PROJECT PLAN

Working in a team required organization and planning to meet our deadline of less than two weeks. The team used Excel and Trello to track progress, share ideas, and assign deliverables and due dates.

research and analysis

Our original idea was to create an additional type of project category that would allow creators to get funding earlier in the process of starting a new business than what is typically offered through Kickstarter. 

Surveys

After determining our target group, we started with an initial survey to help determine where the needs of the business and consumers would intersect. 
We found that people were more likely to donate on a recurring basis when the organization’s goals were charitable or to help others.
Our solution started to change based on research and interviews. reate an incubator type atmosphere to start projects in phases. 
Phases might include the following categories depending on type of project: Research Design Development or Renovation Production or Training
Project phases will be funded as each level is reached to help get projects started and moving more quickly in the beginning stages.
Backers can also spread their payments over time, entering their choice of amount and how many monthly payments, rather than paying in one lump sum.

personas

Based on our research, interviews, and testing, we developed two types of personas — a project contributor and a project creator or owner.

user flows

 We created three user flows along with a checkout flow using Axure. We made sure that the navigation for the site would work for any of the three users, even with their different pain points and preferences. For the checkout flow, information gathered in the competitive analysis was used to streamline the number of pages in the checkout process as much as possible, using best practices and industry trends.

Sketching and layout

Our goals in designing the new feature on the site was to keep with the style and flow of the existing Kickstarter website as much as possible. 

Wireframes

Working in Axure, we continued to improve our wireframes through testing, continuously referring back to our users and their needs. The team worked together to create an interactive prototype, adding pages and details to meet our findings.

Style guides

Style guides were created to keep the designs in line with company branding, and to set consistent design elements in the new features being added.

testing

In prototype testing, we found the following issues and made updates. 
Users did not want to upload video for every phase. and felt that it was asking too much during set up. Only one video for the “elevator pitch” is required. If additional videos are uploaded, they will show under each phase section on the main project page. One user commented that he liked the idea of creating phases and being able to support projects earlier to help creators, validating the solution we decided on. 

Mobile

In our testing, we also found that contributors were more likely to search for and contribute to projects on a mobile device, so in addition to the website prototype, we also did wireframes for the mobile site to show how changes would be implemented.  

Prototype

A clickable prototype is available here. http://uzj8y5.axshare.com

Tools Used

Axure, PhotoShop, Sketch