CM
How things would work
CM handled the technical build.
One night in New Orleans
The idea came on a cross-country road trip. One night in New Orleans, surrounded by jazz, whiskey, swing dancing and a hotel rumored to be haunted, we took hundreds of photos. Then we realized there was no easy way to share them all at once.
Sharing big batches of photos from a phone was clunky at the time. Email attachments, slow uploads and no single place to put them.
What if a photo-sharing app could be more than a utility? What if it carried the spirit of the pictures inside it?
The idea
We set out to make photo sharing feel like the night itself: nostalgic, a little mysterious and indulgent. Mr. Gallerino became an iOS app that turned your photos into web galleries, dressed like an old Victorian hotel bar.
Dark, rich tones, ornate type and tactile textures gave it the feel of old-world luxury.
Me
What they should be
I handled the creative direction: the product, the brand and how it felt to use.
- Product & UXDefined the app's structure and workflows, so the experience stayed simple under the theatrical look.
- UI & brandDesigned the vintage interface and the brand world around it.
- FundingWrote the investor proposals that raised $15K from three angel investors.
- TeamRecruited and coordinated freelance engineers in Asia and Australia.
- Launch campaignRan a street campaign across East and Downtown LA, with stickers and merch that said "Mr. Gallerino Loves You!"
What happened
2012Launched on iOS
$15KRaised from three angel investors
1 yearIt ran for about a year, then closed when the funding ran out
Founding it meant doing all of it at once: raising money, directing a remote team and building a brand from nothing. The app is gone, and I'm still proud of it.
In loving memory of my co-founder, my friend and partner, CM. It was an honor to work beside you.
… Mr. Gallerino loves you. Ciao!