It was our work on a similar project that brought The Doerr Institute to TXI. Years ago, we built a platform for the nonprofit WomenOnCall to connect professional women to volunteer opportunities. The Doerr Institute figured we could apply the same thinking to help them engage students — but what they needed went a step further. Where WomenOnCall’s users were seeking volunteer opportunities out, the Doerr team had to find a way to connect with students who might not even know there were leadership opportunities available.
To figure out how to do that, we started with research. The Doerr Institute staff knew their audience — they work on the same campus as the target users after all, and they had copious research on hand. What they hadn’t done was apply the systematic, UX research tactics TXI builds projects around.
We couldn’t start building for users until we knew what they wanted. So we worked with the Doerr team to find the real user needs the fastest way we know-how — with a Google Design Sprint.
Unleash the power of data-driven insights to build the right thing
Since Doerr had its own team of developers, our job was to help them maximize their internal research and help them build the right thing for their audience. Data readiness helped the Doerr team unlock the full potential of their student data, enabling them to make informed decisions and drive meaningful outcomes. This involved not only organizing data effectively but also optimizing its accessibility, quality, and relevance.
Put your ideas into practice with a design sprint
Understanding students and bringing the Doerr team along through the process in a lean way required us to utilize design sprint methodologies to ideate, test and validate. This process
helped bridge needs of the institution with the needs of the students. Applying the design sprint outcomes, we integrated data-driven solutions into Doerr's systems, enhancing responsiveness to both institutional and student needs.