Case Study: A Curated Community of Female Leaders
SUMMER 2017 – SPRING 2020
CHALLANGE
How might we create spaces and experiences that foster a sense of belonging for the world’s most exceptional female leaders across diverse geographies, industries, and demographics?
The aim was to design an inclusive, engaging community for high-achieving women who often navigate complex, multifaceted roles in both personal and professional spheres.
APPROACH
We began with an in-depth research phase to understand the unique needs, challenges, and aspirations of elite female leaders across cultures and continents. Key steps included:
1. User Interviews and Member Identification: We built a diverse interviewee pool of potential founding members spanning varied backgrounds, industries, and geographies, ensuring representation of the unique perspectives within our target demographic.
2. Market and Competitor Research: We analyzed existing communities for female leaders, identifying gaps in how these communities addressed (or overlooked) fundamental user needs.
3. Framework for Insight - Jobs to Be Done (JTBD): Using JTBD, we honed in on the underlying motivations, pain points, and aspirations shared across our diverse user base. This process surfaced a crucial insight into the universal yet nuanced needs these leaders shared.
KEY INSIGHT
Although several communities existed to support professional networking and mentorship, none addressed a shared, core challenge:
These female leaders felt torn between multiple, often conflicting roles across their personal and professional lives and lacked a community that embraced them as whole, integrated individuals.
OUTCOME
This insight led to the development of a unique Mandorla Framework to map user needs, designed to address the intersections rather than the divisions between their various roles. This framework enabled us to:
• Articulate Wholesome Language & Identity: Through cross-sectional mapping of their ‘diabolical’ yet complementary needs, we crafted a cohesive narrative that resonated across cultures and career stages.
• Define Brand Strategy & Membership Journey: Using the Mandorla Framework’s insights, we confidently built the brand identity, membership journey, and service design pillars for this community.
• Design Inclusive Experiences: With a focus on connection and belonging, we structured experiences that honored members’ full identities, bridging their professional and personal worlds in a way no other community had.
