Creatively: A digital assistant that cares
Converting passion into action.
Do what you love, love what you do
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, where reasons can range from not doing enough research on the market to having a bad business plan. With Creatively, individuals in the creator economy can gain the knowledge and confidence to turn their side hustle into a small business.
Role
Product Designer
Deliverables
High fidelity mockups
Prototypes
CONTEXT
Ballin' on a budget
Industry research suggests that young people are straying away from the idea of a single career but rather having multiple sources of income to create wealth. A survey conducted by Bank of America indicates that 62% of Gen Z individuals (born 1997 - 2012) and 56% of millennial individuals (born 1996 - 1981) have started a side hustle since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (Bank of America, 2021).
Update: In 2024, a new Bank of America survey revealed that nearly half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, which could point to a greater necessity for consumers to set up and grow their side hustles (Bank of America 2024).
CHALLENGE
Balancing passion and practicality
For many side hustlers starting out, the small business landscape can be confusing, intimidating, and paralyzing. Especially for creatives, endless possibilities to lead their business in various directions can be less exciting and more daunting. The resulting burnout can be associated with quitting their passion projects altogether. We want to help side hustlers maintain their current levels of business while still being able to commit to a full-time job.
Individuals with “side hustles” or hobbies are already aware that their talents earn them some extra cash, but how can technology further validate their legitimacy as a business owner, save time by being organized, and even help with long-term growth in their craft? Specifically, how might we design organizational tools for beginner side hustlers to sustain their business operations?
How can we empower people to sustainably pursue their passions?
MOTIVATIONS & PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
Side hustles have risen in popularity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States Census Bureau reports that new business formation grew by 42% in 2020 (United States Census Bureau, 2021). We noticed that “side hustles” is an immensely growing trend among young people. Videos on TikTok tagged with “#SideHustle” have accumulated about 7.9 billion views since January 2022.
Stakeholder Mapping Analysis
To scope the project, a stakeholder mapping analysis was conducted to determine the forces at play in the sustainability of a side hustler’s passion project.
Stakeholders were organized into four quadrants:
1. Casual powers (watch for interests, maintain confidence, potential allies): stakeholders with high influence over side hustlers but low interest
2. Key players (want to engage and gain commitment): stakeholders with high influence and high interest in side hustlers
3. Watch list (assess needs periodically, may shift quadrants): stakeholders with low influence and low interest in side hustlers
4. Downstreamers (communicate regular updates, keep them informed of impacts in them): stakeholders with low influence but high interest in side hustlers
2. Key players (want to engage and gain commitment): stakeholders with high influence and high interest in side hustlers
3. Watch list (assess needs periodically, may shift quadrants): stakeholders with low influence and low interest in side hustlers
4. Downstreamers (communicate regular updates, keep them informed of impacts in them): stakeholders with low influence but high interest in side hustlers
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Talk to me.