Famm

Famm is a mobile-responsive website that showcases LGBTQ-owned e-commerce brands, curated products, and service providers.

My Role

I am the sole designer and product lead on this project.

Team

I work directly with my Cofounder & Marketing expert on product positioning, values, strategy and go to market.

Resources

I leverage any survey, interview, Google Analytics and Hotjar data to help inform the what, why and how.

The problem

Consumers face a significant challenge in accessing and discovering queer-centric brands with no central platform for easy exploration. This limited visibility often results in dependence on gender-specific products that don't meet the community's distinct needs and values.

On the business side, queer-owned businesses make up only 1% of the U.S. economy, with LGBTQ+ founders raising just 0.5% of the $2.1 trillion in startup funding. A major challenge for these founders is expanding sales and reaching customers.

Who did I design for?

LGBTQ+ community shopping online and looking for affirming brands and products.

LGBTQ+ identified business owners doing business online / virtually.

Allies of the LGBTQ+ community who want to shop their values.

Where did I start?

STEP 1

I engaged with our community through various methods, such as surveys, user interviews, and competitive research. This approach confirmed the viability of our idea for further exploration. For instance, a striking 90% of survey participants emphasized the importance of supporting queer-owned businesses.

STEP 2

I then conducted a series of mapping exercises to reinforce our mission, goals, and brand ethos. We wanted to clarify who we were serving, what value we brought, and why.

STEP 3

I dove into wireframes and user flows to share with friends in the community for feedback. Once this feedback loop was complete, I met with developers to see what was possible from a build perspective in Squarespace / Webflow. From there, adjustments were made to the final design, and we launched.

What did we build?

We built a mobile-responsive website that features brands with filtered categories, values, and more. These brands came with a brand profile and relevant links to their website and social pages.

Challenges

  • Due to its restricted customization options, I encountered limitations in reflecting the desired design and UI on Squarespace. To overcome this, I utilized plugins and custom CSS, among other solutions, to maximize the platform's flexibility as much as possible.

  • To obtain a more accurate measure of traffic and engagement, I faced a challenge with Squarespace analytics, which included admin traffic, leading to inflated figures. To address this, I implemented GA4, setting up event instrumentation and excluding our IP addresses. I collaborated with an external consultant to ensure this setup was efficiently executed.

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The outcome was impressive: a community of 5,500 users, more than 40,000 page views, and a consistent monthly traffic growth of 50-100%.

What’s next?

A recurring pain point, highlighted in discussions and direct requests from the community, is the need for a tool to help LGBTQ+ professionals and founders connect. Results from a survey and interviews with queer professionals revealed:

  • 75% are dissatisfied with existing options for queer professional networking.

  • 70% prefer in-person events for making connections.

  • 90% express a strong desire to connect with other queer professionals.

We intend to rapidly validate this concept through a landing page and early sign-up phase. Should there be sufficient interest, we're prepared to bring this idea to life!