Venturo
Role • User Research, Product Design, Interaction Design
Venturo’s mission is simple: to bridge the gap in the Midwest startup landscape, uniting visionary startups, discerning investors, and seasoned mentors on a single, dynamic platform. Fueled by the recognition of a crucial pain point – the absence of a central meeting ground for regional startups – their journey embarked on transforming challenges into opportunities. Welcome to a narrative that redefines collaboration, Venturo.
In conducting our research, we engaged in in-depth interviews with a diverse cohort comprising 14 individuals, encompassing investors, entrepreneurs, and mentors. This approach enabled us to gain comprehensive perspectives on the challenges faced by startups within the investment landscape. A prevailing pain point we unearthed was the lack of substantial information available to investors before their initial meetings with startups. Notably, there is a collective desire among investors to streamline this process, saving valuable time by pre-qualifying startups aligned with their investment theses. Beyond pain points, our research illuminated critical insights, highlighting a distinct preference among investors for startups to narrate their stories autonomously. This stands in contrast to the current norm of introductions and referrals, which often inject pre-existing biases into the investor's perspective.
Guided by these invaluable insights and pain points, the project's goal took shape – to construct a user-friendly haven for startups, investors, and mentors, fostering connectivity within the vibrant Midwest entrepreneurial community. User task flows emerged as the backbone of our strategy, translating abstract ideas into tangible interactions. From the inception of startups creating profiles to the pivotal moment when investors connect with budding enterprises, every nuance was carefully considered. This journey seamlessly transitioned from conceptualization to a tangible reality through the construction of a comprehensive sitemap and the evolution of low-fidelity, a custom design system adopted from the Carbon Design system, and high-fidelity wireframes.
As we navigate the intricacies of our project, the insights learned from our research phase have paved the way for strategic reflections and envisioned next steps. Our next steps would be an immediate shift in focus towards user testing. By gathering first hand feedback, we aim to refine our design iteratively, ensuring that the end product aligns seamlessly with the unique needs and preferences of each stakeholder.
A notable aspect we wish to spotlight in our next phase is the attention to startup profile pages. In an ideal scenario, we would dedicate more time to enhance the customization options available to startups. The objective is to empower them to shape their profiles in a way that reflects their distinct identity and narrative. Enabling startups to differentiate their profiles not only adds a layer of personalization but also transforms their profiles into a central hub—facilitating effective communication and presentation. Although time constraints have impacted the depth of this aspect, it remains a potential avenue for future refinement beyond this MVP, underscoring the iterative nature of UX design.
