Client
Instil
Service
Project lead, Client Relations, Product Management, UX Direction, Creative Direction, User Research, Branding
Industry
Nonprofit
Finished
October 10, 2023
At Instil, I joined as the 4th hire to an esteemed leadership team, tasked with a monumental challenge — developing a platform that would revolutionize nonprofits, allowing them to redirect their focus from navigating outdated software to dedicating more time to their core missions. Faced with the perennial challenges of understaffing and limited resources in the nonprofit sector, our mission was clear: to empower these organizations through innovative design solutions.
Steering the design efforts, my role evolved beyond that of an individual contributor to focus on the strategic design leadership of the company. I played a pivotal role in shaping the overarching design strategy, aligning it with the company's mission, and driving transformative outcomes. My emphasis on accessibility and a visually mature product set the stage for Instil's success in the nonprofit technology landscape.
Quantifying our impact, the strategic design approach resulted in a paradigm shift. Notably, over 80% of potential customers lauded the product's immediate usability, translating to empowered users, decreased customer support needs, and an impressive 97% citing user-friendliness as a key factor in their purchasing decision. These metrics underscore the tangible and measurable success achieved through the application of visionary design strategies.
The impact of our design strategies reached beyond the immediate context, earning recognition on a larger scale. Instil's commitment to user-friendly design and empowerment resonated within the industry, positioning the company as a thought leader in nonprofit technology. This success became a testament to the transformative power of strategic design leadership.
Understanding the need to increase velocity to reach our goals I strategically hired two additional product designers and a graphic designer to enhance our capabilities and keep up with the demand. In addition to expanding the team I laid the foundation for the living design system. My leadership extended beyond individual contributions to fostering a collaborative team culture, essential for driving innovative design solutions and scaling the product effectively.
My journey at Instil stands as a testament to the impact of visionary design leadership through strategically shaping design strategies, fostering team growth, and achieving measurable business outcomes in order to transform the nonprofit sector.
