Runwei (client project)
2025
Product Designer (UX Team)
Figma, FigJam, Docs, Meet
Overview
Runwei is a New York based platform that helps entrepreneurs find non-debt funding opportunities, like grants, competitions, accelerators, and more.
I collaborated with UX team to redesign Runwei's dashboard experience, transforming it from a confusing interface into an intuitive journey that increased application completion rates.
*I was involved in everything from conducting user research and testing, defining the problem and persona, creating flows and wireframes prototype, all the way to creating final UI designs.
What we delivered
A metrics-based dashboard layout with clearer differentiation and supportive interactions
Enhanced filtering, sorting, and categorization features
Progress tracking system with visual status indicators
Streamlined card designs with consistent interactions across all pages
Kick Off
Meeting With Client
We started off the project with a client meeting. During the meeting, client explained the platform concept and the reason to redesign the User Activity page of dashboard. They believed it lacked functionality and was causing users to abandon applications. However, the client had limited research data due to resource constraints, which meant we had significant freedom, but also significant uncertainty.
Define
Research: Uncovering the Real Issue
With only basic requirements in hand, I dove into competitor research to understand successful patterns in the funding space. I analyzed four similar platforms: Happly, Pocketed, Skip, and Fundica.
Key Competitive Analysis Insights:
Visual dashboards with metrics and action buttons that guide users
Clear progress paths, not just opportunity listings
Widget-based designs that simplify information categories
Predictive features with nudges and progress markers
Critical insight: Successful platforms don't just show opportunities, they guide users through the entire application journey.
Then, I worked with the design team to interview three entrepreneurs from Runwei's network. We wanted to understand their motivations, behaviors, and frustrations.
What users liked:
Acting as an aggregator bringing all funding resources into one space
Providing access to opportunities they'd never find independently
Targeting specific, highly relevant opportunities
Where users struggled:
Tracking progress: Difficulty tracking progress after saving or submitting applications
Information overload: Dense, text-heavy listings made scanning difficult
DIY organization: Users resorted to notebooks and phone photos to categorize opportunities
Weak filtering: Minimal personalization options
Dashboard confusion: Users feel dashboard doesn't offer unique value
Critical finding: Users felt the entire platform lacked a coherent journey. The problem wasn't the User Activity page, it was the disconnected experience across all pages.
Finding and Impact
We uncovered that users primarily concerned an entire user journey rather than a sole revamp of the User Activity page, because the current dashboard not allows user to quickly and smoothly complete tasks from landing on the dashboard homepage to exploring opportunities and tracking their statuses.
I conducted a client meeting to share our insights and concerns. The findings are leading to our confidence in refined the design direction toward improving the entire of dashboard journey.
Brainstorming and Prioritization
Armed with these insights and new direction, I led a brainstorming meeting with my design team partner to explore potential solutions. We focused on three key areas:
Enhance the interactivity of the Dashboard page and provide real-time updates to users
Help users visually track the status of their saved, visited, and applied opportunities
Present the opportunity card more concisely and visually, allowing users to quickly scan and identify the most relevant programs to apply for
Design
Design Execution
Working closely with the design team, I helped define an MVP plan and key priorities. We determined feasible improvements, including:
Mini preview widgets on the Home dashboard for Opportunities and Activity
A visual "Applied" progress tracker allows users to mark off opportunities and automatic categorization
Add sort and display function for flexible opportunity viewing
Status tags and categorization on Activity cards
Reimagined opportunity card UI and layout
Our strategy: Transform isolated pages into a connected journey. Add widgets to the Home dashboard for quick access, implement instant status marking with checkmarks, and enable flexible filtering so users can work the way they want.
After that, I mapped out user flows in low-fidelity wireframes. We took an iterative approach, rolling out incremental updates to quickly test ideas, gather feedback, and refine our designs. User especially loved the new "Applied" tracker feature and enhanced connectivity between each page of dashboard.
Validate
Hi-Fi Testing & Validation
After iterating on lo-fi wireframes, we moved to high-fidelity designs and conducted usability testing. We asked users to complete key tasks while thinking aloud, observing what felt intuitive versus confusing. Usability testing revealed further opportunities for clarity in progress states and feature guidance, leading to final design tweaks.
Handoff
Our team presented the results of Hi-Fi validation before and after the intervention. The client expressed their appreciation for our team efforts. We'd successfully addressed their core pain points while introducing functionality they hadn't even considered.
Here's what we delivered:
1. Personalized Dashboard Experience
"Opportunities Just for You" and "Recent Activity" widgets now greet users on the Home dashboard. Users can instantly see relevant matches and recent actions without navigating elsewhere.
2. Visual Progress Tracking
We added an "Applied" checkbox on opportunity cards. Users can mark opportunities as applied with one click, automatically categorizing them in Activity with timestamps. Users have clear visual cues showing which opportunities they've engaged with
3. Enhanced Opportunity Discovery
We introduced Sort and View options so users can organize opportunities by date, relevance, or amount, and switch between list and different card views. Users could browse opportunities their way.
4. Redesigned Opportunity Cards
We made the "Visit" button the primary action, much more prominent than Save and Share. This reduced friction toward the most important goal: visiting opportunity pages.
We also standardized buttons across all card types. Initially, cards on different pages had inconsistent actions, forcing users to navigate back to undo mistakes.
5. Clear Status Categories
We redefined opportunity statuses in Activity with visual tags: Saved, Visited, Applied. Combined with date markers, users can now instantly understand where they are in each application journey.
Dashobard Page
Opportunities Page
My Activity Page
Results & Impact
For Client
We transformed Runwei's dashboard from a confusing directory into a motivating journey tool.
The enhancements directly support the company’s mission of increasing activation, engagement, and completion across entrepreneurs.
We’ve set up Runwei’s community for greater confidence, clarity, and success in navigating opportunities.
Client gained valuable UX knowledge that they can share with the developer team.
For Design Team
"We gained valuable insights during the UX design process, allowing us to approach product improvements from a user experience perspective and ultimately help the company achieve its goal."
Reflection
The challenge part of this project was recognizing we were solving the wrong problem and having the courage to redirect the client.
When we started, the client's request didn't match what I'd expect from their described symptoms. Instead of designing blindly, I pushed for deeper research first. When findings confirmed my instinct, I advocated for expanding the scope.
That pivot defined the project's success. If we'd only redesigned the User Activity page as requested, we would've shipped a semifinished product. By reframing the problem, we created a solution that actually worked.
In this project, I got to collaborate closely with UX design team, which was a great opportunity to learn more about technical constraints, teamwork, and hone my communication skills regarding design decisions.
Navigate with a limited scope and time frame, align business and user goals, and then translate research insights into a focused, human-centered design solution
Balance user empathy with business realities, ensuring that each design decision not only solved a real user problem but also supported client’s goals
Enhanced my collaboration and communication skills. Working closely with client and designer team taught me how valuable open feedback and shared problem-solving can be in shaping meaningful design outcomes