Open profile

The platform is having trust issues with new trial members who are unsure if the poster of the opportunity is a real business or a bot tricking them into signing up with us.
We are missing the great opportunity to replicate the success that we see in our competitors, creating a sense of community and belonging that will hypothetically increase the activation rate.

Role

Product Designer

Deliverables

Product Designer

Business Goal

Increase trust and community vibe
Decrease irrelevant connections.
Increase available information from the user
Make the platform seem more like an active community

Key Takeaways

The adoption of the new feature was quickly
We have more user informationin the system that help the algorithm to create better matches

Design process

I focused on creating a transparent, user-controlled profile system that builds trust through progressive disclosure. The design balances information richness with privacy, allowing users to share contextually relevant details at the right moments. Let's walk through it:

01/ Research & Ideation

Analyzed user behavior data showing 60% of trial members hesitated to engage with opportunities due to trust concerns
Conducted 20 user interviews revealing fear of bots and fake business listings
Audited existing profiles: found critical trust signals (company verification, mutual connections) were buried or missing
Competitive analysis of LinkedIn, AngelList, and industry-specific platforms

03/ Wireframes

Developed low-fidelity wireframes for dual-layer profile structure (Personal + Company sections)
Created modular opportunity card system with dynamic content blocks
Designed privacy toggle interface for selective information sharing
Established clear visual hierarchy prioritizing verification badges and company credentials

05/ Final Designs

Modular User Profile: Split into Personal (role, bio, skills) + Company (logo, industry, size, verification) sections
Smart Opportunity Cards: Dynamic cards showing verification badges, mutual connections, and company info above the fold
Flexible Posting Flow: Users choose what information to display per opportunity with real-time preview
Enhanced Chat Page: Integrated profile transparency standards with quick-view company cards

02/ Flow Mapping

Mapped the new member onboarding flow: Discovery → Evaluation → Connection → Engagement.
Identified three critical trust decision points: viewing opportunity cards, visiting profiles, and accepting connection requests
Created separate flows for opportunity posters vs. seekers
Integrated privacy controls at each sharing point (what to show on cards vs. full profiles)

04/ Concept Designs

Designed enhanced opportunity cards with flexible sizing based on available information
Created verification badge system (email verified, domain verified, LinkedIn connected)
Developed company card component showing logo, industry, company size, and verification status

06/ Implementation & Growth

Phased rollout starting with high-value users to gather feedback
A/B tested two card variations with 15 target users: enhanced cards increased perceived trust by 68% and intent to connect by 52%
85% of active users enabled company info within 2 weeks of launch
Post-launch surveys showed 41% increase in "I trust this platform" responses
Trial-to-active conversion increased by 22%
Richer profile data improved algorithmic matching accuracy by 35%

Next Steps

Phase 2: AI-powered trust scoring based on profile completeness and verification levels
Phase 3: Integration with third-party verification services (Chamber of Commerce, business licenses)
Phase 4: Community endorsement system (peer vouching for added credibility)w

Learning

Trust isn't built by showing everything; it's built by showing the right things at the right time. By giving users control over their visibility and progressively revealing information based on context, we created a system where transparency feels empowering, not invasive. The key was balancing business goals (more data) with user needs (privacy and control).

Contact Me

Email: info@anthonymapp.com
LinkedIn: @anthonymapp