Our first step was to understand the needs and preferences of our new target audience—collegiate athletes and alumni. We conducted extensive market research, reviewing university student resource webpages and sports pages. The business team provided their vision, which included connecting athletes with mentors who could offer guidance both on and off the field.

Working closely with another UX designer, we embarked on creating the foundational wireframes. This initial phase involved setting a style guide for color and typography, and designing components like profiles and the Mentr marketplace. However, the pivot to focusing on sports meant these designs needed to be reimagined.

User interviews and A/B testing revealed that visually dynamic hero images significantly improved user retention.

This insight guided a major redesign, where high-contrast and dynamic images became central to our strategy, aligning the platform’s aesthetics with that of sports media.

Another critical aspect was the organization of information. We needed to ensure that users could quickly understand how Mentr operated and how it benefitted them. By breaking up large chunks of information into visually digestible courses, users could view the homepage and digest information without feeling overwhelmed.