AI Experiments

UX lead, quick conceptual testing.

+17% new user engagement*

*As of 6/25

I was part of a small team that was asked to create a Product Discovery experience from our communities. This project took many twists and turns, and serves as a great example why you need to start with a user problem.

Lead UX Designer/Manager

· 1 month project (labs), ongoing across all communities

Identifying the problem

I kicked off a ‘concept car’ ideation project in the hopes of shaping roadmap planning, and to find a fun project for my team to collaborate on and try out some new methodologies.

I narrowed the scope and compiled data around typical user paths and searches. We spent some time brainstorming and then converging on main themes.

The UX team had a free cycle at the end of 2024. I kicked off a ‘concept car’ ideation project in the hopes of shaping roadmap planning, and to find a fun project for my team to collaborate on and try out some new methodologies.

I narrowed the scope and compiled data around typical user paths and searches. We spent some time brainstorming and then converging on main themes.

Lo-Fi Testing

We took those ideas and created scenario-based comics, which enabled us to convey ideas without getting stuck in details. We were ready to start user testing within days.

Users gravitated toward a couple key concepts and we worked with engineering to implement them quickly.

Launch

We launched the experiment outside individual forums, allowing iteration without a lot of overhead. We deployed Fora.com/labs in early Jan 2025. The proof of concept excited our product teams, influencing the 2025 roadmap and resulting in a dedicated team.

We will be launching several more of our labs ideas in the coming months (Q2 2025).