Helping a Global Architecture Company Define and Realize Their MVP

DesignIntelligence, an organization that provides guidance and leadership in the architecture, engineering, construction, and design industries, identified a common problem: architecture firms weren't being effectively matched up with professionals within the industry.

DesignIntelligence engaged HatchWorks to define, scope, and build an MVP software solution that could both help architecture firms hire the right people, and help professionals find employment that matched their career goals within the architecture industry.

A three-month delivery timeframe for the MVP meant project scope needed to be rigorously contained to functionality that met the core needs of firms and professionals. That functional scope still had to allow both parties to curate and refine their experience.

A key principle shaped the product: professionals' profiles needed to be protected from exploitation and biases. The answer was a layer of discoverable anonymity, providing enough context for firms to assess a skill set while safeguarding identity until the professional chose to formally connect with the firm.

The engagement began with an in-person solution workshop covering discovery, definition, and ideation with DesignIntelligence's executive team and core stakeholders. The teams aligned on vision and goals, defined core users' needs, pain points, and critical workflows, and categorized the solution opportunity into impactful, attainable objectives. Those artifacts prioritized user needs and produced a scope of work.

UX and UI artifacts followed: experience wireframes and clickable prototypes, and a foundational design system encompassing the visual language of the MVP.

Within three months, HatchWorks delivered the MVP as a SaaS platform. Professionals create profiles showcasing their credentials with unmatched richness, and firms search and filter anonymous profiles by experience, skills, and specialization.

The key outcome is the connection dynamic: firms send connection requests, and professionals evaluate the firm and decide whether to connect by granting access to their full profile and portfolio. That reciprocative model delivered a robust MVP within an aggressive project timeline.