7 reasons why I started a UX business as a black woman at 27 years old
7 years ago, I did not know anything about business. 7 years ago, I devoured design agency owner Chris Do’s content on YouTube to learn everything I could. After working as a user experience researcher and consultant for digital governments, in banking, with startups in clean tech, health tech and more, I paused. I moved to Tanzania, relaxed for six months and an idea struck me. Why not start a company? Why not now: in 2022, post-pandemic?
Before we jump in, here are ways you can support Wabala Studio:
- Join our waiting list. We are selling 3 UX optimizer card decks in August for designers, researchers and product teams. We will give away 1 for free by then.
- Interested to learn more about us? Book a free 15-min intro call: https://calendly.com/wabalastudio/blitz
- Introduce us to someone you know needs our services: anne@wabala.studio
So, here are 7 reasons why I started UX research agency Wabala Studio.
1. I want to target two UX pitfalls: onboarding and content design.
App onboarding is one of the most difficult processes to get right. Did you know that about 70% of users delete new apps within 24 hours? It's a tough game and tech companies should invest more resources to perfect onboarding. I want to draw more attention to it. That's why we created an app onboarding card deck to help product team optimize it and an entire service around onboarding.
Secondary to that, content design makes or breaks an experience. When tech companies hire UX-ers, they focus on design, then research and then they might bring in a content writer if they are big enough. I want to make UX writing more accessible to startups.
2. I want to offer services AND sell products.
Aside from our UX services, we are launching 3 products in August. An app onboarding optimizer card deck, A UX writing one to help designers, researchers and developers right trust-building in-app content and a deck to measure your app's UX success in collaboration with a UX/UI agency in Arizona. They are meant to generate productive, action-driven workshops for solo founders and tech product teams.
3. I want to spice up the tech industry.
Bongo Flava is a nickname for Tanzanian music. I was born to East African parents. I wear contrasting, colorful prints and patterns 80% of the time. I stick out in crowds so much that people stop me on the street and at airports. My brain works a little differently too. I speak 4 languages, all mainly spoken on 3 distinct continents: America, Africa, Asia. I am privileged to have a well-rounded understanding of the world through history, philosophy, art history, quantum theory, psychoanalysis and more. I bring a unique perspective to every room I step in. It is time to incorporate what I know into what we do with our clients at Wabala Studio.
4. I want to offer speed.
3 hours to results. That's what we offer. As a researcher, I used to pride myself on spending weeks and even months inquiring and learning. I do advocate for longer, in-depth processes, but working in agile, I learned to value speed and reactiveness. So, we decided to create specific engagements that are short and generate roadmap items on the same day.
5. I want to take risks while I can.
I am 28 years old this year. I do enjoy stability and control, but I typically find myself moving across the world and on last-minute trips. In fact, I appreciate taking calculated risks, especially on something as exciting as a profitable business.
6. I want to inform digital with tactile, physical experiences.
I notice as a researcher/designer that my best ideas come when I read or when I take the time to observe my surroundings. Right now, I observe that the best digital user experiences happen when teams successfully consider or translate physical and emotional experiences into a digital format. Think about how Morning Brew references an early morning cup of coffee or how some Apple products make you feel nostalgic. We learn to trust digital because we associate it with familiar physical and emotional experiences.
7. I want to offer a state-of-the-art client experience.
My career as a designer and researcher has given me a pretty good overview of what happens in the agency world, in the startup world, in banking, engineering and even in government. My team and I dissected a typical agency client experience and built our own. We removed major bottlenecks and incorporated delightful, Aha moments. We won't say more because it is our secret sauce. So, we encourage you to become a client and find out.
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So, there you have it. What is next for us?
- Pick a date to join our 1-hour Opening Ceremony on July 26 and 27
- Stay connected. We will publish articles every week.
You have other options:
- Join our waiting list to be the first line for our product launch.
- Introduce us to someone you know needs our services:
anne@wabala.studio - Book a blitz 15-min call