💻 Web Application
Research, UX & UI
The Fourth Effect
Designing a platform to connect startup founders with strategic advisors!
As the Product Designer, I led the redesign of key user experiences, leveraging AI tools to synthesize research insights, optimize navigation flows, and create guided interactions that increased successful advisor-founder matches by 30%.
Team
1 UX & UI Designer
2 Project Managers
2 Founders
500+
Startup founders using the platform
30%
Increase in advisor/executive matches
25%
Reduction in project delays
The Challenge
Startup founders struggle with building effective advisory boards due to lack of knowledge, unclear value propositions, and difficulty finding aligned advisors. Many don't understand the difference between advisory boards and boards of directors, or how to structure fair equity compensation.
How might we create an educational, guided platform that helps founders understand advisory boards, visualize their current board composition, and discover aligned advisors?
Our solution was under 5 Key Design Interventions
Simplified Navigation & Clear Value Proposition
Redesigned the platform's information architecture to streamline navigation and immediately communicate value. Implemented breadcrumb navigation, contextual help, and clear tier differentiation so founders understood what the platform offered within 30 seconds.
Educational Foundation Before Action
Created comprehensive educational resources including Board Bootcamp, Expert Hours, Office Hours, and Founder Roundtables. Positioned education as the critical first step before board building to ensure founders made informed decisions.
Educational Foundation Before Action
Designed an interactive board composition visualizer that helped founders map current advisors, identify expertise gaps, and compare against industry benchmarks. Used color-coding and visual representations to make complex data digestible.
Interactive Board Visualization Tool
Developed comprehensive visual workflows using Lovable and AI-assisted tools that served as single source of truth for product managers, engineers, and stakeholders. Detailed user flows, data dependencies, and system logic to reduce ambiguity.
Smart Advisor Discovery & Matching
Created a data-driven advisor discovery experience with smart filtering based on collected insights. Implemented match scoring, detailed advisor profiles, and guided connection flows with templates to reduce friction.
Design Workflow
Founder Interviews & AI Synthesis
I conducted in-depth interviews with founders to understand the user pain points, goals, and mental models when seeking advisory support.
Key insights emerged around:
The need for immediate clarity on what the platform offers and how it works
Desire for personalized recommendations rather than browsing through generic advisor lists
Importance of seeing proof (credentials, past successes, relevant expertise) before committing time
Preference for guided experiences that reduce decision fatigue
and many screens - locked for NDA
Takeaways
The process involved continuous collaboration between design, engineering, and business teams to align user needs with the brand’s mission of transparency and sustainability.
The final product continues to serve as the foundation for Urban Kisaan’s app — helping users discover local farms, understand their impact, and make more conscious purchase decisions.
27% faster onboarding completion rate after simplifying entry screens
94% positive feedback from early testers on app clarity and storytelling
62% of users viewed at least one farmer story before purchase
83% of users reported the app felt “trustworthy” and “authentic”
Interested in connecting?
Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or anything design!
Copyright 2025 by Swetha Thokala