Bount: Launching a Creator Economy Platform
Industry
Tech, Social, CMS
Client
Bount, Inc
Year
(2021-2023)
Role
UX / Product Design lead
Product design lead
Year
(2021-2023)
01 - Challenge
01
Bount set out to solve a genuine gap in the creator economy: a dedicated platform for fans to submit requests to creators, and for creators to fulfill them. The problem was that nothing like this existed at the time, which meant there was no established UX playbook to follow — the product needed to be designed from first principles. The challenge was building an experience that served two very different users, fans and creators, while maintaining a consistent brand and a low-friction interaction model for what was, at its core, a novel social behavior.
Bount set out to solve a genuine gap in the creator economy: a dedicated platform for fans to submit requests to creators, and for creators to fulfill them. The problem was that nothing like this existed at the time, which meant there was no established UX playbook to follow — the product needed to be designed from first principles. The challenge was building an experience that served two very different users, fans and creators, while maintaining a consistent brand and a low-friction interaction model for what was, at its core, a novel social behavior.
Bount set out to solve a genuine gap in the creator economy: a dedicated platform for fans to submit requests to creators, and for creators to fulfill them. The problem was that nothing like this existed at the time, which meant there was no established UX playbook to follow — the product needed to be designed from first principles. The challenge was building an experience that served two very different users, fans and creators, while maintaining a consistent brand and a low-friction interaction model for what was, at its core, a novel social behavior.
02 - Approach
02
As the founding designer, I led all design from zero: research, UX, UI, branding, and art direction. I conducted in-depth user interviews with creators across YouTube, podcasting, music, and visual art, as well as their audiences, and ran surveys and competitive analysis to map the opportunity space. I developed user personas for both creator and fan audiences, which became the compass for every subsequent design decision. Research directly shaped the core interaction model: the request submission flow, the creator dashboard, and the communication tools between both parties.
As the founding designer, I led all design from zero: research, UX, UI, branding, and art direction. I conducted in-depth user interviews with creators across YouTube, podcasting, music, and visual art, as well as their audiences, and ran surveys and competitive analysis to map the opportunity space. I developed user personas for both creator and fan audiences, which became the compass for every subsequent design decision. Research directly shaped the core interaction model: the request submission flow, the creator dashboard, and the communication tools between both parties.
As the founding designer, I led all design from zero: research, UX, UI, branding, and art direction. I conducted in-depth user interviews with creators across YouTube, podcasting, music, and visual art, as well as their audiences, and ran surveys and competitive analysis to map the opportunity space. I developed user personas for both creator and fan audiences, which became the compass for every subsequent design decision. Research directly shaped the core interaction model: the request submission flow, the creator dashboard, and the communication tools between both parties.
03 - Process
03 - Process
03
I built the information architecture, mapped all key user journeys, and developed a comprehensive component library that enabled rapid prototyping and iterative testing throughout the engagement. I ran multiple rounds of usability testing using a mix of moderated sessions, A/B testing, and remote testing to evaluate design decisions at each stage. The platform attracted a notably engaged early user base, including Hallmark Channel talent, competitive eaters, and musicians, which gave us rich, real behavioral data to iterate against.
I built the information architecture, mapped all key user journeys, and developed a comprehensive component library that enabled rapid prototyping and iterative testing throughout the engagement. I ran multiple rounds of usability testing using a mix of moderated sessions, A/B testing, and remote testing to evaluate design decisions at each stage. The platform attracted a notably engaged early user base, including Hallmark Channel talent, competitive eaters, and musicians, which gave us rich, real behavioral data to iterate against.
I built the information architecture, mapped all key user journeys, and developed a comprehensive component library that enabled rapid prototyping and iterative testing throughout the engagement. I ran multiple rounds of usability testing using a mix of moderated sessions, A/B testing, and remote testing to evaluate design decisions at each stage. The platform attracted a notably engaged early user base, including Hallmark Channel talent, competitive eaters, and musicians, which gave us rich, real behavioral data to iterate against.
04 - Results
04
Beta phase validated the model with 50 requests fulfilled and 200 users onboarded. Full launch grew to 500 users and 944 total fulfilled requests within a short timeframe, a strong signal of product-market fit for the core interaction. The component library and design system I built supported the full launch and continued to serve as the development foundation as the product scaled
Beta phase validated the model with 50 requests fulfilled and 200 users onboarded. Full launch grew to 500 users and 944 total fulfilled requests within a short timeframe, a strong signal of product-market fit for the core interaction. The component library and design system I built supported the full launch and continued to serve as the development foundation as the product scaled
Beta phase validated the model with 50 requests fulfilled and 200 users onboarded. Full launch grew to 500 users and 944 total fulfilled requests within a short timeframe, a strong signal of product-market fit for the core interaction. The component library and design system I built supported the full launch and continued to serve as the development foundation as the product scaled
