Being a part of a small startup team was an exciting and rewarding experience. When I joined the team, we were only six strong people, including the product and front-end development team. However, as the platform grew and evolved, so did our team, which eventually expanded to over 50 people.
Thriving in a dynamic startup environment: Scaling team and user-centric product design
Being a part of a small startup team was an exciting and rewarding experience. When I joined the team, we were only six strong people, including the product and front-end development team. However, as the platform grew and evolved, so did our team, which eventually expanded to over 50 people.
Working in a fast-paced startup environment, I learned to be agile and adaptable and think creatively to solve any challenge. As we continued to develop the platform, we had to ensure that it remained responsive to the needs of our users and stakeholders. We constantly collected feedback and worked to incorporate it into our product design, making sure that we were consistently delivering a high-quality user experience. Through our efforts, we were able to help thousands of non-profits and social causes to raise millions of dollars and connect donors with the causes they cared about most. In addition to my design responsibilities, I also had the opportunity to contribute to the company's growth through branding and creativity. I helped shape the platform's brand identity and develop its messaging to resonate with our target audience.
Experience the convenience of mobile fundraising with our app's sleek and intuitive interface. Easily access and navigate your fundraising page on the go, empowering you to connect with supporters, track progress, and reach your goals with ease. The mobile app view provides a seamless and user-friendly experience, ensuring that your fundraising efforts are optimized for success. Fundraise anytime, anywhere, with our mobile app.
It was enriching to see how our work positively impacted the community and inspired people to get involved in social causes that they felt passionate about. Overall, my time at CrowdRise was a fantastic experience, and I am grateful to have been a part of such a dynamic and impactful team. I learned a lot about myself as a creative director and the importance of collaboration and teamwork in achieving our goals.
Responsive product and merchandise page designed specifically for CrowdRise Merch.
The layout and visual elements are carefully crafted to enhance the product display and provide a smooth navigation flow. With its clean design and intuitive interface, this responsive page offers a delightful shopping experience for supporters of CrowdRise and their merchandise offerings.
Navigating complex design challenges and stakeholder collaboration for building a successful brand
As the Creative Director at CrowdRise, I was tasked with various design challenges, including working with multiple levels of stakeholders. This included founders such as Edward Norton, Shauna Robertson, Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe of Moosejaw, Chris Saaca, Bezos Expeditions, and Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures. With so many stakeholders involved, it was often difficult to define a clear path of execution, but my role was to bridge the gap and build a successful brand with a small team.
"How it Works" page designed for individual fundraisers. It provides a step-by-step guide on how to effectively use the platform, empowering users to create and manage their fundraising campaigns successfully
Managing expectations and empowering a small dev team for success
Another challenge I faced as Creative Director at CrowdRise was working with a small dev team with enormous expectations. The team had a lot of pressure to meet the demands of multiple stakeholders while also maintaining a high level of quality in their work. As the Creative Director, it was my job to help them manage these expectations, communicate effectively, and stay motivated to achieve their goals.
This image showcases a responsive landing page designed for CrowdRise's Celebrity Fundraiser campaign. The page serves as a platform for celebrities to raise funds and awareness for their personal causes and participate in engaging celebrity challenges. The responsive design ensures optimal viewing and interaction across different devices, providing a seamless user experience. The landing page features captivating visuals, compelling storytelling, and intuitive navigation, highlighting the celebrities' impactful initiatives. From inspiring personal stories to exciting challenges, this Celebrity Fundraiser landing page encourages supporters to contribute to meaningful causes while enjoying the involvement of their favorite celebrities.
Adapting to a rapidly scaling organization: Leading cross-functional collaboration for design alignment
Later, as the company began to scale rapidly, I had to learn how to work with a larger, more complex team. The work included collaborating with product managers, developers, and other creatives across different departments to ensure our design aligned with the company's vision and goals. Again, it was a challenging but rewarding experience to learn how to adapt and thrive in a constantly evolving work environment. Through this experience, I gained valuable leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that have continued to serve me well throughout my career.
Collaborating with major charities and fundraising events: An extraordinary journey of non-profit partnership
Working with significant charities, non-profits, and fundraising events like the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Ironman, and Tough Mudder was an extraordinary experience. Working with some of the world's largest non-profit brands was also rewarding while adhering to many corporate style guides.
"How it Works" page designed specifically for charity fundraisers. It provides a step-by-step guide on how to effectively use the platform, empowering users to create and manage their fundraising campaigns successfully
Our responsive donation page was specifically designed to enhance functionality, especially for mobile users, as 45% of our donations originated from mobile devices. Mobile compatibility was a top priority, ensuring a smooth and user-friendly donation experience. The page's responsive design seamlessly adjusted to different screen sizes, offering intuitive navigation and a seamless donation process on mobile devices. We prioritized clear and accessible donation options, secure payment processing, and streamlined form entry. By prioritizing mobile functionality, our donation page aimed to maximize engagement and accessibility, enabling donors to contribute conveniently and efficiently, regardless of their device.
From start to finish: contributing to CrowdRise's successful sale and impressive fundraising milestones.
My collaboration and contribution at CrowdRise played a significant role in the company's successful sale to GoFundMe, which subsequently rebranded as GoFundMe Charity. This was a proud moment for me as I was part of such an incredible project from start to finish. You can read more about the sale on Fast Company and TechCrunch websites. Since its launch in 2010, CrowdRise has raised over $500 million from a community of more than 1 million donors and 20,000 charities. To date, there have been more than 2 million campaigns, making it one of the most successful fundraising platforms in the world.
The image showcases the responsive and visually appealing homepage of CrowdRise. Designed to delight users, the page seamlessly adapts to different screen sizes and devices, ensuring an optimal browsing experience. With a wide range of users in mind, the homepage is crafted to be user-friendly and engaging, catering to the diverse needs and preferences of the platform's audience. The layout, color scheme, and intuitive navigation contribute to a delightful user experience, inviting visitors to explore and participate in fundraising initiatives.
Conclusion: A journey of growth and success: Reflections on my time at CrowdRise.
Being a part of the journey and contributing to the success of CrowdRise fills me with pride. My experience with the company has been invaluable, shaping me into a better Creative Director and team leader. Throughout my time at CrowdRise, I learned essential lessons in collaboration, communication, humbling the ego in the design process, and problem-solving to achieve business objectives. Witnessing the harmonious collaboration among stakeholders of different levels taught me the significance of teamwork in achieving success. I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity CrowdRise provided me, as it has facilitated my professional growth and elevated my effectiveness as a Creative Director.