ECOARTISAN
Connecting Artists with Resources & Fighting Waste within One App
THE TEAM
I was the lead UX designer on this 12-week university project.
Team MateCoel Poesiat [Brand + UI Lead]
THE STATS
$135-195K est. first year revenue
Young adults struggle to advance in their careers, limiting long-term success
THE PROBLEM
When it comes to career paths, my teammate and I have spent a lot of time fumbling along without any real sense of how to progress in roles. And we know we’re not the only ones.
Some first-generation professionals lack guidance. Without mentorship, young professionals can lack confidence to level up in the working world.
A multi-functional dashboard with mentorship and goal setting
THE SOLUTION
A desktop-first dashboard where professionals aged 22-35, including recent graduates and early- to mid-career professionals, can get personalized support.
No single platform combines goal tracking, workplace education, and one-on-one mentorship accessible to everyone -- that’s where Advanta comes in.
The Opportunity: Bridge the gap between new professionals and the careers they're meant for, and increase the confidence among new employees.
There is a lack of clarity around how to progress at work
SURVEYS
We surveyed 17 professionals across tech, government, environmental services, and marketing on early-career support, confidence, and desired resources.
Pain Points
- Feeling unsure in professional situations.
- Lack of mentorship.
- Uncertainty around career advancement.
Requested Features
- Mentorship [1:1, peer-to-peer, unpaid].
- Networking [in-person focus, industry-specific].
- Goal tracking.
“The path for career progression felt very unclear in my current field of work.” — Survey Respondent
82%
felt ‘out of the loop’ in a professional situation that affected their confidence or career growth
65%
felt unsure about how to advance in their career
59%
felt unsure about workplace expectations, etiquette, or unspoken rules
Aligning the needs of employers and employees
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
The professional development market was listed at $57-59 billion USD in 2025 and projected to total $76-99 billion USD by the early 2030’s.
92% of recruiters value soft skills as much as or more than hard skills, so organizational skills and interpersonal effectiveness will be among the courses offered.
41% of people seek career growth for a sense of purpose. Equipping professionals with the know-how to progress at work could have positive cascading impacts.
Freemium
- 1-3 introductory courses
- Access to a mentor, with limits
- Ads
Premium
- Access to all course offerings
- More meeting availability with mentors
- Ad-free
Both
- Goal-based career tracking
- A supportive online community
Pricing Strategy + Customer Acquisition
Freemium model for accessibility.
- LinkedIn: Educational content.
- Instagram: Ads, mentor spotlights, and workplace tips.
- Physical Locations: University and career centre partnerships.
An unpretentious and safe space to learn and connect
MISSION + VALUES
It’s clear that an authentic platform is needed where people can get advice and support as they make meaningful strides toward advancing their careers.
Advanta’s Values
- Honest, principled, and transparent.
- Grounded, intentional, and non-performative.
“[I want] grounded, honest realistic advice from people who want to help. There's too much awkwardness and ego around work and career.”— Survey Respondent
A dashboard that’s clean and to-the-point
THE DESIGN
A desktop platform allows for easier input of detailed information, planning, and scheduling. This is the central dashboard where users can see an overview of each section and navigate to other pages.
Please note that the dashboard is not optimized for mobile screens and is therefore only viewable via a larger device.
USABILITY TESTING
Feedback on what’s working
What’s Working Well
- The Overview page. Users noted that they liked having a high-level look at all the sections in one place.
- Clear labelling. One user said, “[it’s] intuitive what’s included in the free subscription.”
Areas for Improvement
- Clickability. We updated the completed goals to be clickable in the high-fidelity version.
- Clarifying information. To guide users, we added clickable question mark icons.
REFLECTIONS + NEXT STEPS
Moving forward
Advanta was a short-term university project. To further develop its feasibility as a real app, I would target a larger number of prospective users for input, including people who would act as mentors. I would also further flesh out the financial scope and scaling costs.
OTHER WORKS
Coming Soon
TBD
View Previous Project
App for Eco-Conscious Artisans
Tackling waste and fuelling a circular economy through art
View Next Project
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© Copyright of Elissa Dow 2026
ADVANTA
Helping New Professionals Navigate Careers, Advancement, and Office Dynamics with Confidence
THE TEAM
I was the lead UX designer on this 12-week university project.
Team MateCoel Poesiat [Brand + UI Lead]
THE STATS
75% NPS score
Young adults struggle to advance in their careers, limiting long-term success
THE PROBLEM
When it comes to career paths, my teammate and I have spent a lot of time fumbling along without any real sense of how to progress in roles. And we know we’re not the only ones.
Some first-generation professionals lack guidance. Without mentorship, young professionals can lack confidence to level up in the working world.
A multi-functional dashboard with mentorship and goal setting
THE SOLUTION
A desktop-first dashboard where professionals aged 22-35, including recent graduates and early- to mid-career professionals, can get personalized support.
No single platform combines goal tracking, workplace education, and one-on-one mentorship accessible to everyone -- that’s where Advanta comes in.
The Opportunity: Bridge the gap between new professionals and the careers they're meant for, and increase the confidence among new employees.
SURVEYS
There is a lack of clarity around how to progress at work
We surveyed 17 professionals across tech, government, environmental services, and marketing on early-career support, confidence, and desired resources.
Pain Points
- Feeling unsure in professional situations.
- Lack of mentorship.
- Uncertainty around career advancement.
Requested Features
- Mentorship [1:1, peer-to-peer, unpaid].
- Networking [in-person focus, industry-specific].
- Goal tracking.
“The path for career progression felt very unclear in my current field of work.” — Survey Respondent
82%
felt ‘out of the loop’ in a professional situation that affected their confidence or career growth
65%
felt unsure about how to advance in their career
59%
felt unsure about workplace expectations, etiquette, or unspoken rules
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Aligning the needs of employers and employees
The professional development market was listed at $57-59 billion USD in 2025 and projected to total $76-99 billion USD by the early 2030’s.
92% of recruiters value soft skills as much as or more than hard skills, so organizational skills and interpersonal effectiveness will be among the courses offered.
41% of people seek career growth for a sense of purpose. Equipping professionals with the know-how to progress at work could have positive cascading impacts.
Pricing Strategy + Customer Acquisition
Freemium model for accessibility.
- LinkedIn: Educational content.
- Instagram: Ads, mentor spotlights, and workplace tips.
- Physical Locations: University and career centre partnerships.
MISSION + VALUES
An unpretentious and safe space to learn and connect
It’s clear that an authentic platform is needed where people can get advice and support as they make meaningful strides toward advancing their careers.
Advanta’s Values
- Honest, principled, and transparent.
- Grounded, intentional, and non-performative.
“[I want] grounded, honest realistic advice from people who want to help. There's too much awkwardness and ego around work and career.”— Survey Respondent
A dashboard that’s clean and to-the-point
THE DESIGN
A desktop platform allows for easier input of detailed information, planning, and scheduling. This is the central dashboard where users can see an overview of each section and navigate to other pages.
Low-fidelity Dashboard.
High-fidelity Dashboard.
USABILITY TESTING
Feedback on what’s working
What’s Working Well
- The Overview page. Users noted that they liked having a high-level look at all the sections in one place.
- Clear labelling. One user said, “[it’s] intuitive what’s included in the free subscription.”
Areas for Improvement
- Clickability. We updated the completed goals to be clickable in the high-fidelity version.
- Clarifying information. To guide users, we added clickable question mark icons.
NEXT STEPS
Moving forward
Advanta was a short-term university project. To further develop its feasibility as a real app, I would target a larger number of prospective users for input, including people who would act as mentors. I would also further flesh out the financial scope and scaling costs.
OTHER WORKS
Coming Soon
TBD
View Previous Project
App for Eco-Conscious Artisans
Tackling waste and fuelling a circular economy through art
View Next Project