Chord | Lean Design + Rapid Prototyping
User + Competitive Research | MVP Prototype | Product Roadmap
Project Type
rapid prototyping executed by a 3-person team
MY ROLE
scrum master, client lead, primary research lead
Goal + Timeline
create a mid-fidelity mobile-responsive MVP prototype in 2 weeks
Tools
Adobe XD, Miro, Roadmunk, Sketchbook, Whiteboard
Design SUMMARY
Chord is a small start up in the early stages of forming. They want to provide a seamless digital experience for nonprofits and volunteers to serve community needs and manage projects in a more effective way. Our task was to create their first MVP prototype that would get Chord to their next phase and to advise the founders on strategic next steps and design recommendations in just 13 days.
or jump to the challenges and final design
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Challenges
Aggressive timeline
We knew this timeline would be a challenge so had to to constantly prioritize and stay on top of project management.
Nonprofits difficult to schedule
Nonprofits have a lot on their plates so it was difficult to even get a few minutes of their time and that was if we found the right person to talk to. Since so much robust research was needed, we opted for Lean Design so that we we could rapidly prototype and iterate as our research was being conducted. Researching, designing and iterating overlapped and also happened in rapid succession.
Crowded tech marketplace
Between market research and competitive analysis, we easily could have gone too deep with our research due to sheer volume. We continued to prioritize based on our goals for this project and focused on the needs of the client. In the end we provided prioritized recommendations for furthering research along with our analyses.

The Lean Design Process

The Global Goals
Differentiator is collaboration
The idea behind Chord is to facilitate more nonprofit efficiency through collaboration, however, our research found that collaboration is a major barrier for a variety of reasons. This took us straight to whiteboard where we stayed until we found a solution. We ultimately created a flexible system for any type of user to collaborate based on the Global Goals -- an open framework adopted by nonprofits, corporations, and backed by the United Nations.
final Design: MVP Prototype and hi fi mockups
Play with the clickable mobile or desktop prototype below or by following the links.



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