BRKAWAY
Problem
In a content-driven world, brands and content creators must collaborate effectively, yet they often struggle juggling multiple tools — email, Google Docs, Dropbox, Notion, etc. — when managing projects together. This scattered approach leads to delayed approvals, inconsistent posting schedules, and heavy administrative burdens, all of which lead to inefficiencies that weaken the collaboration needed for impactful content creation and growth.
Outcome
I designed a comprehensive project management workflow that solves these challenges by centralizing deliverables, timelines, and automated admin tasks. This unified platform reduces miscommunication, eliminates scattered files, and saves hours of work every week. By streamlining collaboration, brands and creators can focus on creativity, strategy, and authentic relationship-building—less admin equals more impact.
Role & Responsibilities
I ideated, iterated, collaborated with engineers, conducted usability tests, delivered high fidelity mockups, and delivered a web app solution that simplifies the content creation process between brands and content creators.
Timeline
2 years, on and off
Problem
Content creators and brands struggle managing projects with each another.
Brands and content creators have different project management processes and use a million different apps to manage a million different things. This makes it difficult to find project-related materials when it matters most and leads to an inefficient, overwhelming, and disorganized workflow.
The MVP
The initial designs and its challenges.
In our early days as a startup, Brkaway acted as an agency and would manually pair content creators and brands on content creation projects. While this worked initially, we quickly received feedback that the MVP was too limited in functionality — our users wanted to do more with the tool. Instead of using many different apps to facilitate the completion of a project, they wanted to do everything in one place.
Over the next 2 years, I would iterate on this flow many times and test with 20+ creators and brands to create a comprehensive workflow that not only saves our users thousands of hours, but eliminates the complexities of multi-tool collaborations.
Adding Projects & Deliverables
Allowing users to add and manage their own projects.
Initially, users couldn’t add their own projects or deliverables to Brkaway, making the platform highly restrictive. We wanted to allow users to manage any and all projects, so the first step was figuring out how to add this functionality.
Early explorations
I started with pen and paper to brainstorm some ideas quickly.
Iterations
Deliverable Page
Facilitating the content creation workflow between brands and content creators.
At Brkaway, deliverables have 3 different stages: concept, content, and post. Concept allows users to brainstorm ideas for the content. Content allows creators to upload videos/photos and receive feedback from the brand. Post allows users to keep a log of where the content is posted (e.g., TikTok or Instagram links).
Initial designs
It wasn’t easy for users to understand what stage their deliverables were currently in. This was a problem because, for example, users couldn’t see they were in the concept stage, so they’d work ahead and create content without getting a concept first approved by the brand. So, how might we make it easy for users to understand their current deliverable stage so that they aren’t doing any guesswork?
Early explorations
I explored many different layouts to see how we could provide more clarity around the deliverable stages and what stage users were currently in.
Iterations
Content Revisions
Creating a comprehensive feedback cycle between brands and creators.
Feedback and revisions are important to the content creation process. Brands need to provide creators with feedback on concepts and content so that creators can iterate on the work.
Initial designs
Initially, creators could only submit one asset at a time to brands. This was limiting because oftentimes, creators needed to submit multiple assets. So, how might we allow creators to submit multiple assets to brands and allow brands to review and provide feedback on multiple assets?
Early explorations
I explored many different layouts to see how we could provide more clarity around the deliverable stages and what stage users were currently in.
Iterations
Usability Tests & Iterations
Testing and iterating on our proof of concept.
I conducted usability tests with 5 creators of varying levels of familiarity with the platform. My goal was to test clarity, completion, and comprehension of the new workflow.
Usability test results
Iterating on the usability test results
The biggest issue with the new flow was that creators weren’t sure what to do after uploading a new version of the asset. Did they need to submit the deliverable again? Could they just re-submit that asset for review? There was no clear path forward so I added an informative alert letting users know their next steps.
Final Designs
Putting everything together.
Through iterative design and a user-centered approach, we transformed a fragmented collaboration process into a cohesive, unified workflow. This project reinforced the importance of listening to user feedback and being willing to pivot. Moving forward, we’ll continue to monitor user interactions to refine the platform further.
Retrospective
Reflecting on the project.
There were lots of valuable learnings throughout this 2 year project.
User empowerment
Giving users control over their workflows increases engagement and satisfaction.
Clarity is key
Clear visualization of processes helps users navigate complex tasks.
Simplicity enhances usability
A simplified interface improves the overall user experience.