Empowering respondents to schedule calls with RFP issuers in-platform to learn more about their needs. Created both issuer and respondent-facing prototypes.
Clarifying and summarizing RFP requirements for potential respondents by creating an AI chatbot module
“Request a Call” Feature
Ask PuffinAI
Revamping the in-platform profile creation and editing experience
Respondent Profile Upgrade
Other works at Prosal
Prosal is an RFP platform that helps non-profits. I simplified the end-to-end process of connecting non-profits to consulting agencies with a series of high-impact projects.
I designed innovative features and component systems in short iterative sprints to simplify the process of connecting non-profits to potential partners (through RFPs). I built high-fidelity wireframes and mapped interactions between new interface features. I often performed competitive analysis to create feature improvements and uncovered actionable insights through usability interviews.
As a UI/UX Design Intern...
Role & Timeline:
UI/UX Design Intern
September 2022 - April 2023
Scope & Deliverables:
User research, concepts, user flows, UI design for various features
Transforming the RFP (Request-for-Proposal) Process
Competitive analysis plays an incredibly large role in the UX process at startups. Often, my team and I would ask ourselves: how are our competitors increasing revenue and driving user engagement through both their product model and their UX? Prosal’s need to increase revenue all around led to the decision to shift towards a ‘freemium’ business model.
This change would mainly affect respondents, which included companies and consultants looking to respond to an RFP. My responsibility was to implement how premium would look and behave on the platform.
Designing Premium Prosals
Within the original RFP postings, there was no distinction between different listings. All of them were free to access without even making an account. You only needed to sign up for Prosal if you wanted to respond to the RFP in-platform.
In theory, nothing was stopping the user from simply looking up the name of the issuer and responding to them outside of the Prosal platform. During this redesign, I improved the look, feel, and interaction of both free and premium RFP cards and added locked premium features throughout each RFP page.
BEFORE
Comprehensive Audit
Before jumping into the redesign, I completed an audit of the current RFP cards within the platform. These RFP cards are visually inconsistent and ineffective in convincing users to click into the full page. In addition to inconsistent icons and overwhelming differing fonts and text colors, these cards didn’t have any type of distinction— they were all standard, free-to-access RFPs.
AFTER
Noticeable Improvements
I created three main states for the improved RFP cards— locked, unlocked, and standard. I reformatted the categorical elements of the cards to be more visually distinct and appealing, included the functionality to save or dislike an RFP from the card view instead of having to click in, and encouraged users to upgrade to premium by strategically blurring out certain elements and making the premium card look lucrative and eye-catching with a golden glow.
PROCESS
Iterations on the design led to a modern visual style
Getting to this finalized premium view involved a lot of iteration— I went from a more trendy, gen-Z type of design into a more modern view. In the next set of iterations, I also increased the size of the category type to make sure it was easy to find. This is because users are naturally looking for the title of the RFP, plus the category to ensure that they are looking at content that is relevant to them and their agency’s skillset.
The premium model has driven revenue from $140 to nearly $3,000 in monthly recurring revenue.
RESULTS
Working within constraints helped me grow as a designer
REFLECTIONS
Navigating ambiguity within startups
I interfaced directly with the leadership team and was trusted with making my own research-backed UX decisions. I validating designs through external research, user interviews, and analytics tools such as Hotjar.
Timelines led to the need to prioritize
Tight deadlines led to the need to prioritize certain tasks and phases of the design process. If I had more time, I’d love to be able to delve into the UX process more deeply. Particularly, I’d love to be able to conduct more consumer experience interviews and live usability testing— Hotjar as an analytics is useful, but not as engaging or insightful as conducting a live user interview.
Being the sole UX designer
While I’ve loved being able to take ownership of my work, this was my first UX project where I was the only designer. Being able to trust my own evidence-based decisions was challenging, yet extremely rewarding.
