LegacyConnect – Responsive Web Social Platform

Product Development

The founder of Legacy Connect wanted to create a platform to engage millennials with philanthropy. Working on a small team, we looked at existing tools and identified areas where others were falling short. How doesthe next generation view the world of philanthropy and how can it be updated with technology? How can we let users know how even the little things they do can make a huge difference?

After conducting thorough audience research, we outlined a platform that was social, with game-like elements, that would celebrate the impact of good work at every scale.
competitor analysis, user testing, personas, MVP

Experience Design

Because of my essential role in framing the core product, I was tasked with creating and delivering an experience that would foster a sense of meaningfulengagement, friendly competition, and keep users engaged. I realized that focusing on rewarding and celebrating the impact of even the simplest of actions would make the platform habit-forming and share-worthy. The experience we designed centered around opening up micro-participation opportunities communicatingquantifiable impact.
experience maps, interaction design, wireframes

Game Design

I was happy to leverage some of the game design education I picked up at Parsons to add game-like elements to the platform and encourage friendly competition and a sense of community among users. I brought on the social justice game design experts at Antidote Games to consult on the most compellinggame mechanics and rewards systems we could incorporate into the platform. This added a positive feedback loop that encouraged users to keep making an impact.
game systems mapping, game mechanics, project management

Interface Design

LegacyConnect was a unique challenge in that we had to incorporate both the interface affordances and patternsof social media platforms as well as those familiar in the world of gamification. I also had to make sure the novel mechanics of the system would be clear to new users. The interface and visual styles we devised tested extremely well and users were immediately ableto “figure out” the basic point of the game. The beta launch was successful and users reported the platform was fun, engaging, and effectively communicated the real-world impact of their participation.
UI designs and style guides, design documentation, high-resolution mockups, prototypes

Measured Success

After our major product overhaul of an earlier alpha release, engaged membership went from a few dozen to nearly 1000 by launch of beta. The number of committed B2B partners shown design updates increased from 3 to 8 in that time.