December 2021
My Role: UX, Visual Design, User Research
Project Vision
YPO Connect+ is a professional networking app designed exclusively for members of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). It was created to help leaders connect with like-minded members, share experiences, and develop leadership skills through personalized content. The addition of a leadership personality test allows users to receive custom content and filters that enhance their networking experience, helping them grow as leaders.
Challenge: Busy professionals want to connect with like-minded members, receive personalized and engaging content, and take advantage of the YPO network to learn how to become a better leader.
Solution: Develop a leadership personality type test to increase user engagement, and create unique user journeys and filters based on different leader types to help personalize the app experience for members.
Why YPO Connect+?
While many professional networking platforms focus on broad features, few are designed with leaders in mind. YPO Connect+ addresses the unique needs of YPO members by offering a personalized journey based on leadership types, helping users discover content, events, and connections that align with their style of leadership.
The leadership personality test categorizes users into one of several leadership types and provides a unique dashboard experience based on their results. Users receive personalized content and connection suggestions, helping them find value in every interaction on the app.
User Cases
To ensure the YPO Connect+ app met the needs of its users, I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the motivations of YPO members. The primary user group consisted of executive leaders seeking to connect with peers and learn new leadership techniques. A secondary group included members looking for professional growth through personalized content.
Initial research revealed that users wanted features to easily identify like-minded leaders, customizable dashboards, and relevant content based on their leadership style.
User Journey
Take Leadership Test → Customize Dashboard → Network
Pain Points
- Search: Being unable to search and connect with other YPO members that have similar interests and leadership styles.
- Relevance: Members are not getting content and features that are relevant to them and consider their needs as executives.
- Education: Users want to take advantage of the YPO network and its benefits to learn to be better leaders.
Competitive Audit
| Meetup | YPO Connect+ | ||
| User type filters | ● | ● | |
| Customize layout | ● | ||
| Connect to nearby users | ● | ● | ● |
| Personality test | ● | ● | |
| Custom user badges | ● | ||
| Executive-only network | ● |
Process Flow
Leadership Styles
YPO members understanding what type of leader they are gives them a better sense of their strengths, weaknesses, and the type of communication that can result in more effective leadership. I selected the following 8 leader types based on an article from MasterClass.
- Democratic: Involves the leader soliciting input from each team member, and considering each opinion before settling on a final decision.
- Autocratic: The leader makes decisions unilaterally, without consulting any of the other group members.
- Laissez-faire: A “hands-off” approach involving delegating responsibility to team members with minimal supervision.
- Transactional: Involves offering incentives for effective performance and penalties or disciplinary action for poor performance.
- Charismatic: Inspires team members to accomplish a shared objective, often through a rallying speech or their infectious enthusiasm.
- Transformational: Defined by the leader’s desire to improve upon or “transform” the business or company they work for.
- Servant: Believes fulfillment of team members results in higher quality work, places the needs of others above their own.
- Bureaucratic: Adheres strictly to company policy and tradition, sets clearly-defined expectations for their team members.
Solution
Integrated Personality Test: The test is integrated into the existing app showing large buttons and a progress bar to reduce user fatigue.
Leader Badge: Once users complete the leadership test, they receive a unique badge representing their leadership style, displayed on their profile to indicate their leadership identity.
Custom Dashboard: The app allows users to customize their dashboard based on their preferences, with leadership-specific content and motivational features such as quotes and videos.
Personalized Networking: The YPO Connect+ directory and search features now allow users to filter members based on leadership type, making it easier to connect with peers who share similar leadership styles.
Prototype
An interactive prototype was created to allow users to take the leadership test, customize their dashboard, and connect with similar leaders. Check out the Figma prototype below.
Branding
By retaining YPO’s bold, professional color palette and clean, modern typography, the new features are designed to feel like a natural extension of the app. Large, easy-to-use buttons and intuitive icons were implemented to cater to busy executives, ensuring high usability while maintaining YPO’s commitment to a world-class user experience. This adherence to the brand guidelines reinforces YPO’s identity as a leader in fostering meaningful professional connections.
TakeawaysDesigning the YPO Connect+ app allowed me to deeply explore the intersection of leadership and personalization in digital experiences. I learned how important it is to tailor professional networking tools to individual leadership styles and how this personalization can increase user engagement. Working on this project also helped me refine my skills in conducting usability research and translating feedback into impactful design iterations.