Learning People Alumni
Project highlights
- Research
- Digital Project Planning
- Brand Development
- Product Design (UX & UI)
- Animated User Onboarding Guide
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Project brief
Working with Learning People, I was engaged to support the creation and launch of their exclusive student alumni community portal from alpha release to full launch; supporting on strategy and brand identity creation, through to development and ongoing maintenance.
Alpha release and promotion
The project initially required a need to launch exclusive access to select members within a tight 4 week turnaround time, so the strategy was to keep the design and functionality lean, and then conduct deeper user analysis based on alpha engagement.
Initial tasks focussed on creation of the visual brand identity and reskin of a pre-built template using the Vanilla Forums tech stack.
Working with an SEO Copywriter and Social Community Manager, I played a pivotal role in:
- Project planning: Collaborating with a strategic digital communities expert, I championed user research and supported in planning out the alpha scope of the product
- Branding the Forum: I orchestrated the creation of all visual UI and promotional assets, leveraging my design skills and light front-end coding to ensure the forum seamlessly reflected the brand identity
To fuel the launch of the alpha forum, I produced key visual marketing assets such as exclusive invite emails, social media graphics, animated video content, and a digital landing page to launch sign-up.
Taking initiative, I also storyboarded, designed, and produced an animated Onboarding Guide for users which addressed anticipated FAQ queries, and encouraged engagement on the platform.
Animated user onboarding guide showcasing the alumni product aplha release
Discovering the user reaction to alpha release
Upon launch, our focus shifted to collecting user insight to inform creation of planned future features and content.
I implemented a robust analytics suite consisting of Universal Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and HotJar. This allowed me to track key user behaviors and conversion events. Collaborating with the social media manager, I launched user polls and gathered student feedback to inform the platform's evolution.
Exploring viability beyond alpha
Working in collaboration with the Chief Marketing Officer and Global Head of Marketing to establish timelines, I developed planning materials that highlighted how proposed membership tiers correlated to the user needs, user insights, and planned future features that were being considered for the platform.
Once stakeholder buy-in was secured, the next step was user flow mapping. This exercise identified key member journeys and potential touchpoints to drive them towards unlocking premium membership tiers.
The project faced an initial hurdle: unconfirmed technical feasibility. Two possibilities were in consideration:
- Evolving to a Premium Vanilla Forum which limited design flexibility, and would involve an increase of committed annual spend
- Initiating a custom build using open-source Vanilla Forum technology, which would require contracting a third-party engineer
Stakeholders desired visual designs and quotes for a custom build within a tight 3-week timeframe. This meant leveraging our initial user data to create a mid-fidelity prototype. Balancing fidelity with speed, the prototype communicated the vision, satisfied stakeholder expectations, and provided a solid foundation for realistic engineer quotes within a clear project scope.
While leading design efforts, I also supported the Head of Marketing in engineer interviews, ensuring alignment between project vision and technical expertise.
Mapping critical user task flows across membership tiers
The outcomes
In a strategic shift, the project pivoted to leverage a LinkedIn Alumni community, proving to be a more cost-effective approach than a custom Vanilla Forum solution. However, the project demonstrably delivered business value by:
- The alpha release successfully generated interest, memberships, and valuable insights that fueled the growth of the Alumni community.
- The mid-fidelity prototype for the custom build served its purpose by preventing unnecessary investment in the wrong solution.
- The project's graphics, content, and user insights proved to be valuable assets, informing future endeavors and utilized elsewhere within the organization.
Client feedback
I've worked with Claire for a few years now and she is always able to bring my ideas to life through her designs.
- Jenny Bernarde, Social & Community Manager, LinkedIn.
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