VentureHub

Waffle Hack

Role: UI/UX Designer

Duration: 36 hours

Teammates: Rhea Y + Vivian Z

Overview

In June 2024, my team and I participated in a hackathon hosted by:

WaffleHacks 2024


We created VentureHub is a web service that empower local small business owners and entrepreneurs by creating a supportive community where they can connect, collaborate, and thrive together.

Defining the User Problem

Small businesses everywhere find it challenging to connect with others and get started in a whole new venture.

How might we help users locally connect with one another to gain insights, information, and feel supported in this new journey?

Meet Cindy

Cindy is eager to combine her entrepreneurial skills with her other passions to find her next business venture. She is looking to explore new opportunities, gain knowledge, and connect with like-minded individuals to help her succeed in her next endeavor.

Needs:

  • Networking/Assistance - mentorship

  • Vendor Information

  • Community

Needs:

  • Networking/Assistance - mentorship

  • Vendor Information

  • Community

Needs:

  • Networking/Assistance - mentorship

  • Vendor Information

  • Community

Challenges:

  • Lack of Connections

  • Resource Access

  • Market Knowledge

Challenges:

  • Lack of Connections

  • Resource Access

  • Market Knowledge

Challenges:

  • Lack of Connections

  • Resource Access

  • Market Knowledge

Lightning Demos

User Flow

Design System

High Fidelity

Landing Page

Start Now: Quiz Search

Search Results

Start Now: Manual Search

Quiz Results

Community Page

The Prototype

Reflection

This was my first time participating in a hackathon. My group formed after the hackathon had already started, putting us a few hours behind. Despite the time crunch, we persisted and successfully submitted our project on time. Here are a few things I learned:

  • Most of the standard UX processes will need to be customized to best fit the situation. For example, the low-fidelity sketches might start looking like high-fidelity designs because there's no time for multiple ideation and iteration phases.

  • Depending on the team composition, the UX designer will most likely take charge of defining business goals and planning the design. Developers typically do not run through a design or business process before beginning their work. Therefore, it will be up to the UX designer to lead the research, brainstorming, ideation, and defining processes.

Designed by ©Kim Lam