B2B Marketing & Design
Designing for Uspire - an AI ed-tech startup
Role
Designer
Business Development Intern
Duration
June - September 2024 (12 weeks)
Tools
Figma, Wix, MongoDB
Skills
UI/UX
Website Design
Graphic Design
Illustration & Branding
AI & Tech
Startup
Project Summary
I redesigned the current B2B website of Uspire to acquire more leads & attract more customers.
I was also in charge of designing all the graphics for Uspire's B2B and B2C campaigns, including ads, brochures, video tutorials, and emails.
Uspire is an ed-tech startup specializing in providing AI-powered test preparation platforms for exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE.
Problems
Selling Points
The current Uspire website does not effectively advertise the product and its selling points to the B2B market.
Right now the website content emphasizes on features to sell to the B2C customers, but Uspire is currently at its early B2B stage. In order to attract business partners and customers more effectively, the business website needs to emphasize on the correct selling points in the B2B market.
Branding Consistency
The website design does not follow brand guidelines
The design language is inconsistent, and also does not follow the company's branding along with the AI-heavy nature of the product that the founders are also trying to emphasize. The layout of the website is also not organized enough and requires more intentional placement of sections.
Solution
I met 1-on-1 with the CEO & CTOs of Uspire and use these conversations to drive my redesign of the design.
I then designed a new website, which caters specifically to the correct customer profile of our B2B campaign, and drives more engagement from site visitors.
I also applied these same problem solving principles to create graphics and marketing materials for Uspire.
Research
Visitor Persona
To start off, I identified the specific customer that we will be reaching out to and will visit our site. This is mostly informed by the many meetings I have attended with the CEO and our business partners, where we asked our current and prospective business partners more questions about the people that might be interested in our product, and ask them for market estimates for this type of test-prep platform in their country.
Market Research
Afterwards, I looked at the business sites of other companies providing similar services, what their points of emphasis are, and what their general layouts look like:
Some common points of emphasis:
- The size of the content library
- The use of AI to automate grading & accelerate feedback process
- The feedback is also PERSONALIZED
Research Insights
Through market research & the discussions with the founders, I noted three key points of consideration for the new website & graphics:
Visitors
Given the two main types of visitors above to the website, the layout and content needs to appeal to their specific needs and attract their attention at the right places.
Unique Selling Points
What can the customers do with this platform? What does Uspire offer that stands out all the other platforms?
Branding
How do I establish Uspire's brand identity? What should the website emphasize on in terms of company direction and the connections that it is trying to draw for the customers?
User Persona
Name: Alex, the Ambitious Student
Age: 20
Occupation: College Student
Goals:
- Improve academic performance
- Efficiently manage study materials
- Understand complex concepts quickly
Pain Points:
- Difficulty in taking organized notes during lectures
- Time-consuming note-taking process
- Challenges in reviewing and understanding notes later
Needs:
- A user-friendly note-taking app that can help organize and structure notes effectively
- AI-powered tools to enhance note-taking and understanding
- A flexible platform that adapts to different learning styles
Persona variations & Scenarios:
1. Alex is studying for a Linear Algebra exam, and needs to understand how all of the concepts connect to each other (ex: how linear transformations relate to matrices, vector spaces, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and systems of equations).
2. Alex is studying for an Twentieth Century Art History exam, and needs to learn how each of the artworks relate to each other and relate to the larger trends in art history. He also needs to have a clear understanding of art critics' writings in order to be able to quote them efficiently in his writing during the essay section of the test. Most importantly, he needs to perform visual analysis of each of the artworks similar to what the professor does in class.
3. Alex is writing a 2500-word essay for his Philosophy class. He is required to cite the sources that he uses in the correct format. Additionally, he needs to be able to understand all of the writings of the philosophers and generate a intricate dialogue that closely addresses each of the philosopher's writings.
Lo-fi Designs
User Flows & Lo-fi Wireframes
To start of with the design process, I consider the visitor journey as they go through the website.
The main goals set for the business website are to: 1. Maintain interest of visitors throughout their journey
2. Clear separation and declaration of each section
3. Simplify the product and its offerings to the user so that they can make easy yes/no decision on using it.
With that in mind, I changed the layout of the website to reflect these points (considering the user flow correlates with the user scrolling down the page):
Mock-ups
After laying out the foundations and main sections of the website, I created mock-ups for the website in Figma, and afterwards migrated the design onto Wix.
01. Align Elements with Branding
All buttons, backgrounds, images accurately reflect the actual platform and company.
02. Call-to-action Buttons
Better button texts & button placement to grab user's attention and increase lead follow-ups.
03. Emphasis on Numbers & Offerings
Clear data points to show company's progress, user satisfaction, and resource library. Also shows clearly what the user will gain by choosing our product.
Branding & Graphics
Design System
I followed the style guides already developed for Uspire, but also added my own proposed changes in response to the founder's request to align the company's identity more with the AI sector.
Graphics & Visualizations
Besides the website, I also continued to design & develop other graphics for the company as it goes through B2B and enters the B2C marketing phase:
Final Features Highlight
Brochure
User Tutorials
Data Visualizations
Ad Campaign Graphics
Impact & Results
My graphics are now used in all Uspire's B2B and B2C marketing materials.
The proposed website redesign and changes is set to be implemented by the development team.
Business Brochure I designed was sent to all business partners after first meetings, helping generate deals with major players in the test preparation business (Berlitz, HEC Paris, ...)
Conclusion
Reflection
My design and UX research process intermixes heavily with the marketing work for this project, especially because I am working as a Business Development Intern.
Working with a startup allows me to make key decisions regarding brand identity and have tangible contributions to the company, as well as learn more from startup founders and their journeys, as well as acquire more knowledge about the sales and marketing processes.
Key takeaways
I realigned my design methodologies towards the marketing goals of the company.
I maintained a user-centric mindset despite designing for a Business-to-Business model.