RUNNOVATE

Runnovate is a startup that matches entrepreneurs with virtual assistants.

Runnovate mockup

High Level Overview

Task

Design Runnovate's website so that entrepreneurs and virtual assistants can sign up and get matched so that they can start working with each other.

My role

I was in charge of the entire design process.

Team

I worked closely with the sales, marketing, tech and operations team members.

Tools

Figma, Google Analytics, Squarespace, Google Forms, Google Sheets

Duration

June 2020 - July 2021

Impact

By July 2021, we were able to achieve the following:

  • 500+ users signed up on the website
  • 1000+ monthly website visits and 20,000+ cumulative website visits
  • Email list grew from 38 to 517 subscribers
  • Increase in consultation calls by 75%

Project link

https://runnovate.com

DEEP DIVE

Background Context

In June 2020, my two teammates and I were among the 20 global teams selected to join The Rockefeller-Acumen Student Innovation Challenge with a workforce development idea called Runnovate that would connect entrepreneurs with virtual assistants.

During the accelerator program, we interviewed 50+ users, tested our assumptions and came up with a comprehensive pitch that we presented to the panelists in October, 2020. We were selected as one of the winning teams and received $10, 000 to launch the Runnovate.

Research

User Research

During the accelerator program, we carried out user research by interviewing 50+ users to test our assumptions. The main goals of the research were to identify the needs, pain points, and goals of the people who would use Runnovate. This information will guide the design decisions.
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Below is the summary of the hypotheses and the findings:
Runnovate user research hypotheses and findings

Market Research

In addition to the user research, we conducted a competitive audit to familiarize ourselves with multiple ways in which Runnovate's competitors had approached the same problem that we were trying to solve and how we could differentiate ourselves.

Here it the link with a summary of the market research.

When looking at the websites of the competitors, some of the key features and benefits that were highlighted include:

  • Clear value proposition
  • Establishing trust using testimonials
  • Showing the benefits of the service
  • Educating how virtual assistants can help
  • Email list sign up for more information
  • Showing companies that have worked with them

Research Analysis

Users

Runnovate serves two user categories:

User Segment 1 : Entrepreneurs

From the user research data that we collected, the entrepreneurs could be divided into two user segments:
Below is the breakdown of the 2 entrepreneur segments:
Runnovate user personas

User Segment 2 : Virtual Assistants

Data from the user research showed that virtual assistants comprised of 3 user segments:
Below is the breakdown of the characteristics of the 3 virtual assistant user segments:
Virtual Assistant User Segments

Journey map

I created the journey maps for both the entrepreneurs and the virtual assistants to show the whole experience of a user, from the first time they hear about Runnovate until they sign up. I also show the different feelings and thoughts the users will have throughout the process so that later we can reflect to them on the design.

Entrepreneur Journey Map

Entrepreneur journey map

Virtual Assistant Journey Map

Virtual assistant journey map

Ideating and Designing

Opportunities from Research

After doing the user and market research and analyzing the user categories and segments, we realized that there are a lot of opportunities to solve the pain points of our users.
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Below is a breakdown of some of the pain points and solutions that would be implemented on the website.

Pain points and solutions

User Flow

I created a user flow diagram to guide the design decisions. When creating the user flow, I made sure that the landing page caters to the needs of the users and gives them multiple opportunities to sign up. Other options that would still capture leads include signing up for Runnovate's newsletter or following Runnovate's social media platforms.
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Runnovate user flow diagram

Brand Style Guide

I created the brand style guide to ensure consistency and cohesiveness of the designs.
Runnovate brand style guide

Designs

Wireframes and High-Fidelity Designs

Based on the opportunities from the research, I came up with sketches for the home page that would solve the customers' pain points and encourage them to sign up. I then used Figma to transform the final sketch into wireframes in order to establish the structure and layout of the content and functionality of the website. I then asked the team and some of the users that we had interviewed for feedback and after getting positive feedback, I created the high-fidelity designs on Figma.
Home Page Wireframe
Landing page initial wireframe
Home Page High-Fidelity Design
Landing page hifi design

User Testing and Feedback

After designing the website, I worked with the developer to publish it. We tested it with 10 users. We also worked together with the marketing and sales team to send people to the landing page and see the impact of the new design. We used Google Analytics to measure performance metrics.

Below is the summary of the user feedback and metrics that we collected.

What worked well

  • Clearly positioned value proposition that shows that we understand the pain point of users and Runnovate has the solution
  • Clearly articulated benefits of signing up
  • Prominent calls to action - easy for users to see it and sign up
  • Social proof using testimonials builds trust and helps customers feel comfortable signing up with Runnovate

What could be improved

  • The sign up buttons were confusing to some users. We had some virtual assistants signing up using the client sign up button
  • Since the page served two different audiences, that is, it tried to address both virtual assistants and entrepreneurs at the same time, users felt confused about the offerings and benefits of signing up. For instance, the main value proposition was addressed to entrepreneurs yet the page was also intended to attract virtual assistants

Changes Based on Feedback

Based on the feedback that we received from the user testing, we decided to create separate pages for entrepreneurs and virtual assistants. This would minimize confusion and make it easier for the copy to address each target audience separately.

Wireframes

I then used Figma to transform the final sketch into wireframes in order to establish the structure and layout of the content and functionality of the landing page. I then asked the team and some of the users that we had interviewed for feedback.
Runnovate wireframe

Updated Wireframes and High-Fidelity Designs

I created separate landing pages for entrepreneurs and virtual assistants based on the feedback that I received from the users.

Below are the updated wireframes and high-fidelity designs.

Entrepreneur Landing Page

Entrepreneur Page Wireframe

Entrepreneur landing page wireframe

Entrepreneur Page Final Design

Entrepreneur landing page final design

Virtual Assistant Landing Page

I created the wireframes for the virtual assistant landing page and then asked for feedback. After getting positive feedback, I created the high-fidelity design on Figma.

VA Page Wireframe

VA wireframe

VA Page Final Design

VA design

Impact

We tested the new designs and got positive feedback. Separating the landing pages for entrepreneurs and virtual assistants enabled us to communicate clearly our users. It also made marketing and sales easier because it was more specific and the marketing and sales team members would direct audiences to their respective landing pages.

I worked with the developer to publish the website and below are the metrics that show the performance of the website.

Metrics

  • 89% increase of sign ups
  • 1000+ monthly website visits
  • 20, 000 + website visits as of Dec 2021
  • Email list grew from 38 to 517
  • Consultation calls increased by 75%

Personal Learnings and Reflection

This was my first website design project. Here are some of the key learnings and takeaways:
  1. The first idea would most likely not be the final idea. Do not get attached to the first idea.
  2. Listen to users. You might think that you know what the users need only to end up finding out that you are wrong. When in doubt, ask the users.
  3. Be concise. Users do not have a lot of time to make everything short and sweet.
  4. There will be multiple iterations throughout the process.
  5. There will be constraints that will come up and you'll have to come up with creative ways to go about them.
  6. The design process is not linear. There will be a lot of moving back and forth.
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Contact Information
Email: hi@jolleenopula.com
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