Problem
Coop Crowdfunding (CC) wanted to improve their platform by unleashing the potential of their community around sustainable crowdfunding initiatives. They wanted to make sure they succeeded in making this real, relevant and organic. Although CC had a high success rate of crowdfunded projects, they expressed a need for the engagement on the CC platform to rise. They wished to motivate users in co-creating sustainable projects, and reduce the gap between project backers and project owners by having more personal engagement and fostering connection through their platform.
Approach
When presented with the brief from CC, we initially interpreted that our goal was to create something akin to a social networking platform for crowdfunding, by mainly focusing on new features to implement. However, this perception changed as we transitioned to employ service design approaches to instead address the whole service of CC. This transition involved a reframing of our project from a narrow, pre-defined mindset to instead focusing on a more comprehensive service design strategy.
"How can we unleash the potential of crowdfunding?"
Solution
The final solution involved getting Backers and Project Owners to converge throughout the projects, by broadening the types of support and enabling Backers to contribute with more than financial support. This transforms CC's platform into a facilitator for stakeholders to share skills and competencies around a common goal around sustainable initiatives.
Design process
Understanding the crowdfunding landscape
When presented with the challenge from CC of “unleashing the potential of crowdfunding”, we initially did preparatory research to better understand the crowdfunding space in general. This included doing digital ethnography of different crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and IDA Crowdfunding, in order to understand what others services provide, and also to navigate how the existing CC platform worked in its entirety in comparison. To better understand and visualize how the current platform worked, I made a Service Ecosystem Map, showing how value exchanges between user groups and other stakeholders.
User needs
Backer
A need to contribute more to a sustainable future: environmentally and socially
Do not only buy products, but also the good story of projects, and want to be part of them
A wish to meet in a physical environment
Project owner
Need expert help and want volunteers before and during the project process
Feel disconnected from their supporters at the moment
A wish to meet in a physical environment
For identifying backer needs and pains, we conducted interviews and think aloud testing with three super backers on the current platform. Super backer is a term CC uses for people who support a lot of projects. Following these interviews, we delved into analyzing our findings, identifying the pains and needs for backers particularly regarding backing projects.
We held a co-design workshop with two project owners who have had multiple projects on the platform in order to learn about what they value about community.
Learning about user groups
For identifying backer needs and pains, we conducted interviews and think aloud testing with three super backers on the current platform. SUper backer is a term CC uses for people who support a lot of projects. Following these interviews, we delved into analyzing our findings, identifying the pains and needs for backers particularly regarding backing projects.
We held a co-design workshop with two project owners who have had multiple projects on the platform in order to learn about what they value about community and how that could be incorporated into the crowdfunding process.
When can we meet?
How can I help?
Recognizing the value of community
The crowdhelping concept
Converging on all our insights, we have created the service proposition of Coop Crowdhelping. The concept of CC essentially revolves around backers and POs helping each other at a new level, beyond the financial assistance. Backers and PO’s are meant to converge through projects, prompting CC to expand their existing forms of support, enabling backers to contribute with more than just financial aid. This is intended to initiate conversations based on shared interests and values. To bring this to life, we've prototyped the concept in Figma to explore, evaluate, and communicate how users will experience our future service concept.
To scale the mission, the focus lies in identifying the abilities individuals can bring to the table. As a backer, when registering, you have the option to disclose the skills you possess and are willing to contribute, spanning from professional expertise to everyday services such as transportation or making coffee. Additionally, as a PO, you’ll have the opportunity to specify the skills you are seeking from backers and outline the rewards you intended to offer in return.
Service impact
Our solution addresses the crowdfunding process thorugh the project lifecycle. However, the impact goes beyond the individual projects, as the community-building connects like-minded project owners and backers.
