’ve highlighted a few final components and explained the design decisions.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F1f17f7ee-c88a-467a-8053-48bc7ac0ad51.png?alt=media&token=abc4e0e7-0e8c-4bfd-8882-d181d5077128","id":"1f17f7ee-c88a-467a-8053-48bc7ac0ad51","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Iterations - Inspiration.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Initial inspiration and exploration","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F9488083f-c751-4f70-a4da-13c0a91eb962.png?alt=media&token=679f1989-fc21-4dc3-9aff-84bd113c0497","id":"9488083f-c751-4f70-a4da-13c0a91eb962","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Iterations - Timeline Wireframes.png","type":"image/png","caption":"High fidelity wireframes of options for timeline","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F26d43934-d68e-4b4e-a265-530bce2c10b0.png?alt=media&token=91b38733-710a-49f3-b917-3b8b2b15865c","id":"26d43934-d68e-4b4e-a265-530bce2c10b0","width":8034,"height":4518,"filename":"Setting a limit (First Time).png","type":"image/png","caption":"Final high fidelity mockup for set limit flow","border":false}]}
```

### Widgets

I designed a widget for users to track the progress of their associated day limits. The dynamic progress bar changes color—green for minimum thresholds, red for maximums—providing a clear visual cue. The design ensures clarity and ease of use.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2Fad777691-5256-4101-8fdd-b6eaacf1c8c8.png?alt=media&token=de82fd9d-dbbb-42fc-91dd-c4756da38064","id":"ad777691-5256-4101-8fdd-b6eaacf1c8c8","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Iterations - Widgets.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

### Watchlist

The watchlist I designed lets users track their residency status across multiple locations in one place. With simple widgets and a scrollable calendar-like layout, users can quickly and confidently monitor their compliance.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F0ea26a5d-f975-42f4-9623-c082e3214749.png?alt=media&token=0f852f6d-d0bf-483e-9c64-54365ae118d9","id":"0ea26a5d-f975-42f4-9623-c082e3214749","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Iterations - Watchlist.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":false}]}
```

### Precision Tracker

The precision tracker widget summarizes the user’s location and day count, showing how it impacts residency status. With automatic updates, it keeps the timeline up-to-date and reduces user anxiety about tracking.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F5442c0af-7257-40c6-b736-7156b228f0c7.png?alt=media&token=0c10adc8-81d3-46ba-9441-f19dc0c9e88b","id":"5442c0af-7257-40c6-b736-7156b228f0c7","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Iterations - Precision Tracker.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

### Timeline

The timeline was designed to simplify users’ travel history organization, crucial for residency status. It lives on a separate page due to infrequent use. By working with engineers, we enabled automatic timeline creation from photos and imports, cutting onboarding time and improving conversion rates.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2Fdesigning-sarmiza%2F807f8242-5685-454a-917d-ed6a06981db8.png?alt=media&token=72b470a3-080b-4c1b-9ebd-05259e795fa3","id":"807f8242-5685-454a-917d-ed6a06981db8","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Iterations - Timeline.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

## Takeaways

Designing Sarmiza underscored the power of user-focused design in solving complex compliance issues. By honing in on the primary pain point—accurate tracking of travel days—we delivered an intuitive solution that resonates with business travelers. Collaborating closely with engineers from the outset ensured that our designs were both technically feasible and aligned with user needs. This synergy between design and development was crucial in swiftly bringing a valuable product to market.

This project also highlighted the importance of simplicity and privacy in user experience. By operating offline and processing data on-device, we addressed user concerns about data security without sacrificing functionality. Focusing on essential features like the watchlist and precision tracker provided clarity and ease of use. Overall, the success of Sarmiza’s MVP validates the impact of targeted research, iterative design, and cross-functional collaboration.

Designing Sarmiza

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2FjbrZ5onNeAkkDNlHDFFH%2F8ed21530-7a42-4663-8959-796894e08d5b.png?alt=media&token=4ceaa439-07d3-4090-a71c-c4d549bbad17","id":"8ed21530-7a42-4663-8959-796894e08d5b","width":3840,"height":2160,"filename":"Hero Image.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

## **Scaling an Early-Stage Product Through Rapid Data-Driven Iteration**

***[Sarmiza](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6447767254?pt=126102085&ct=product-design-case-study&mt=8)*** is an app designed to simplify tax residency and immigration compliance, providing tools to set day limits, create timelines, and track progress. With a focus on privacy, it operates entirely offline, processing data on-device, and requires no signup.

As the sole designer and product manager, I led Sarmiza’s development from conception to product-market fit. This required embracing ambiguity and frequently revisiting assumptions. I learned to extract growth opportunities from user feedback, refine them into actionable improvements, and collaborate closely with engineers to iterate quickly.

Maintaining focus was challenging, especially with an async, remote-first team. Clear, consistent communication—mainly through memos and collaborative documents—became essential for keeping everyone aligned amid constant changes.

## Identifying a Market Gap in Tax Residency Compliance

Navigating tax residency and immigration across jurisdictions is a stressful and tedious task. Existing solutions—like spreadsheets, analog calendars, and apps—often fall short. Recognizing this gap, the Nomikos team saw an opportunity to build a user-friendly solution.

## Defining Clear Goals Amidst Ambiguity

Our primary goal was to create an MVP that would validate our product strategy while addressing both customer and business needs. For our users, we aimed to identify an ideal customer profile, understand their pain points, and design features that directly addressed those issues. On the business side, we needed to validate our idea, develop a product roadmap, generate revenue, and iterate toward product-market fit.

> 📱 **Customer-centric goals**
>
> 1. Identify an ideal customer profile (ICP)
>
> 2. Understand user pain points
>
> 3. Design features addressing these pain points

> 📊 **Business-centric goals**
>
> 1. Create an MVP and validate strategy
>
> 2. Develop product roadmap
>
> 3. Generate revenue while iterating toward product-market fit

## Leveraging User Research to Uncover Pain Points

We conducted extensive user interviews and competitive analysis to understand the landscape. After speaking with 50 potential users, we identified business travelers as our ideal customer profile due to their frequent travel, higher income, and acute compliance needs. The main pain points that emerged were the inconvenience of manual tracking and the anxiety over potential compliance errors.

### User Interviews

I developed a targeted set of questions and conducted user interviews with business travelers, including:

> 1. What tools do you currently use to track travel and manage tax compliance
>
> 2. What are your biggest challenges in managing tax obligations across multiple jurisdictions?
>
> 3. When and how do you prefer to log your travel data?
>
> 4. How does frequent travel impact your tax residency status?
>
> 5. Can you describe a recent tax compliance issue you faced due to travel
>
> 6. How do you currently manage and organize tax-related travel documentation?

### Competitive Analysis

In addition to non-digital alternatives like spreadsheets and calendars, several existing apps aim to tackle tax residency and visa compliance. I conducted a competitive analysis of three such apps—Monaeo, Taxbird, and Flamingo—to assess how they handle the key pain points identified in user interviews. For a detailed breakdown of pricing, UX, app screenshots, and more, please *[see the full analysis](https://coda.io/@sarmiza-case-study/sarmiza).*

The objective was to uncover weaknesses and areas for differentiation or counter-positioning. I found that ease of use, privacy, and reliability were the primary shortcomings of these competitors. This insight guided the prioritization of features and the development of an MVP that would address these gaps effectively.

## Building an Effective MVP by Prioritizing User Needs

Using a prioritization framework I developed, we focused on high-demand, high-impact, and low-effort features for our MVP. Key functionalities like at-a-glance residency threshold widgets, progress monitoring watchlists, and precision location tracking were prioritized. This strategic approach allowed us to develop and release our MVP within 8 weeks, ensuring we addressed the most critical user needs first.

> ✅ **Feature Prioritization Framework:**
>
> 1. **Demand (1-3)**: Importance to solving our ideal customer's problem
>
> 2. **Impact (1-3)**: Potential to achieve our business goals
>
> 3. **Effort**: Estimated weeks for implementation

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FLdGQYG6UFJSOfWazsqXORJF8t6C3%2FjbrZ5onNeAkkDNlHDFFH%2F2c7ae6c7-f852-4cfc-8751-425d854adb74.png?alt=media&token=e45edf78-3653-4b67-90a1-850068e31d95","id":"2c7ae6c7-f852-4cfc-8751-425d854adb74","width":1576,"height":1014,"filename":"Screenshot 2024-10-30 at 3.02.20 PM.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

## Driving Rapid Iterations Based on Data Insights

In the ten months following launch, we released 21 versions of Sarmiza, averaging a new version every two weeks. By closely monitoring user feedback and in-app analytics, we iterated quickly to enhance core functionalities, improve user experience, and assess our product-market fit.

Key inflection points included transitioning from a freemium to a paid-only model, streamlining onboarding with a “photos to timeline” feature, and adding offline functionality. Each update focused on refining the app to better meet user needs and market demands.

### From Freemium to Trials

Switching from a freemium model to a 7-day opt-in trial for Sarmiza+ marked a pivotal moment in our growth strategy. Initially, we believed that offering a free version to drive paid user acquisition would support growth. However, we quickly realized it split the team’s focus between managing two separate product experiences.

Analytics and user feedback showed that free users weren’t converting because they lacked access to core features, especially the paywalled precision tracker. Moving to a 7-day trial allowed us to focus development on one high-quality experience while giving users a risk-free way to explore the app’s full value.

Soon after, we introduced a $79.99 annual plan in response to users’ willingness to commit long-term once the app’s value was clear. Together, these changes clarified our monetization path, improved user experience, and streamlined product development.

### Timeline Creation as a Critical Bottleneck

Funnel analytics showed that timeline creation was a critical bottleneck in the onboarding process, with 68% of users abandoning the app at this step. Recognizing the need for improvement, I worked closely with engineers to find a solution. One engineer noted that we could use photo metadata to generate a detailed timeline using on-device processing, eliminating the need for manual input.

The resulting Photos-to-Timeline feature transformed timeline creation, reducing onboarding from 15 minutes to under 2 minutes and increasing trial conversion from 9% to 15%. User feedback confirmed this impact, with one user calling it “magical,” as the app instantly recreated years of travel history.

### Counterintuitive Benefits of Offline-First Onboarding

In contrast to our approach with the Photos-to-Timeline feature, which reduced onboarding friction, we chose to add intentional friction by requiring users to go offline before starting. This “Offline-First Onboarding” was designed to highlight our privacy-first approach and the precision tracker’s offline functionality. Unexpectedly, this added step became an effective filter for high-intent users.

Analytics showed that, while 30% more users dropped off on the first screen, our install-to-paid conversion rate doubled from 7% to 14%. Additionally, the offline requirement created a “pattern break” from competitor apps, with 65% of users mentioning privacy positively in App Store reviews. This approach also reduced customer support tickets about data security by 84%, as users understood our privacy commitment right from the start.

## Benchmarking Product Market Fit

To measure our progress toward Product Market Fit (PMF), I adapted Superhuman’s PMF Engine and paired it with our North Star Metric of install-to-paid conversions. By regularly asking users how they’d feel if they could no longer use our product and focusing on those who answered “very disappointed,” we gained a reliable and repeatable benchmark for PMF.

This approach also deepened our understanding of our ideal customer profile, allowing us to refine product development and growth strategies across the funnel—from awareness through to post-conversion. This targeted focus was reflected in more effective acquisition efforts, both paid and organic, leading to a significant improvement in our Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost ratio, which rose from 2 to 4.

## Takeaways and Reflections

This project underscored the importance of focus, agility, and data-driven decision-making in product management. Leading a high-stakes, ambiguous project required balancing strategic planning with rapid execution. Close collaboration with cross-functional teams was essential in swiftly bringing a valuable product to market. Moving forward, these lessons will inform my approach to leading and scaling products effectively, ensuring that user needs remain at the forefront of innovation.

Scaling Sarmiza

Product Designer

As the founding designer and product manager at Nomikos, I’ve led all design efforts for over two years. I drove the end-to-end development of Sarmiza—a mobile app that simplifies tax residency and immigration compliance for global travelers.

Will Barron

2024