The goal was to redesign Startuplist, a platform for professionals to obtain insights on startups in Africa, inform their business decisions and power their applications.
TEAM
Charles Dim - UI/UX Designer, Oba John - Front-end Developer, Emmanuel Bobby - Back-end Developer
In the initial discovery phase, the focus was on conducting a comprehensive analysis of the existing Startuplist website. This analysis included identifying areas for improvement and outlining the desired functionalities for the redesigned version. To further inform the design direction, competitive research was undertaken. This research involved dissecting industry leaders like Crunchbase, Digest Africa, Craft.co, and Startup Genome, all of which offer comparable services to Startuplist. By gaining insights from these platforms, we were able to incorporate best practices and innovative features into the redesigned Startuplist experience.
The website lacked a general aesthetic appeal
The advanced search feature was challenging for new users to figure out
New features needed to be included so things needed to be moved around
Our initial user research uncovered a critical UX issue within the existing advanced search functionality. Although the feature was available, we noted a high drop-off rate among users attempting to use it. This suggested that the information architecture and presentation of search filters could be hindering users from achieving their intended search results.
Our hypothesis was supported by the overwhelming number of filter options, which lacked organization and visual hierarchy. This cluttered layout likely caused users to overlook relevant products, as the search interface was difficult to navigate effectively.
This challenge presented a clear opportunity to enhance the platform’s overall user experience by optimizing the advanced search functionality."
To understand user pain points in more detail, we conducted user interviews and usability testing. This revealed that users:
Struggled to find relevant filters due to poor organization.
Didn't understand the purpose of some filter options due to lack of clear labels and icons.
Couldn't easily combine multiple filters to narrow down search results.
Category-Based Navigation: We introduced a tabbed interface to categorize content into sections like Deals, Startups, and Events. This structure offers users a clear starting point, helping them quickly navigate to the most relevant content.
Hierarchical Filtering: To support deeper filtering within categories, we implemented a button-based filtering system that organizes filters hierarchically. By treating subcategories as individual filters, users can drill down within a category, maintain context, and backtrack easily, always aware of their current position within the information structure.
This project aimed to elevate the user experience and interface of Startuplist Africa. While communication primarily occurred verbally and on-the-fly, I'm grateful to have collaborated with a fantastic team to achieve our goals.
Charles Dim 2023