What is Salvem Les Fotos?
The Task
Create a centralized, mobile-first tool that simplifies the complex process of managing thousands of photo donations, enabling volunteers to work efficiently and coordinators to oversee progress in real time.
The Approach
We focused on building a user-friendly interface that supports non-technical users working in high-stress conditions. The app combines automation, cloud storage, and clear workflows to reduce friction, avoid errors, and restore personal memories with dignity and care.
Salvem les Fotos is a web app created in response to the October 2024 floods in Valencia. It helps volunteers and coordinators digitize, track, and restore damaged family photographs — a vital part of cultural memory and emotional recovery after disaster. The platform streamlines the entire restoration process: from intake and storage to AI-powered restoration and return.
What is Salvem Les Fotos?
The Task
Create a centralized, mobile-first tool that simplifies the complex process of managing thousands of photo donations, enabling volunteers to work efficiently and coordinators to oversee progress in real time.
The Approach
We focused on building a user-friendly interface that supports non-technical users working in high-stress conditions. The app combines automation, cloud storage, and clear workflows to reduce friction, avoid errors, and restore personal memories with dignity and care.
Salvem les Fotos is a web app created in response to the October 2024 floods in Valencia. It helps volunteers and coordinators digitize, track, and restore damaged family photographs — a vital part of cultural memory and emotional recovery after disaster. The platform streamlines the entire restoration process: from intake and storage to AI-powered restoration and return.
What is Salvem Les Fotos?
The Task
Create a centralized, mobile-first tool that simplifies the complex process of managing thousands of photo donations, enabling volunteers to work efficiently and coordinators to oversee progress in real time.
The Approach
We focused on building a user-friendly interface that supports non-technical users working in high-stress conditions. The app combines automation, cloud storage, and clear workflows to reduce friction, avoid errors, and restore personal memories with dignity and care.
Salvem les Fotos is a web app created in response to the October 2024 floods in Valencia. It helps volunteers and coordinators digitize, track, and restore damaged family photographs, a vital part of cultural memory and emotional recovery after disaster. The platform streamlines the entire restoration process: from intake and storage to AI-powered restoration and return.
Development Process
Discovery & Research
Interviewed stakeholders
Mapped workflows and pain points
Defined user personas
Problem Definition
Identified bottlenecks in manual tasks
Highlighted communication gaps
Prioritized MVP features
Ideation & Wireframing
Created low-fidelity wireframes
Defined user flows per role
Iterated with team feedback
High-Fidelity Prototypes
Built responsive mockups (mobile & desktop)
Used color coding for workflow clarity
Kept UI clean, focused, and accessible
Developer Handoff
Collaborated via Figma + Notion
Ensured UI matched backend structure
Provided visual assets
Development Process
Discovery & Research
Interviewed stakeholders
Mapped workflows and pain points
Defined user personas
Problem Definition
Identified bottlenecks in manual tasks
Highlighted communication gaps
Prioritized MVP features
Ideation & Wireframing
Created low-fidelity wireframes
Defined user flows per role
Iterated with team feedback
High-Fidelity Prototypes
Built responsive mockups (mobile & desktop)
Used color coding for workflow clarity
Kept UI clean, focused, and accessible
Developer Handoff
Collaborated via Figma + Notion
Ensured UI matched backend structure
Provided visual assets
Development Process
Discovery & Research
Interviewed stakeholders.
Mapped workflows and pain points.
Defined user personas.
Problem Definition
Identified bottlenecks in manual tasks.
Highlighted communication gaps.
Prioritized MVP features.
Ideation & Wireframing
Created low-fidelity wireframes.
Defined user flows per role.
Iterated with team feedback.
High-Fidelity Prototypes
Built responsive mockups (mobile & desktop).
Used color coding for workflow clarity.
Kept UI clean, focused, and accessible.
Developer Handoff
Collaborated via Figma + Notion.
Ensured UI matched backend structure.
Provided visual assets and specs.
Impact
230k
230k
Photographs collected after the floods
1.5k
1.5k
Photo albums donated by affected residents
18k
Images already restored.
18k
Images already restored.
Registration
(Intake Process)
Problem
The photo intake process was entirely manual. Volunteers filled out paper forms and manually entered data into Excel, often with delays or missing updates.
UX Goal
Digitize the registration process to reduce workload, errors, and allow traceability from the very first step.
Solution
We designed a streamlined mobile UI for volunteers to register a new batch, assign an ID automatically, and input owner data in less than 2 minutes. This information syncs to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.
Problem
The photo intake process was entirely manual. Volunteers filled out paper forms and manually entered data into Excel, often with delays or missing updates.
UX Goal
Digitize the registration process to reduce workload, errors, and allow traceability from the very first step.
Solution
We designed a streamlined mobile UI for volunteers to register a new batch, assign an ID automatically, and input owner data in less than 2 minutes. This information syncs to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.
Registration
(Intake Process)
Master
(Batch Reference Photos)
Problem
Each batch needs a “master photo” a visual overview of the entire set. Until now, this was done in Lightroom and uploaded manually to OneDrive, wasting time and risking misplacement.
UX Goal
Make master photo documentation quick, traceable, and seamlessly connected to each batch.
Solution
Users can take batch photos directly in the app. The system uploads and assigns them automatically to the correct folder in Drive, maintaining context and reducing human error.
Registration
(Intake Process)
Problem
The photo intake process was entirely manual. Volunteers filled out paper forms and manually entered data into Excel, often with delays or missing updates.
UX Goal
Digitize the registration process to reduce workload, errors, and allow traceability from the very first step.
Solution
We designed a streamlined mobile UI for volunteers to register a new batch, assign an ID automatically, and input owner data in less than 2 minutes. This information syncs to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.
Storage Phase
Problem
The photo intake process was entirely manual. Volunteers filled out paper forms and manually entered data into Excel, often with delays or missing updates.
UX Goal
Digitize the registration process to reduce workload, errors, and allow traceability from the very first step.
Solution
We designed a streamlined mobile UI for volunteers to register a new batch, assign an ID automatically, and input owner data in less than 2 minutes. This information syncs to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.
Problem
Each batch needs a “master photo” — a visual overview of the entire set. Until now, this was done in Lightroom and uploaded manually to OneDrive, wasting time and risking misplacement.
UX Goal
Make master photo documentation quick, traceable, and seamlessly connected to each batch.
Solution
Users can take batch photos directly in the app. The system uploads and assigns them automatically to the correct folder in Drive, maintaining context and reducing human error.
Master
(Batch Reference Photos)
Tracking de lote
(Batch tracking)
Problem
Before the app, the team tracked batches using physical whiteboards, paper logs, or personal memory. This caused confusion about current status, missed updates, and duplicated work. Coordinators had no easy way to see which batches were delayed, completed, or needed intervention.
UX Goal
Create a centralized, color-coded tracking interface where volunteers and admins can instantly see the current phase of every batch, who handled it last, and what needs to happen next.
Solution
We built a real-time dashboard on the desktop version of the app. Each batch is displayed with a color that matches its current journey phase. Clicking on a batch shows the entire action history, who moved it, when, and any notes. Admins can validate steps, assign new tasks, and access the correct cloud folders instantly.
Master
(Batch Reference Photos)
Problem
Each batch needs a “master photo” — a visual overview of the entire set. Until now, this was done in Lightroom and uploaded manually to OneDrive, wasting time and risking misplacement.
UX Goal
Make master photo documentation quick, traceable, and seamlessly connected to each batch.
Solution
Users can take batch photos directly in the app. The system uploads and assigns them automatically to the correct folder in Drive, maintaining context and reducing human error.
Problem
The photo intake process was entirely manual. Volunteers filled out paper forms and manually entered data into Excel, often with delays or missing updates.
UX Goal
Digitize the registration process to reduce workload, errors, and allow traceability from the very first step.
Solution
We designed a streamlined mobile UI for volunteers to register a new batch, assign an ID automatically, and input owner data in less than 2 minutes. This information syncs to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.s to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.
Storage Phase
Digitalización
(Scanning & Classification)
Problem
Before the app, the team tracked batches using physical whiteboards, paper logs, or personal memory. This caused confusion about current status, missed updates, and duplicated work. Coordinators had no easy way to see which batches were delayed, completed, or needed intervention.
UX Goal
Create a centralized, color-coded tracking interface where volunteers and admins can instantly see the current phase of every batch, who handled it last, and what needs to happen next.
Solution
We built a real-time dashboard on the desktop version of the app. Each batch is displayed with a color that matches its current journey phase. Clicking on a batch shows the entire action history — who moved it, when, and any notes. Admins can validate steps, assign new tasks, and access the correct cloud folders instantly.
Storage Phase
Problem
The photo intake process was entirely manual. Volunteers filled out paper forms and manually entered data into Excel, often with delays or missing updates.
UX Goal
Digitize the registration process to reduce workload, errors, and allow traceability from the very first step.
Solution
We designed a streamlined mobile UI for volunteers to register a new batch, assign an ID automatically, and input owner data in less than 2 minutes. This information syncs to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.s to the database and generates the batch folder structure in Google Drive instantly.
Developer Handoff
I worked hand-in-hand with the developers, sharing detailed annotations on user flows, design elements, and data integration. This close collaboration helped bring
the app to life in a way that felt seamless and user-friendly
Final thoughts
Salvem les Fotos was more than just a UX/UI challenge, it was a response to a real crisis, with real people behind every photo. Designing a tool to help volunteers and coordinators rescue and return damaged memories required empathy, clarity, and strong collaboration across disciplines. The result was a mobile-first, user-friendly platform that brought order to chaos and made a complex process manageable. This project deepened my belief in design as a force for good One that, when thoughtfully applied, can make even the most emotional and difficult tasks feel a little more human, and a little more hopeful.
Problem
Before the app, the team tracked batches using physical whiteboards, paper logs, or personal memory. This caused confusion about current status, missed updates, and duplicated work. Coordinators had no easy way to see which batches were delayed, completed, or needed intervention.
UX Goal
Create a centralized, color-coded tracking interface where volunteers and admins can instantly see the current phase of every batch, who handled it last, and what needs to happen next.
Solution
We built a real-time dashboard on the desktop version of the app. Each batch is displayed with a color that matches its current journey phase. Clicking on a batch shows the entire action history — who moved it, when, and any notes. Admins can validate steps, assign new tasks, and access the correct cloud folders instantly.
Tracking de lote
(Batch tracking)
Tracking de lote
(Batch tracking)
Problem
Before the app, the team tracked batches using physical whiteboards, paper logs, or personal memory. This caused confusion about current status, missed updates, and duplicated work. Coordinators had no easy way to see which batches were delayed, completed, or needed intervention.
UX Goal
Create a centralized, color-coded tracking interface where volunteers and admins can instantly see the current phase of every batch, who handled it last, and what needs to happen next.
Solution
We built a real-time dashboard on the desktop version of the app. Each batch is displayed with a color that matches its current journey phase. Clicking on a batch shows the entire action history — who moved it, when, and any notes. Admins can validate steps, assign new tasks, and access the correct cloud folders instantly.
Problem
Before the app, the team tracked batches using physical whiteboards, paper logs, or personal memory. This caused confusion about current status, missed updates, and duplicated work. Coordinators had no easy way to see which batches were delayed, completed, or needed intervention.
UX Goal
Create a centralized, color-coded tracking interface where volunteers and admins can instantly see the current phase of every batch, who handled it last, and what needs to happen next.
Solution
We built a real-time dashboard on the desktop version of the app. Each batch is displayed with a color that matches its current journey phase. Clicking on a batch shows the entire action history — who moved it, when, and any notes. Admins can validate steps, assign new tasks, and access the correct cloud folders instantly.
Digitalización
(Scanning & Classification)
Digitalización
(Scanning & Classification)
Problem
Before the app, the team tracked batches using physical whiteboards, paper logs, or personal memory. This caused confusion about current status, missed updates, and duplicated work. Coordinators had no easy way to see which batches were delayed, completed, or needed intervention.
UX Goal
Create a centralized, color-coded tracking interface where volunteers and admins can instantly see the current phase of every batch, who handled it last, and what needs to happen next.
Solution
We built a real-time dashboard on the desktop version of the app. Each batch is displayed with a color that matches its current journey phase. Clicking on a batch shows the entire action history — who moved it, when, and any notes. Admins can validate steps, assign new tasks, and access the correct cloud folders instantly.
I worked hand-in-hand with the developers, sharing detailed annotations on user flows, design elements, and data integration. This close collaboration helped bring
the app to life in a way that felt seamless and user-friendly
Developer Handoff
Salvem les Fotos was more than just a UX/UI challenge, it was a response to a real crisis, with real people behind every photo. Designing a tool to help volunteers and coordinators rescue and return damaged memories required empathy, clarity, and strong collaboration across disciplines. The result was a mobile-first, user-friendly platform that brought order to chaos and made a complex process manageable. This project deepened my belief in design as a force for good .One that, when thoughtfully applied, can make even the most emotional and difficult tasks feel a little more human, and a little more hopeful.
Final thoughts
Developer Handoff
I worked hand-in-hand with the developers, sharing detailed annotations on user flows, design elements, and data integration. This close collaboration helped bring the app to life in a way that felt seamless and user-friendly.
Final thoughts
Salvem les Fotos was more than just a UX/UI challenge, it was a response to a real crisis, with real people behind every photo. Designing a tool to help volunteers and coordinators rescue and return damaged memories required empathy, clarity, and strong collaboration across disciplines. The result was a mobile-first, user-friendly platform that brought order to chaos and made a complex process manageable. This project deepened my belief in design as a force for good One that, when thoughtfully applied, can make even the most emotional and difficult tasks feel a little more human, and a little more hopeful.