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Reforge
Company Background
Reforge provides career development memberships for access to diverse programs in product, growth, engineering, and marketing. They prioritize results, deep insights, continuous learning from experts, and help clients excel in their professional development and careers.
Challenge
Based on user testing, Reforge identified a gap in its target audience of Product professionals, specifically mid-level workers, as the existing programs (PM Foundations and Leadership) were either too fundamental or too advanced, resulting in user dissatisfaction due to the lack of content applicability to their current situations.
Goal
Create a program that closes the knowledge gap for mid-level Product professionals through a highly actionable and skill-focused curriculum, centered around specific deliverables or tools. The hypothesis is that this approach will yield a more practical and relevant program for mid-level Product Managers.
Program
Mastering Product Management
A comprehensive program that goes beyond PM foundations, equipping users with the skills to identify strategic product work, gain internal alignment, secure resources for ambitious visions, create impactful roadmaps and product specifications, and empower their teams to build successful products. A highly relevant and practical program tailored to the target
user base.
user base.
Target Audience
Early-mid career Product managers with 2+ years of experience
Process
Defining Vision & Strategy
The program's timeline spanned 6 months, with the initial 2 months focused on conducting primary and secondary research to identify and validate program goals. The subsequent 4 months were dedicated to program development, leading up to the launch. Following the launch, an additional 6 weeks were allocated for ongoing user research.
Primary Research
The team performed analytical research pairing the needs of the user base with subject matter expert's (SMEs) knowledge. This collaborative effort allowed us to develop thoughtful frameworks, create practical examples, and produce case studies focused on recent and relevant companies.
Development
Our cross-functional team, comprising Strategy Leads, Content Strategists, Content Designers, Program Producers, and other professionals, collaborated closely to curate exceptional program content.
Role
Leading visual design and program direction, I managed efficient handoffs on tight timelines to the production team. By combining user research and synthesizing insights, I navigated a robust Figma design system to deliver impactful visuals and UI designs. My expertise lay in transforming complex concepts into visually compelling, easily understandable explanations.
Core Visuals
I designed thousands of visuals in Figma for the entire program, synthesizing and translating dense, technical information and data into memorable and digestible visuals using Reforge's design system for all fidelity levels.
Structuring Narrative for Usability
I conceptualized the use of a toolbox narrative format, revolutionizing how skills in Product Management were presented.
Unlike Reforge’s traditional courses which needed to be understood in a linear progression, each lesson was treated as an individual skill in a "toolbox" to be learned independently. This addressed user feedback on lengthy courses and provided flexibility for learners to engage with the material at their own pace, irrespective of their starting point.
Unlike Reforge’s traditional courses which needed to be understood in a linear progression, each lesson was treated as an individual skill in a "toolbox" to be learned independently. This addressed user feedback on lengthy courses and provided flexibility for learners to engage with the material at their own pace, irrespective of their starting point.
Toolbox Concept
Great PMs create better product outcomes with the same amount of perceived effort by using leverage. This effort can be divided into five types of leverage, which can be created by utilizing a toolbox of resources, such as deeply understanding their product strategy and aligning their product work to their strategy.
By designing the course format this way, we successfully broke down each section into standalone tools and skills for independent learning, while crafting a cohesive narrative that addresses what sets great PMs apart: leverage.
Design Decisions
Creating effective frameworks involves significant thought and effort, aiming to enhance users' learning experiences. Simplifying complex information into clear visuals is a creative process that requires extensive iteration. These are examples of various brainstormed concept visuals paired with their finalized version.
Iterations
Final Design
Program User Experience
The collection of visuals were sequenced in video format to form a cohesive and impactful narrative, enhancing the target users' learning and deepening their understanding of Product Management.
Section UI
I co-designed the UI for each section using Reforge's design system and patterns, overseeing handoffs to production and engineering. Each section page included content overviews, progress tracking, time estimates, and access to bookmarked content.
Analysis
The team collected user feedback through various channels, including Cohort Pulse Checks, regular NPS surveys, an End of Program Survey, and post-launch UXR interviews. By carefully analyzing this information and conducting a "Rose Thorn Bud" reflection, we uncovered fresh growth opportunities and determined our next steps.
Next Steps
Create more opportunities to engage with other members and discuss content.
Members are hungry for more ways to discuss the content and engage with their fellow members.
Make it easier to reference material in the future.
Beyond the recaps, members want more summary/reference content.
Members are hungry for more ways to discuss the content and engage with their fellow members.
Make it easier to reference material in the future.
Beyond the recaps, members want more summary/reference content.
Business Impact
Increased Retention + Acquisition
Overall Success
The "Mastering Product Management" program has proven to be a resounding success for Reforge, achieving record-breaking revenue of over 150K within a six-month period. It has garnered exceptional user ratings, with 96% rating the content as effective and 91% expressing that the program met or exceeded their expectations. The program's outstanding performance is reinforced by a strong likelihood of participation renewal from 26% of respondents. With its remarkable results and positive reception, "Mastering Product Management" has become a driving force for Reforge's growth and success, solidifying its position within the industry.
91%
Exceeded
Expectations
150K
Revenue
26%
Renewal
User Reviews
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