Framewrk
Framewrk is a desktop and mobile platform that provides spaces for early-stage founders to connect and tools to grow their business.
Paving the way: Designing a Platform to Empower Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs
The Challenge
The startup landscape is a difficult one, with over 50% of businesses failing within their first 5 years. Framewrk’s mission is ambitious: to help 1 million startups reach $1 million in net profit by providing an extensive platform centered around community engagement, peer collaboration, comprehensive business diagnostics, and personalized AI business consulting. How might we transform this vision into reality?
Our main objective was to reimagine the onboarding experience and design into 3 key business diagnostics, which were critical to the overall success of Framewrk’s platform. These diagnostics would serve as essential tools, guiding entrepreneurs in evaluating and improving various aspects of their businesses.
Role
Product Designer + Project Manager
Timeline
5 Week Sprint
Tools
- Figma + Figjam
- Trello
- Otter.ai
- Slack
Exploring the Scope: From Assumptions to Insights
Seeking to elevate the user experience of Framewrk, we embarked on a comprehensive journey of discovery. Our main aim? To gain a deeper understanding of Framewkr’s users and challenge assumptions about them that would serve as the driving force behind business decisions and design direction. To achieve this, we took a multifaceted approach, seeking to fully immerse ourselves into the product.
Uncovering the Low-Hanging Fruit: A Heuristic Exploration
Our critical assessment of the platform’s design and usability principles was an essential precursor to the redesign process. By identifying areas of improvement and following conventional UX/UI standards, we identified low effort, high impact issues that paved the way for a more streamlined and user-centric experience.
Not all icons are recognizable to the users, while others don’t match user expectations because they typically represent something else.
Synthesizing Secondary Research
Diving into Framewrk’s internal research and documentation was a necessary, preliminary step provided us with a foundational understanding of the product’s landscape. While many resources had been provided, only certain data points proved to be useful as the product had evolved. However, we were able to extract insights from Framewrk’s own usability tests, providing insights that highlighted existing strengths and potential shortcomings.
Discovering insights through First-Hand Research
While we initially gathered insights from secondary sources, we recognized the importance of conducting our own research to delve deeper into user experiences. Through a combination of user interviews and usability testing, we aimed to uncover first hand insights into how users were interacting with Framewrk’s platform. The interviews provided us with a window into their thoughts, emotions, and motivations, while usability testing allowed us to witness their behaviors firsthand.
Trust and Transparency Gaps
A common theme emerged amongst users: 3 out of 4 participants voiced concerns and were apprehensive about answering the demographic questions posed during the signup process. They sought clarity on how race, gender, age, and location influenced the formation of Mastermind groups. This insight highlighted the need for transparency and clarity in explaining the relevance of answering these questions.
Diverse User Needs
The introduction of a digital “home office” theme evoked diverse reactions among the users from both our testing sessions and Framewkr’s own usability tests. While some users expressed excitement, others found it distracting. The lack of definitive preference reinforces the notion that user preferences are varied, underlining the importance of accommodating a spectrum of viewpoints to appeal to a broad audience in our design decisions.
Misalignment between Vision and Reality
50% of users weren’t engaging with the 3 key business diagnostic tools the way the founder had anticipated, and it became clear that there was a significant misalignment between the product and the needs of its users. Specifically, more experienced entrepreneurs felt that the tools were primarily geared towards early-stage founders, leading us to question if we continued with the original project scope, would we miss the mark for the user base?
Mapping Unique User Journeys
We were initially stuck with how to move forward with all this raw data. How could we possibly move forward with understanding our unique user base? In the expansive landscape of entrepreneurship, every journey is unique, each story a blend of goals, challenges and growth. Despite our attempts to categorize and simplify, we were unable to define the needs, behaviors, and goals of our diverse user base. It wasn’t until I was able to unlock what I couldn’t articulate – the realization that our users required distinct groups, a Venn diagram, to visually illuminate their individual and shared needs. Which led me to propose the concept of a user spectrum, to understand where each founder is on their entrepreneurial journey of the experiential continuum. Recognizing that Framewrk’s true potential resided in aiding new and early-stage founders on their business-building journey, our focus shifted towards addressing two out of the three primary user segments we had identified.
Diverse Journeys, Common Desires
How we progressed forward was a genuine collaboration. We employed the use of a venn diagram to sift through the data and meticulously sorted through each user’s input into the two primary user groups.
Understanding the users
The Novice Founder
At one end of the spectrum, resides Thomas, the Novice Founder, an individual setting out on his entrepreneurial journey, fueled by vision but lacking experience. Juggling a regular job and his startup dream, Thomas needs guidance as they navigate the uncharted waters of launching a business. Thomas is wrestling with uncertainties and constrained resources, and yearns for a guiding light, tools, and mentorship that can illuminate his way forward.
The Establishing Founder
The second group of users displayed a broader range of experience levels, positioned between infancy and establishment. Among them, Charlotte, our Establishing Founder, has tasted success in her entrepreneurial ventures and now aspires to elevate her operations. Charlotte seeks to forge and foster connections and tap into resources that align with their evolving needs. She is looking for strategic partnerships and avenues to secure funding, with the aim of surging past plateaus and reaching new heights.
Understanding the problems
Thomas, a career teacher, has always dreamed of starting his own business and bringing his “big idea” to life; however, he’s struggling with self-doubt due to his lack of business experience and he’s finding navigating this uncharted territory very challenging. With limited time and financing, he is searching for trustworthy resources he can rely on that can provide him guidance thru his entrepreneurial journey and help him build a solid foundation, which will enable the business to thrive and grow in the future.
HMW...
- Get Thomas to engage with the resources he needs on Framewrk?
- Provide structure for Thomas as he builds his business?
- Instill confidence in Thomas as he uses Framewrk?
Charlotte, a committed entrepreneur, founded her business 3 years ago. While she is proud of her accomplishments thus far, she feels the business has hit a plateau and she is struggling to scale up and sustain growth. To overcome this hurdle, she is seeking to leverage the invaluable experience of her peers aiming to expedite the business’ growth trajectory and achieve financial stability.
HMW...
- How might we help Charlotte form strategic partnerships with industry veterans to expand her reach into the market and leverage shared resources?
- How might we connect Charlotte with resources and opportunities to raise additional funding?
- How might we help Charlotte develop a strategic growth plan on Framewrk?
- How might we help Charlotte recruit and develop a leadership team she can rely on?
Despite their diverse journeys, common themes emerged within both users. Both Thomases and Charlottes displayed a need for focused guidance, connections with peers and mentors, and access to tools that would propel their respective journeys forward. Both groups found value in community and networking and financial stability, revealing a universal need for meaningful interactions that foster growth and support.
Striking a Balance: Balancing Business Goals + User Goals
With a deep understanding of user goals in mind, a pivotal question emerged: how could we harmonize these with the overarching goals of the business? How could we shift the focus of the project without undermining the business goals or lose stakeholder trust?
The Pivot: Aligning Vision with User Reality
To overcome this misalignment, I led the team to translate our research findings into clear visualizations that highlighted the gap between the proposed diagnostic features and user needs. I facilitated a meeting with the founder and we presented the data and shared insights on who their target users are and how these planned features missed the mark with 50% of them. I proposed a strategic pivot – redirecting our focus to redesign the core interface, which would better serve the entire user base while still aligning with business goals. By fostering open dialogue, I secured our client’s buy-in and successfully realigned the project’s focus.
Transforming Insights into Design Principles
Fueled by user insights and a comprehensive understanding of our business objectives we distilled these into 9 foundational design principles. These guided our journey of redesigning the onboarding experience and platform interface.
Unlocking Engagement through Personalized Onboarding
Harnessing the insights from our user personas, our main objective was to craft an onboarding journey that resonates with Thomas and Charlotte. The inherent challenge rested in aligning Framewrk’s features with users’ experience-based preferences.
For Thomas, we understood he would utilize the diagnostic tools as indispensable roadmaps, while Charlotte would be more inclined to explore the community aspect of Framewrk. To address their differing goals, we prioritized different features within the platform to highlight features that would most appeal to each user.
As our journey of understanding continues, one principles remains evident: the path of entrepreneurship is as diverse as the individuals treading it. Through empathetic exploration and inventive solutions, we’re committed to guiding both Thomases and Charlottes towards their unique definitions of success.
Original
Thomas
Charlotte
Within the platform’s original design, a checklist was incorporated to accentuate various features offer, which users were unable to exit until the checklist was fully completed. =
Reimagined for each user, we designed a tour to highlight the various features within the platform.
1. Introduction
2. Profile
3. Diagnostics / Roadmap
4. Ava
5. Mastermind Groups
Reimagined for each user, we designed a tour to highlight the various features within the platform.
1. Introduction
2. Profile
3. Mastermind Groups
4. Ava
5. Diagnostics / Roadmap
Creating a Roadmap for Achieving Goals
A pivotal aspect of our users’ entrepreneurial journey involves defining goals, attaining them, and reaching significant milestones. To facilitate this journey, we developed the Company Profile page, allowing users the capability to input their goals and seamlessly track their accomplishments. Recognizing the potential of our diagnostics to serve as a comprehensive roadmap spanning from goals to milestones, advocating for Tommys with this perspective. Thus, the Diagnostics and their outputs found a natural home on this page. Our proposal extended further, allowing users to save invaluable content from the strategy room or content library—resources they may wish to revisit, transforming it into a repository for all saved content.
Revamping Site Navigation for Enhanced User Experience
Understanding our primary user personas and their shared needs, we reimagined the main site navigation through the side bar. By condensing diagnostics into a collapsible menu, I created a space for universally beneficial features that catered to both user groups. Mastermind groups, discussion forums, a Content Library, and the Venture Lab were strategically repositioned to meet both personas’ goals of networking, learning, and financial stability.
Elevating the Experience through Personalized Content and Theme
Recognizing the individuality of every entrepreneur’s path, I leveraged tailored content delivery on the main dashboard. This approach ensures that users receive customized resources aligned with their specific goals, enhancing their journey through the platform.
In response to mixed sentiments surrounding the home office theme, I took decisive action to provide users with the power of choice. My update empowers users to curate their platform experience, allowing them to select a theme that resonates with their preferences. This shift embodies our commitment to ensuring that every interaction with the platform is aligned with the unique journey and preferences of each user
Original
Redesign
Prototype
Unveiling Future Opportunity for Framewrk
As we look ahead, our focus turns to the next critical steps in evolving Framewrk’s platform.
1. A key priority is to validate and refine our redesigned concepts through thorough testing. Given the substantial changes we made in layout and interaction, qualitative insights gathered from user testing will be pivotal in understanding user interactions and navigation preferences. Key areas of transformation, such as the company profile page, the revamped home office theme, Ava’s enhanced role and location, and the upgraded direct messaging system, warrant thorough assessment.
2. Our second recommendation centers on enhancing the value proposition website. User testing revealed that participants were confused around certain terminology, hindering users from fully grasping the platform’s features and therefore value. As this is the first entry point to draw in more users, it’s important to explain the key features to convert window shoppers into purchasers.
3. Prioritization of features is our third recommendation. While the potential of business diagnostics remains evident, our research has underscored the compelling allure of community-centric features for both users. Prioritizing features such as Mastermind Group, the discussion forums, and content library, would bring immediate value to the platform.
4. Our last recommendation is defining that 3rd persona from our user spectrum, representing experienced mentors. Our research revealed the presence of users whose expertise exceeded that of our current personas, highlighting an unmet opportunity. Developing a tailored experience for seasoned mentors can expand Framewrk’s reach and deepen its impact and presents a remarkable opportunity for Framewrk’s expansion and enhanced influence. By facilitating a space for entrepreneurs to perpetually advance their success, wisdom, and expertise, we unlock the potential for continuous growth within the platform.
