VentureWell
Role: Airtable Designer & Technical Consultant
I transformed VentureWell's digital learning environment by developing a user-friendly, cost-effective Airtable interface tailored to their entrepreneurship course, enhancing functionality and user experience while substantially reducing their software expenses.
My VentureWell work began when they came across a free Airtable template that I had shared online (my Business Model Canvas template). They invited me to create a digital learning environment in Airtable, based on my original template, to meet the specific needs of an entrepreneurship course that they run. This project involved iterating on subsequent models, meeting with key stakeholders to incorporate feedback, adding advanced features, and creating documentation for the administration of the system. This new learning environment was created to replace outdated software that VentureWell had been using, resulting in substantial cost savings (thousands of dollars a year) for VentureWell by eliminating the need for expensive subscription fees. They now fully own and control their own system and can continue to refine it as their needs evolve.
One of the things that made this project so exciting was the chance to build a user experience entirely in Airtable's new (at the time) interface system. This meant that we could control all of the data that users had access to and present it in a user-friendly workspace. I created a robust team interface that allowed team members (course participants) to see, edit, and export only their team's data. This included views for their Business Model Canvases, interviews they conducted, hypotheses they tested, their contacts, and more. This was a challenge to construct as the interface feature was new to Airtable and it seemed like every week a new feature or change was added which we had to incorporate or respond to. This meant that the final working version is far more advanced than the initial draft as Airtable added so many more advanced capabilities that we were able to capitalize on in real-time.
“She provided a well-designed, functional Airtable base and interface that allowed us to manage hundreds of users at a time and save thousands of dollars on outsourcing.”
Another major component of this system is the ability to export the Business Model Canvases as a PDF. Airtable didn't have a native way to do this in the interfaces, so I was able to use a third-party automation created with Documint to set up a template that is auto-populated with the team's data and automatically saved back to the interface, all with just the push of a button.
In addition to the team interface, I created a second interface for the course instructors where they could see an overview of all of the teams' data and monitor their progress throughout the course. Instructors can compare all of the teams' data in one place and filter it as necessary. They are able to provide specific feedback on any aspect of a team's work and the team is then notified of the comment. Instructors and team members alike can view and participate in the comment history for their work.
Moreover, I have contributed to the documentation and user guides, ensuring that administrators and users have clear instructions on setting up new bases, managing data flows, and utilizing the centralized system. I have also performed troubleshooting, created GIF tutorials, and conducted extensive testing to optimize the functionality and usability of the system.
Throughout my engagement with VentureWell, I have demonstrated a deep understanding of their requirements and a commitment to delivering customized solutions that enhance the learning experience. This work has led to other collaboration opportunities within VentureWell and I continue to work on projects with them such as a system that will be used to track innovations in science and technology and will be employed by universities all over the country.
“Her ability to save us time and money while elevating our project’s impact cannot be overstated.”