Hello Polo
An AI chat tool that recommends manageable tasks to help creatives of color prevent burnout, based on their current schedule.
BRIDGEGOOD is a non-profit organization that provides underprivileged creatives early in their career access to professional coaching, accessible tech tools, and an ecosystem that revolves around growth.
I created a cohesive design system, developed original copy, and collaborated on visual aesthetics including color, typography, hierarchy, and iconography.
Creatives of color face significant barriers to entering and thriving in the tech industry.
Limited access to resources, supportive networks, and role models. This underrepresentation limits diversity in tech while also hindering the industry's creative potential.
Income instability from freelance work affected mental well-being and made long-term career planning difficult.
The absence of a supportive network led to isolation, which further contributed to burnout and hindered motivation and growth.
Balancing multiple responsibilities while finding time for creative work was a significant struggle, often leading to exhaustion.
Limited access to industry resources and support networks prevented growth and led to feelings of being undervalued.
“I can totally fit in time to paint, but… I haven't really had the motivation to sit down and create.”
The team could not agree on the problem statement. Our insights pointed toward burnout, but we were split on how narrowly to frame it.
We took it to our BRIDGEGOOD stakeholder, who confirmed career-related burnout was the issue worth pursuing. That outside read broke the deadlock and let us collaboratively refine a statement focused on career development.
I owned content and visual design on a team of four, from the survey through to a hi-fi handoff in four weeks:
My first taste of design, and the one I would most like to run again.
At BRIDGEGOOD I learned the value of alignment and purpose, especially during research. Embracing honesty, communicating clearly, and becoming comfortable with ambiguity are skills I will carry forward.
On the next project I would dedicate more time to defining the problem, because without a strong foundation everything that follows becomes unstable.
