Overview
Back a Youth is an equity based crowdfunding platform in South Africa. Young entrepreneurs list their business and sell a small share of it to raise money. Investors, family and anyone else who believes in them can buy in early and help the business grow. I designed the website, starting with wireframes and finishing with the high fidelity screens.RoleUX/UI designer
Year2021
PlatformResponsive website
MarketSouth Africa
The problem
Young people starting a business in South Africa often can't get a bank loan. They don't have a credit history, assets or a track record yet. At the same time, there are people who would happily put money into a promising young business, but they have no easy or safe way to find one. The website had to speak to both groups. Entrepreneurs needed to understand how to get funded. Investors needed to trust that the businesses on the site were real and had been checked.The question I had to answerHow do I make investing in a young person's business feel simple and safe, while giving entrepreneurs a clear path to raise money?
Design approach
Two clear pathsThe navigation splits the site into businesses and investors, so each visitor can find their side of the story straight away.
Trust up frontThe home page explains that every listed business goes through a vetting process, with internal and outsourced legal due diligence, before an investor sees a single deal.
Progress you can seeEach business card shows the funding goal, how much has been raised and a progress bar, so investors can judge a campaign at a glance.
From wireframe to final design
I started with grey box wireframes to agree on the structure of each page before thinking about colour and imagery. Once the layout worked, I brought in the brand: a deep navy and bright blue, a lime green accent for key actions, bold headings, and photos of real people working on their businesses.Home page
The home page opens with a single message: "We connect entrepreneurs and investors." Below that are the startups currently raising money, a short explanation of how it works, a video section for entrepreneurs, and a sign up to hear about new businesses as they join.
How it works
This page is aimed at business owners. The hero shows what the platform offers in one line: sell a portion of your business for capital. It then breaks getting started into three steps: sign up, share what you are interested in, and browse vetted deals. Underneath, recommended businesses give a feel for what is already on the platform.
Campaigns and contact
The campaigns page lists every business that is raising money. Investors can filter by industry, such as tech, music, fashion, health and beauty, or agriculture, or search for something specific. The contact page lets anyone book a free consultation, which matters for first time founders who aren't sure where to start.
Skills & deliverables
- Information architecture for two audiences
- Wireframes
- High fidelity UI design
- Visual design and imagery direction
- Responsive web layouts
