SheHub
Role
UX/UI Designer
Year
2025
SheHub is a platform that empowers women entering or advancing in the tech industry. Its mission is to provide real world project experience through multidisciplinary teams that simulate workplace environments.
1 | Discovery
Problem
Many women complete tech bootcamps or self paced learning programs only to hit a wall when applying for their first job.
They have theoretical knowledge but lack real world experience, team collaboration skills, and the confidence to present themselves as professionals.
Meanwhile, mid-level professionals who want to practice leadership or mentor others struggle to find safe, inclusive environments to do so.
Initial Approach
SheHub bridges the gap between education and employment by offering women the chance to gain real project experience within multidisciplinary teams (designers, devs, PMs, QAs) guided by mentors. These mentors also strengthen their leadership and communication skills while supporting others.
The initial decision to build a web platform set the foundation, but the research that followed defined its structure, design, and content, ensuring it truly met user needs.
Objectives
*Build a digital identity that reflects inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment.
*Clearly define the two user journeys (Collaborators vs Mentors).
*Design a responsive website that motivates users to join.
*Provide an intuitive architecture and navigation flow.
Deliverables
Discovery
User Personas
Journey maps
Wireframes
Mockups
UI Design System
Responsive Prototypes
Tools
Figma
Notion
tldv.io
Adobe creative suite
Benchmarking
As part of our discovery phase, we conducted a benchmarking analysis focused on organizations we felt most aligned with, such as bootcamps specialized in women and professional communities of women. We carefully studied their websites, exploring both content and design, to understand how they communicated their value and engaged with their audiences.
This process allowed us to identify strengths worth replicating, like clarity in messaging and narratives that focus on community, while also detecting gaps and opportunities for improvement. These insights provided us with a clearer view of the market landscape and guided us in shaping SheHub into a platform that is not only competitive but also uniquely tailored to the needs of women in tech.
2 | Definition
User persona
After the initial research, we synthesized the findings to identify key challenges, needs, and opportunities. We then classified the users into two main groups: collaborators and mentors. Based on this distinction, we created user personas to better empathize with their specific goals and challenges
María is a recent bootcamp graduate looking for her first opportunity in tech. She feels motivated and eager to learn, but struggles with a lack of real world experience and confidence when applying for jobs. Her goal is to strengthen her skills, build a portfolio, and gain the teamwork practice that companies require.
Collaborators → women who are recent bootcamp graduates, career changers, or have limited work experience and seek to build confidence and projects for their portfolios.
Mentors → women already working in tech who want to strengthen leadership skills, support others, and expand their professional network.
Laura is an experienced professional already working in tech. She wants to grow her leadership and mentoring abilities while supporting other women entering the industry. Her goal is to guide collaborators, share knowledge, and develop her own confidence in managing teams.
User journey map
To better understand the user experience, we mapped the journeys of both collaborators and mentors. These user journey maps helped us identify their motivations, frustrations, and opportunities at each stage of their interaction with SheHub.
As a collaborator, the journey starts with the search for opportunities after finishing a bootcamp. She faces uncertainty and lack of confidence, but through SheHub she finds real projects, mentorship, and a supportive community that helps her gain practical experience and grow professionally.
As a mentor, the journey begins with the desire to give back to the community and develop leadership skills. She joins SheHub to guide collaborators, share knowledge, and strengthen her management experience in an inclusive, multidisciplinary environment.
3 | Design foundations
After defining our users and mapping their flows, we moved into structuring the product. At this stage, we created low-fidelity wireframes that served as the skeleton of the prototype. We defined the main sections for each page and, based on user needs, decided to design a multi page platform rather than a single page site. The structure included six key pages: Home, Collaborators, Mentors, Partners, About, and Contact. This approach allowed us to organize content more clearly, highlight information relevant to each user type, and create a navigation system that felt intuitive. By focusing on hierarchy and layout without visual styling, we ensured the foundation of the product reflected the needs of both collaborators and mentors before moving into detailed design.
Wireframes
Partner
Contact
About
Buttons
Avatars
Cards
Mentor
Home
Collaborator
Components
Once the overall structure and page layout were defined, it became clear which components would be needed to bring the product to life. Together with the branding team, who guided the visual identity through colors, typography, and style, we created the design system components.
The logo colors became the foundation of the palette, while rounded shapes and soft elements were chosen to transmit a sense of warmth, approachability, and joy to the users. Buttons, cards, icons, and navigation elements were all designed under these principles, ensuring consistency and coherence across the entire platform.
This step allowed us to bridge structure and visual design, creating a system that not only looked cohesive but also reinforced SheHub’s mission of inclusivity and empowerment.
Icons
4| Mockups
From the beginning, it was clear that SheHub needed a website to allow participants to register. However, the structure was not defined at first, we considered whether a single page design could be enough or if a multipage platform would better serve the users. Through research and user insights, we realized that a multipage approach was the most effective solution, both visually and organizationally, to guide participants through the experience. This decision allowed us to design a structure that empathized with users and reflected their needs.
The Home page was designed as the entry point to SheHub’s digital experience and plays a crucial role in setting the tone for the entire platform. Our goal was to make it welcoming, inspiring, and functional, while providing users with the clarity they need to quickly understand what SheHub is and how they can get involved.
Hero Section
A strong headline paired with vibrant imagery of women sets the tone.
Two high contrast CTAs (“Learn more” and “Apply now”) guide users immediately.
Value Proposition
A clean grid of six benefits highlights networking, mentorship, confidence building, safe environments, and real project experience.
Simple icons make the content approachable and easy to scan.
Collaborator & Mentor Sections
Each group has a dedicated block.
Collaborators are invited to build portfolios and gain confidence, while mentors are encouraged to grow as leaders and support others.
This split ensures immediate relevance for both audiences.
Impact Metrics
Key numbers (participants, projects, mentors) reinforce credibility and show SheHub’s tangible results.
How It Works
A clear four-step journey (Apply → Get Matched → Join Team → Start Project) reduces uncertainty and highlights accessibility.
Testimonials
Real quotes provide social proof, adding authenticity and trust.
Partners Section
Logos demonstrate institutional support and reinforce the non profit positioning, even in early stages.
FAQs
Anticipates common doubts, reducing barriers before applying.
Final CTA
A bold closing call to action (“Ready to grow and give back?”) encourages immediate engagement.
These two pages share a similar structure but are tailored to each audience. While the design is consistent, the content shifts to directly address the needs and motivations of each group.
Collaborators see messaging focused on gaining experience, building confidence, and joining real projects.
Mentors see content that emphasizes leadership opportunities, giving back, and strengthening professional networks.
This distinction ensures that each user feels directly addressed and understood.
Although partnerships were still in an early stage at this point, we considered this page fundamental to the project. As SheHub is a non profit initiative, collaboration with partners plays a key role in sustainability and growth. Including this section in the wireframes allowed us to anticipate the visibility and importance of external support.
The about page tells the story behind SheHub and introduces the people who make it possible. This section highlights the diversity of disciplines involved from designers to developers to mentors, and reinforces SheHub’s identity as a collaborative community.
The contact page serves as a general communication channel with the project. It is intentionally separated from the participant registration process, which is handled through a dedicated call to action (CTA). This distinction helps reduce confusion and ensures that users can easily find the correct way to either get in touch or apply.
5 | Impact and conclusion
These results highlight how SheHub goes beyond being just a training space, it creates real opportunities for growth, leadership, and collaboration. By combining learning with practice, the platform not only strengthens technical skills but also builds confidence, community, and long term professional empowerment for women in tech.
+60% of participants added a SheHub project to their portfolio within the first month of joining.
+90% retention rate across project cycles participants stay engaged thanks to the sense of purpose, support, and tangible outcomes.
Over 60% of mentors report improved confidence in leading teams after just one project cycle.
87% of participants report a boost in confidence when communicating in team environments after completing their first SheHub project.