Detroit Means Business (DMB) is a coalition of public, private, and philanthropic organizations formed during the COVID pandemic to support small business owners by connecting them to the resources, funding, and programs they need to thrive.
Detroit Means Business (DMB) is a coalition of public, private, and philanthropic organizations formed during the COVID pandemic to support small business owners by connecting them to the resources, funding, and programs they need to thrive.
I joined in January 2024 as Director of Experience, tasked with designing a connected digital and physical system that would launch in 25 community locations as part of the Small Business Support Hubs Initiative made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.
When I first came across the role, I was genuinely surprised — not because the work didn’t need UX, but because it was rare to see a civic initiative like this actively invest in experience design. That’s what made me want to dig deeper.
I asked my boss what she thought my role was.
Her answer?
“Simplify the experience of starting, growing, and owning a business in Detroit.”
The more I looked into that experience, the more I realized — it was anything but simple.
I joined in January 2024 as Director of Experience, tasked with designing a connected digital and physical system that would launch in 25 community locations as part of the Small Business Support Hubs Initiative made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.
When I first came across the role, I was genuinely surprised — not because the work didn’t need UX, but because it was rare to see a civic initiative like this actively invest in experience design. That’s what made me want to dig deeper.
I asked my boss what she thought my role was.
Her answer?
“Simplify the experience of starting, growing, and owning a business in Detroit.”
The more I looked into that experience, the more I realized — it was anything but simple.
I joined in January 2024 as Director of Experience, tasked with designing a connected digital and physical system that would launch in 25 community locations as part of the Small Business Support Hubs Initiative made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.
When I first came across the role, I was genuinely surprised — not because the work didn’t need UX, but because it was rare to see a civic initiative like this actively invest in experience design. That’s what made me want to dig deeper.
I asked my boss what she thought my role was.
Her answer?
“Simplify the experience of starting, growing, and owning a business in Detroit.”
The more I looked into that experience, the more I realized — it was anything but simple.
In 2024, Detroit’s population grew for the first time in nearly 70 years — a sign of recovery for a city that had declared bankruptcy just a decade earlier. Small businesses were apart of that story, with 50,000 minority- owned businesses in the city. But the city’s resurgence wasn’t reaching everyone.
In 2024, Detroit’s population grew for the first time in nearly 70 years — a sign of recovery for a city that had declared bankruptcy just a decade earlier. Small businesses were apart of that story, with 50,000 minority- owned businesses in the city. But the city’s resurgence wasn’t reaching everyone.
“I wish I had known about this sooner,” was a common refrain from Detroit business owners in our research. Nearly 9 in 10 Detroit entrepreneurs didn’t know about the programs designed to support them. Those who did were first in line when new opportunities launched.
Resources were scattered. Applications were low. Awareness was nearly nonexistent. The disconnect wasn’t just frustrating — it was costly. There was no bridge between business owners and the programs meant to help them.
So we designed one — and reached over 1,000 entrepreneurs through our network of interactive support hubs.
“I wish I had known about this sooner,” was a common refrain from Detroit business owners in our research. Nearly 9 in 10 Detroit entrepreneurs didn’t know about the programs designed to support them. Those who did were first in line when new opportunities launched.
Resources were scattered. Applications were low. Awareness was nearly nonexistent. The disconnect wasn’t just frustrating — it was costly. There was no bridge between business owners and the programs meant to help them.
So we designed one — and reached over 1,000 entrepreneurs through our network of interactive support hubs.
9 in 10 business owners weren’t aware of key programs
Most never saw flyers or visited the website — awareness was nearly nonexistent.
No clear starting point for support
Resources were scattered across 30+ orgs, and most business owners didn’t know where to begin — especially those without strong networks or internet access.
Business owners felt left out of Detroit’s growth.
While downtown thrived, many neighborhood entrepreneurs didn’t see themselves in the city's comeback — or its programs.
The first thing I focused on was understanding the scope of the initiative — what we were actually building, who it was for, and why it mattered.
The first thing I focused on was understanding the scope of the initiative — what we were actually building, who it was for, and why it mattered.
To get there, I started with aligning the team and conducting discovery work. My process looked like this:
To get there, I started with aligning the team and conducting discovery work. My process looked like this:
Audit existing work to understand what had been done before I arrived
Review grant requirements and identified constraints and non-negotiables
Facilitate collaborative sessions to define the scope, core problem, hypothesis, and success metrics with the DMB team
Collaborative Workshops for Alignment
To build alignment, I designed and led workshops that helped the team generate ideas, identify assumptions, and reach consensus.
Early on, there was hesitation — workshops and tools like FigJam were unfamiliar. So I shared Loom videos and lightweight guides to make it easier to engage.
With that context, the team got onboard. By the end, they were leading their own sessions using the same methods.
Lego Serious Play Workshop
Alignment Sessions
User Interviews & AI-Powered Synthesis
I spoke with business owners, DMB staff, and community members to better understand the problem.
Site visits to community centers helped me see how the hubs would actually work in real spaces.
To speed up synthesis, I used AI tools like video transcription and ChatGPT to organize insights and identify patterns.
Research Session With Business Owner
Before jumping into solutions, I defined key hypotheses about what business owners needed, how the hub could scale, and the impact it could have.
Before jumping into solutions, I defined key hypotheses about what business owners needed, how the hub could scale, and the impact it could have.
These guided our strategy and helped focus the team on what mattered most.
Through early discovery and alignment, we turned those hypotheses into a clear foundation — defining our users, goals, and the features that would deliver the most value.
The Nine
The 9 in 10 business owners who are not connected to Detroit’s business ecosystem
Space Staff
The staff that work at the Hub locations (operations team, janitorial staff, etc.)
Ecosystem Partners
Nonprofit, public and for-profit organizations who partner with DMB to refer business owners to their programming.
To shape the MVP, I worked to identify the most pressing needs for each core persona. Using a prioritization grid, we mapped our ideas based on impact and feasibility
To shape the MVP, I worked to identify the most pressing needs for each core persona. Using a prioritization grid, we mapped our ideas based on impact and feasibility
Here’s what we found:
For The Nine: Access to business support like funding and education was the most urgent need we could solve.
For space staff: A low-maintenance, safety-first solution was critical to avoid creating more work or disruption.
For the support ecosystem: Increasing both the number and diversity of applicants for programs was key.
With our users’ needs and the project's risks clearly defined, I moved into the design phase.
With our users’ needs and the project's risks clearly defined, I moved into the design phase.
I developed an early vision for the hubs and defined key themes and principles that would guide both the physical and digital experience:
I developed an early vision for the hubs and defined key themes and principles that would guide both the physical and digital experience:
Modular & Flexible
Print signage can get outdated quickly compared to digital displays. To bridge that gap, we used modular pegboard panels that allow space holders — or DMB — to easily update printed materials. This approach keeps information current, relevant, and accessible to a wide range of users, while also offering layout flexibility across different spaces.
Approachable by Design
Business owners told us that traditional spaces felt intimidating — like they weren’t meant for them. Words like “procurement” and “accelerator” were used without explanation, making things harder to understand. So we partnered with the marketing team to create copy that felt approachable.
I partnered with a fabricator to design physical hubs that were accessible, low-maintenance, and visually distinct.
Digitally, I led UX and UI for the mobile app and touchscreen experience — managing a contractor for screen design while focusing on strategy, alignment, and delivery.
To speed up development, I built both apps in Bubble, created an AI-powered quiz for personalized resource recommendations, and developed custom APIs to sync with our Airtable database.
