UX Canvas
Research
Facilitation
Concept
Sketching
Wireframes
Prototyping
Google Forms
Adobe Photoshop
Sketch
Invision
Abstract
One of the largest and most active venture investors in Europe, with £1.7 billion under management and investing over £200 million a year. Since 2008, they’ve backed over 130 teams, including Zoopla, Secret Escapes, Depop and Cazoo. They’re part of Octopus Group, which incorporates Octopus Energy, Octopus Real Estate, Octopus Investments, Octopus Ventures and Octopus Wealth.
How might VC Advisors give Founders knowledge and guidance, before the latter even think to ask?
When I came on to the project, the Venture Capital advisors’ wealth of experience and shared knowledge on US Expansion was being translated into a comprehensive 150-page digital PDF report. A hard-copy book plus a couple of Medium blog posts had been published. The original idea was to create a data-walled landing page for the updated report, which would collect a user’s email address and name before showing them a link to download the document.
Header Image: Current ‘US Expansion’ Report’s web page, viewed on mobile.
Discover
I first decided to facilitate a workshop with Octopus Ventures advisors so that we could kick-off the project with a completed UX Canvas. This exercise gave me a better understanding of their business objectives and encouraged a more unified ‘vision of success’ between stakeholders.
Collaborating with a fellow designer, I then conducted user research in the form of surveys which asked UK-based founders and entrepreneurs various questions. We analysed the results to gain knowledge about their behaviours online, offline, and desired formats for information.
Define
After synthesising what we had learned from the users, the business’ intended goals and technical capabilities available in the company, we brainstormed ideas. The opportunity which stood out was to use the company’s website as an additional platform where the information could live on – one where the content was broken up into digestible parts, could easily be interacted with and shared.
Learnings to track
I made a case for hosting the content locally and explained the potential positive outcomes for Founders, Entrepreneurs, and for Octopus Ventures.
- Increased site visits & newsletter subscriptions
- Gained ability to track and gain insight from user behaviour
- Content will be easier to find rather than on the Medium platform
- Octopus Ventures will benefit from direct contact links
- Increased visibility of advisors’ expertise and thought leadership
- Added Lifetime Value by OV becoming a trusted go-to for insights and advice (regardless of whether or not a founder / entrepreneur is matched for funding)
Design + Develop
I designed wireframes to get to a prototype refined by rounds of iteration. I put my fellow designer in charge of an alternative layout and we conducted A/B testing for different options. We chose this route to help stakeholders make an evidence-based decision, what with the deadline looming, any additional qualitative research would have been flagged as a risk.
Deliver
We adapted the Octopus Design System to the Octopus Ventures style. We then handed over final designs to the Kiev-based Development team.
From start to finish, the project lasted 5 weeks, at the end of which the site was launched to coincide with a wider company US & UK Public Relations event. Momentum gathered led to a collaboration for Octopus Ventures with the UK Department of Trade on the same topic.
