Social Club Website & Membership Platform - Interaction & Brand Design
Timeline: 3 months
Role: User Experience Designer
Team:
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Shauna Cheatham - UX Designer
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BLACKIVY Cofounders
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Software Engineer
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Builder.io
Overview
BLACKIVY is a members-only social club and community for Black Ivy League alumni, focused on building lifelong relationships through curated experiences, professional connections, and cultural celebration.
I led the end-to-end redesign of BLACKIVY’s brand, marketing website, and logged-in membership platform, modernizing the visual identity, improving conversion, and creating a seamless digital experience that complements in-person events.
The goal was to:
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Create a strong, differentiated brand
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Increase membership sign-ups and event engagement
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Design a modern, interactive website
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Build a logged-in platform that deepens member connection
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Reduce friction in the onboarding experience
The Brand
The original BLACKIVY brand was black-and-white with no extended system. Together with the founders, I developed a bold, expressive identity rooted in joy, culture, and community.
After
Before
Brand Words
Sophisticated
Premium
Exclusive
Nostalgic
Elevated
Curated
Editorial
Brand Words
Bold
Village
Dreamer
Warm
Home
Creative
Young
Color Exploration
Yellow - joy, optimism
Orange - energy
Green - growth, nourishment, community
Deep purple - sophistication
Brown - culture, warmth, Black identity
Brand
Before
After
Interaction Design & Visual Storytelling
Introduced intentional motion and interaction throughout the site, showcased via Figma prototypes:
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Hover states on cards and CTAs
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Smooth page transitions
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Expandable event previews
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Scroll-based reveals for content sections
Features
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Personalized dashboard greetings using culturally relevant language
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Member profiles with photos and engagement history
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Upcoming experiences with attendee previews
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Internal calendar with RSVP
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Member directory with filters by school, year, and industry
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Downloadable digital membership card for partner perks
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Virtual BLACKIVY member card
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Event-specific live updates screen
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Event chat for attendees
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QR scanning to exchange contact cards
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Shared event photo album
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Saving connections to member profile
Post-MVP Enhancements
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Focused on intelligence, personalization, and growth loops.
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AI-powered commonality surfacing
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Facial recognition for photo discovery
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Smart connection recommendations
Result
The platform became a community hub, not just a website, increasing repeat engagement and strengthening member connections.
Onboarding Experience
To reduce drop-off and improve data quality, I designed a multi-step onboarding flow with:
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Clear progress indicators
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Save-and-resume functionality
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Lightweight data collection tied directly to profile creation
This flow supports both marketing needs and community personalization, while keeping the experience welcoming rather than transactional.
Before
After
