Guardian Life Incubator
Developing out a website from concept to an active health and wellness community.
Role
Designer and product owner
Tools
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator
Timeline
Sep 2021 – Sep 2024
Overview
Building a Crowdfunding Platform
Around the late 2010s, a few of the heads at Guardian Life had pitched the vision for their incubator project – a new way to give to your loved ones. Once the project was a go, freelancers like me were brought in to bring it to life.
Goals
- Design and validate a health and wellness-focused crowdfunding platform from the ground up
- Narrow down the core target audience
- User test early concepts and iterating quickly in a startup-style environment
Challenges
- Navigating ambiguity with no existing product or user base
- Defining the problem space and designing solutions with a new team
- Collaborating within a small contractor team while aligning with a larger parent company
My role
- Joined the team as a Designer & Product Owner on a startup incubator team
- Partnered with the Lead Designer on product design and iteration
- Main contributor across design, visual QA, legal team communication, CMS management, and backend support
Jumping in
Defining Clementine
When I was first brought onto Clementine, the team in the midst of nailing down the target audience. As this was a crowdfunded platform, we had simplified the groups into users and givers. The problem now was that we had about a dozen to test.
Through multiple surveys and user testing, we were able to narrow it down to two main groups. The strongest by far were young workers and their parents, as well as employees and their employers. We got to researching further into our new target audiences and tested copy for each key group to find what resonated best.
For A/B testing, the very initial designs had been created by a previous designer. To get the ball rolling, I built the design in Unbounce and also I created the Facebook ads that we used to get them onto the landing page. Each landing page and ad had copy variations to test what our potential users engaged with more.
Exploration
Designing and Refining
Version 2 of the testing landing page with new copy and the updated Clementine branding. CTA buttons were placed under each paragraph to gauge which points resonated best.
As we worked on the final production for launch, we had many sprints and many QA sessions to get Clementine ready.
Our engineers worked hard to build the skeleton of our site and I was able to get my hands on the CMS in Contentful to start designing pages, writing copy, and also fulfilling orders on the back end. Additionally, I designed features like status trackers and email automation for the admin fulfillment to the existing admin site.
Launching
Introducing Clementine
Clementine: a health-focused crowdfunding platform for your loved ones
Invite the friends and family you want to support! Give them gifts that they can use in Clementine’s curated, health-focused marketplace
Learn more ways to prioritize the health of your mentally, physically, and financially
Post-Launch
Reflection
As my first role in the field, this experience taught me an incredible amount about both design and product development. I gained firsthand experience working in the fast-paced, ambiguous environment of a startup while also learning how to navigate the processes, constraints, and stakeholder expectations of an established company.
Beyond design, I learned the importance of adaptability, cross-functional collaboration, and balancing user needs with business goals. Wearing multiple hats throughout the project helped me develop a broader understanding of the product lifecycle and strengthened my ability to contribute wherever support was needed.