Experience Design for Harvard Business School + Genuine Interactive
Alumni Wisdom, Campfire Stories
The immersive survival handbook that reframed how ambitious alumni discover and connect with HBS services, and won a Webby.
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Harvard Business School's Alumni Relations department wanted to reintroduce alumni to the breadth of services and programs they offer, but traditional communication wasn’t cutting through and they were looking for solutions.
Our team at Genuine answered the call.
The creative team envisioned a series of 1950s-inspired instructional videos filled humor and narrative twists that lit a spotlight on the value alumni have at their disposal through the Alumni Relation's department.
Charting the Path to the Bookmarks Bar
A creative direction like this needed more than a standard content hub, it needed a digital experience that onboarded alumni into this world we were creating for them.
From Players Guides to Novel Methodologies
As Lead Experience Designer, I translated the creative vision into an interactive product. Mixed-method research revealed the need for patterns that balanced usability with surprise.
My aha moment came from the retro video game player’s guides that helped players navigate both the “in-world” story and the real-world interface.
Working with our copywriter and visual designer, I storyboarded those beats into narrative-driven wireframes, then prototyped and tested them to greenlight the concept.
Launched, Awarded, and Remembered
We built and launched the HBS Alumni Wilderness Survival Guide in 6 weeks. The experience revitalized engagement with alumni services and broadened organizational visibility, ultimately earning a Webby Award for Best School/University website.
The principle that made the difference
Clarity comes from framing. By turning services into a narrative journey, we transformed how alumni discovered and perceived the value of the resources available to them.
MY ROLE
※ Lead Experience Designer
KEY TACTICS
※ Prototyping (AxureRP)
※ Mixed Methods Research
※ UX/UI Design Methodologies
THE TEAM
※ Creative Director
※ Experience Designer
※ Visual Designer
※ Copywriter
※ Motion Designer
※ Front-end Developer
PLATFORM
※ Web (Adaptive)