Product and UX for an early-stage startup
An early-stage startup needed a scope it could estimate and build. In six weeks, working solo, I mapped six user types, from donors to API developers, and delivered personas, task analysis, and journeys on time and under budget.
- Role
- Product Management & UX
- Team
- Me
- Engagement Length
- 1.5 months
- Tools
- Figma
- MerchRaise
- MerchRaise is an enterprise platform that will streamline the fulfillment and production of brand merchandise, making it easier to raise money for campaigns & causes.
- The platform will be automated and self-service – integrating with existing systems through an API.
Challenge
MerchRaise had limited resources and a wide scope. To get accurate estimates and agree on budget and timeline, it needed its development needs defined by real user requirements.
Outcome
The UX deliverables gave stakeholders one shared picture: clear user flows, defined audiences, and a scope for each phase. Decisions got faster, and the team knew what to build first.
Why are we doing this?
Business Side
Limited resources and an expansive project scope often lead to decision-making paralysis. By establishing clearly defined scopes and phased stages, the development process becomes more manageable, enabling the focused and incremental delivery of key features.
Discovery
With the leadership team, I defined the engagement’s deliverables:
- User Personas
- Full Mapping of Task Analysis (including CPM)
- User Journey Flows
I also reviewed the PromoStandards APIs so the product would follow the industry standard.
Defining User Types
- Partners: suppliers and vendors who receive orders from MerchRaise and produce, decorate, and fulfill them.
- MerchRaise admin: views and facilitates every order and production run.
- API users: developers or agencies who integrate MerchRaise with their own platforms.
- Agency: an existing fundraising platform whose clients run campaigns through it and use MerchRaise through the integration.
- Client: runs campaigns through its agency’s platform, now with branded merchandise.
- Donor: gives at a set level and receives branded merchandise from the campaign page.
Mapping Key Engagements
Interviews and surveys with each audience surfaced their main needs and goals, which set the priorities for Phase 1. Personas, user flows, and task analysis went to the client on time and under budget.
