Build a Crowdfunding platform from 0 - 1
Angelink
AngeLink (www.angelink.com) is building the largest, most trusted global fundraising platform to connect, empower, and amplify our voices — to impact the lives of millions. As the main designer, I worked with five engineers and built AngeLink from 0 to 1, aiming to foster trust, community building, and campaign success through intuitive interfaces, innovative gamification, and visually appealing design.
Timeline
~6 months
My Role
Main UX/UI Designer
Keywords
Gamification
Community Building
Industry
Crowdfunding
Problem
Social crowdfunding platforms are yet to fully harness the potential of modern technology to engage and empower new communities.
Existing crowdfunding platforms on the market face a notable deficiency in comprehensive safety and security measures. This inadequacy gives rise to concerns regarding the trustworthiness and legitimacy of campaigns.
The younger demographic remains disengaged due to a lack of brand personality. Current platforms offer limited promotional tools and templates and fail to incorporate innovative gamification and engagement features. These shortcomings may impede the success and virality of campaigns.
Moreover, the absence of effective community-building strategies restricts donor engagement, feedback, and the establishment of personalized connections. Meaningful interaction between donors and fundraisers is vital for cultivating a strong supporter base and nurturing enduring relationships.
Challenges
While designing AngeLink I found stumbled upon a few obstacles.
Extensive Research: 90% of the peer-to-peer market is controlled by one legacy competitor: Gofundme, I had to do in-depth and extensive market research to provide the most competitive UX solution.
Building from Scratch: Designing the AngeLink platform from 0-1, including defining the user interface, user experience, and user flow to ensure a seamless and intuitive crowdfunding experience.
Tailoring for Mobile and Website: Optimizing the AngeLink platform for both mobile and website platforms, adapting the design and user experience for consistency and usability across different devices.
Completing the project at a tight deadline, on top of collaborating on design and development simultaneously to complete it on the due date made it more challenging. But at the end of the day, the challenges were overcome successfully.
Solutions
My solution leverages three key differentiators to empower donors and fundraisers, as well as overcome the limitations of existing crowdfunding platforms:
Enhancing Safety and Security Measures:
Implement a robust system for vetting campaigns
Engaging the Younger Demographic:
Incorporate vibrant colors and modern aesthetics
Implement innovative gamification features
Introduce an array of promotional tools and templates
Building a Thriving Community:
Introduce features that encourage donor engagement, such as real-time updates, and personalized messaging options between donors and fundraisers
Allows donors to invite friends to create their own Giving Circle, and share their thoughts, suggestions, and experiences, fostering a sense of involvement and ownership.
"A safer platform, lovable brand personality, beautifully designed tools, caring, empathetic community."
Design Process
I examined analytical data, outlined user personas, and designed user flows to address pain points and areas of confusion that in our biggest competitor: Gofundme.
After accumulating all my ideas in one place, I started to align them through sketching. I iterated my designs through a standard design ideation process before constructing high-fidelity wireframes.
Wireframe
After conducting the user research, we planned a layout keeping information hierarchy in mind and then sketched the outline visual and details of the main features and the big presentation.
Design System
After we made our high-fidelity wireframes, we made a design system with rules for each design element, such as visual identity elements, icons, interface components, and their states, headings, etc. We aim to incorporate vibrant colors and modern aesthetics to resonate with the target audience.
Safety & Security
Anti-Fraud System
AngeLink reviews every Fundraiser at the end of starting fundraiser flow before it’s published on the platform.
Build Community
Chat between Donors and Fundraisers
We have implemented a chat feature that allows donors and fundraisers to communicate directly with each other, encourages open dialogue, fosters trust and provides a space for donors to ask questions, offer support, and share their thoughts and experiences.
We strive to cultivate meaningful connections that go beyond financial contributions, fostering a sense of collaboration and empathy throughout the crowdfunding journey.
Amplify Donors’ Impact Via Giving Circle
The inclusion of the Giving Circle feature in our platform aims to amplify the impact of individual donors. We recognize that when a donor expresses their willingness to contribute, they possess the potential to influence their friends and family to support the fundraiser as well.
We believe that every donor has the power to create a ripple effect of support, and our Giving Circle feature harnesses this potential to maximize the impact of each individual's contribution.
Put “Fun” in Fundraising
Badge Ladder
We have incorporated an interactive map with different levels of rewards, reminiscent of gaming mechanics. This feature aims to captivate users by providing a gamified experience within the fundraising journey.
As donors contribute and reach specific milestones, they unlock rewards and progress through the map, creating a sense of achievement and excitement.
Digital mascots
By integrating digital mascots into our design, we not only enhance the platform's visual aesthetics but also harness their promotional potential to foster brand recognition and expand our user base through social sharing.
The Outcomes
A safer platform, with a lovable brand personality, beautifully designed tools, caring, empathetic community.
35,000+
Users
$1.2M+
$ Processed
$5.5M Seed
Raised