My Influency Portal

Connecting local influencers and small businesses

Role

Product Design Intern

Timeline

May - August 2023

Team

1 Designer
5 Engineers

Context

In this digital age, connecting with your audience is key and influencers can be the bridge to that connection. My Influency offers a web platform for small business owners and social media influencers to connect and facilitate marketing collaborations in Atlanta's competitive market.
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As a Product Design Intern, I was tasked with the visual overhaul of the existing interface and I focused on decluttering the layout to make it easier to navigate, allowing small business owners to access these tools in a more intuitive way.

This redesign went beyond visual refresh to enhance user flow through revamped information architecture and system design centered around qualitative insights.

SUMMARY

Bridging the gap in small business marketing by accessing the local influencer ecosystem

Given two distinct end-user groups, I sought a two-pronged approach to the interface redesign: one for influencers and the other for small business owners. For this case study, I shall focus on the task flow for businesses and illustrate how I have simplified the identification, collaboration, and interactions between local influencers and small businesses owners.

Diving into the project, the primary design themes were accessibility, empowerment and community values. The refined interface serves as an avenue to foster authentic partnerships with local brand advocates. This human-centered update removes barriers to organically amplifying reach and loyalty through reciprocal exchanges uniquely tailored to their ecosystems.

Core Features

My Influency streamlines the fragmented process for small businesses to harness the power of localized brand advocates through a dedicated discovery network, an integrated campaign console, and a contract manager. Business owners can easily track influencer activations, optimize efforts through real-time visibility into content engagement, and handle ongoing partnership administration needs in one place.

Connect with your local influencers

As a business owner you can activate multi-channel promotions via this diverse local influencer network.

One-stop shop to manage your campaign

Real-time influencer tracking reflects your relationship with each influencer: whether your campaign request has been accepted, product has been picked up, or your promised post has been published to the gram. The published content is always available to be viewed at a glance. Finally, a unified analytics dashboard completes the picture, offering actionable macro and micro-level insights into campaign reach and performance over time to inform strategy.

Hassle free negotiations through a secure contract management

Businesses can simply initialize agreements with designated influencers before finalizing compensation. Campaign details such as product information, influencer tracking, and campaign content requirements are pre-populated for context. The flexible templates allow adjustment of deliverable timeframes to match needs on both sides, empowering organic partnerships devoid of friction. Payment visibility and processing is contingent upon influencers satisfactorily publishing endorsements after products are shipped – incredibly simplifying usually complex coordination.

NEED FOR REDESIGN

Overstuffed and ambiguous, turning a quick glance into a long guess...

This cluttered dashboard leaves users puzzled about where to click and why? Overwhelmed by the tight squeeze of mismatched colors, fonts, and disparate information cramming such a compact layout, the eye darts around seeking a visual anchor amidst the colliding color palette of a blue-green gradient and the muted grays. Extensive use of buttons and intricate iconography clutter all remaining white space instead of providing helpful breathing room between functions.

BROAD REDESIGN GOAL

How can a web interface redesign simplify interactions and information presentation to make marketing more accessible for small businesses?

Simplification through decluttering, intentional visual contrast, strategic white space, and layering by importance provides a path to enhancing understandability. Hence, I aimed to elaborate on the specific elements contributing to clutter from colors, information architecture, visual hierarchy, negative space usage etc. while characterizing the overall impact on the user experience.

THE HUMAN ASPECT

Connecting with the original problem space

Analytics

Small businesses struggle with limited access to detailed marketing analytics.

Growth

Existing tools foster community interactions but are not optimized for scaling local businesses.

Personalization

A notable issue faced by small businesses in their marketing efforts is the lack of personalized customer data.

Meet Entrepreneurial Edward

Edward Johnson, co-owner of a suburban artisan bakery, faces unique challenges in publicizing his business.

Limited Digital Marketing Knowledge

Budget Constraints

Time Management Challenges

Authenticity Concerns

Struggles with the intricacies of digital and influencer marketing.
Limited funds available for marketing endeavors, cautious about spending.
Balancing bakery management and personal life with marketing efforts.
Wants to maintain the bakery's authentic, community-focused image in any marketing.

Meet Social Sophia

Sophia Washington, a lifestyle blogger and social media influencer, faces distinct challenges in her career. She struggles to find brand partnerships that align with her niche and values, while balancing sponsored content to maintain authenticity with her audience.

Finding Relevant Partnerships

Negotiating Fair Compensation

Difficulty Measuring Marketing Impact

Managing Multiple Collaborations

Struggles to connect with brands that align with her content style and personal values.
Uncertainty in setting and negotiating appropriate rates for collaborations.
Needs simple tools to track and understand the effectiveness of marketing strategies.
Overwhelmed by keeping track of various partnerships and content schedules.

KEY INSIGHTS & INTERVENTION

How the users first experienced our product

The users expressed that using the interface felt like navigating an unfamiliar city without a map. It was functional, yes, but it lacked the ease and clarity necessary for a seamless experience.

MOODBOARDS

Creativity doesn't grow in a vacuum

In this redesign we wanted to make a better use of neutral colors that accentuate overall design with selective pops of color to both draw attention to key information and prompt action. These designs served as excellent inspiration to reskin the current interface with a blend of modern typography, clear visual hierarchies, and a balanced layout that embodies the principles of effective UX/UI design.

FIRST MOCKUPS

Imagine, Rinse, and Repeat

The initial mockups leaned heavily on utilizing the brand's signature color palette, staying true to their original aesthetic. As the designs evolved, we shifted to a more intentional, minimalist use of color for a cleaner look. The final mockups strike a balance between the brand's roots and a refined style.

TASK FLOW

Clearing the clutter

Revised design approach: Minimized the occurrence of dead-end pages by enhancing the website's interconnectedness, strategically incorporating call-to-action (CTA) buttons that facilitate a more seamless and integrated navigation loop.
  • The user can start a new campaign using the "New Campaign" button.
  • Campaigns are listed on the left side, which the user can filter by type.
  • The main panel shows the status of influencer interactions within a campaign (e.g., "Influencer Tracking").
    For each influencer (e.g., "teearaida"), there is a timeline showing different stages: Sent Request, Product Pickup, First Draft, Second Draft, and Published Post.
  • Notifications or alerts seem to be present, indicated by the red numbered badges.
  • The user can perform actions such as viewing contracts or sending messages to influencers directly from this interface.

FINAL PRODUCT

An influencer marketing acceleration suite

Wrapping up the case study of this project, it began with a clear-cut mission in the third week of May: streamline the product's design without reinventing the wheel, guided by the established brand and a tight timeline. The initial design was functional yet raw, like an attic waiting to be converted into a welcoming space. I took stock of the existing design on day one, understanding its strengths and limitations. Knowing the company aimed to ship soon, I focused on what could realistically be enhanced. A complete overhaul wasn't on the cards; instead, we needed a smart, doable facelift.

The brand guide was my constant; it kept my creativity in check and provided direction. In solving the task flows, I created three versions: one dissected the current design, another envisioned the ideal flow, and the third charted a practical, ship-ready course.Settling on the realistic task flow, I then sketched out wireframes that closely mirrored the original structure but with necessary enhancements for a clean, user-friendly interface. The final design was less about high-end dreams and more about practical, elegant solutions ready for the market. This case study concludes with a product that’s not just updated but strategically positioned for future growth.

UX Timeline

Vague Problem Statement

Goals and Motivations for Redesign

App Analysis

Sketch

App Redesign

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Case Study

Overview

Summary

Core Features

Needs

Goals

Human Aspect

Key Insights

Design Ideation

System Design

Final Product