Baddies in Tech

Project brief 

Baddies in Tech is embarking on a comprehensive redesign of their website, enhancing its features to expand global reach and better serve its growing user base. 

My role: User Experience Researcher (Phase 1 Co-Lead)
Research team structure: 2 Co-Leads, 4 Research Apprentices
Timelines: April 2024-September 2024

The BIG problem is there is very little time to deliver everything as the client asks:  

Baddies in Tech currently lacks a member portal, leading to low engagement and a disconnected experience for new members. The new portal aims to create a more welcoming, resource-rich environment with key features including:

• Resource library for past content

• Event sign-ups and information

• Partner dashboard for member-exclusive discounts

• Job board integration (potentially managed by website team)

• Career services platform integration (e.g., WriteSea)

• Small mentorship groups (pending client confirmation)

• Member directory (pending client confirmation)

Phase 1 process

Road mapping to find an MVP we all agree on,

In collaboration with stakeholders, the product manager, strategists, and technical specialists, we developed a timeline and roadmap for MVP1, MVP2, and MMP. Phase 1 was a critical strategic phase, focused on delivering MVP1.

UXR deliverables we needed to understand now and later,

As co-lead of the research team, I guided the team members through key steps, including research, benchmarking, analytics, and accessibility evaluations. Our efforts resulted in several key deliverables:

• Personas

• User Journey Maps & Flows

• Heuristic Evaluation

• Competitive Audit

• Surveys

• Accessibility Audit

• Insights for Information Architecture (IA)

• Card Sorting

• Usability Testing of the current state and proposed designs

This phase laid a solid foundation for the product's ongoing development. 

Challenges and how we overcame these,

We faced challenges with deliverables due to tight timelines, conflicting stakeholder expectations, and budget constraints. Initially, aligning the team and stakeholders on realistic timelines was difficult. Both sides needed open communication to define priorities—what was essential versus what was ideal—leading to adjusted timelines and an updated MVP. This iterative process is core to UX, which is why MVP1, MVP2, and MMPs became integral to future phases.

As a start-up with a limited budget, we lacked the tools and resources of larger corporations. Instead, we used multiple tools to achieve what an all-in-one platform could provide. To further cut costs, we leveraged our large volunteer base for "guerrilla testing" and quick internal studies, allowing us to iterate efficiently before reaching out to real users. This approach significantly reduced expenses while maintaining progress.

More details are available upon request.