Applicants to the higher level of awards at UnLtd need to send in a budget and financial forecast so that awards panels can assess the financial health of their enterprises.
As part of UnLtd’s strategic priority to break down barriers for social entrepreneurs, I was tasked with designing a way to help applicants understand what information was required.
After a light-touch discovery process involving six user interviews, discussions with in-house and volunteer subject matter experts, and a review of previously in-use learning resources, I designed a mock-up of a web app that would ask users for specific data and use that to populate a spreadsheet that the awards panel could use for assessment.
I also advised that before committing resources to developing the app, UnLtd should build a minimum viable product that could be quickly offered to users. The MVP version of the financial data product is a spreadsheet template combined with a step-by-step guide explaining where to find the data UnLtd needs and how to perform necessary calculations (such as a sales budget).
I tested a PDF prototype with three applicants and then worked with UnLtd’s in-house web developer to build the page that has now been used by 663 applicants. I then continued testing the product by sending surveys to the application managers who assist applicants, the awards panel members, and applicants.
These tests have informed the continuous improvement of the product and validated the finding that a web app would further increase ease of use.