# NELARide | Matthew Bayers

Project type: Product Design / Website Redesign

Role on this project: Product Design Intern

Year: 2026

Technologies and disciplines: Branding, Product Design, UI Design, Design Systems, UX Audit, Website Redesign

## Overview

NELARide is a community rideshare startup building connected Rider and Driver apps. I began by spearheading the website redesign, then expanded into product design work across the platform, helping shape branding, UI guidelines, and a more cohesive visual system across both apps.

## The Problem

NELARide needed a clearer and more cohesive design presence across its public website and its two-sided product ecosystem. With separate Rider and Driver experiences, the challenge was not only making each surface feel polished, but making the brand and interface system feel consistent across the company as a whole.

## Design Scope

My work started with the website redesign, where I focused on clarifying the visual direction and strengthening how the company presented itself publicly. From there, I moved into broader product design efforts, helping define branding and UI guidelines and auditing the Rider and Driver apps to identify inconsistencies, improve cohesion, and support a more unified system.

## Impact

This work centered on system-building rather than a single screen or flow. I contributed to a more consistent design language across web and product, established guidelines that could support future design decisions, and helped move the platform toward a more intentional, scalable identity for both riders and drivers.

## Links

- [Portfolio case study](https://matthewbayers.com/work/nelaride)
- [Case study in Markdown](https://matthewbayers.com/work/nelaride.md)
- [Live Site](https://nelaride.com)