YPO, a global community of 34,000 CEOs, thrives on one core ritual: The Forum. Confidential, high-trust peer groups where leaders connect deeply. But conversations were scattered across WhatsApp, Slack, and email, making the experience inconsistent and impossible to scale.
Forum conversations — YPO’s most valuable benefit — were happening on scattered tools. Members felt disconnected, support was inconsistent, and the experience couldn’t be scaled to a global level.
Forum Hub became the secure, centralized home where 34,000+ leaders could connect, discover groups, and grow together, without losing the intimacy that makes Forums powerful.
Senior UX/UI Designer
6 Months
A cross-functional team of 4 developers, 2 PMs, 2 POs — with me as the sole designer.
As Senior Product Designer, I led the design vision and execution for Forum Hub — from initial discovery to high-fidelity delivery.
I worked closely with PMs, POs, engineers, and YPO leadership to translate ritual-driven interactions into seamless digital flows.
Members juggled WhatsApp, Slack, and email. We created one centralized, private space tailored to how Forums actually communicate.
Discovery didn’t exist. We built an intelligent search system with filters by topic, region, and availability.
Forum leaders had no admin tools. We introduced role-based permissions, onboarding flows, and governance tools that supported leadership — not complexity.
Members were already using too many tools. Forum Hub felt native to YPO, with a minimal UI and deep integration into their design system.
Interviewed members, moderators, and regional chairs
Mapped the Forum lifecycle — from formation to conflict resolution
Audited the tools members were already using
Built responsive flows for messaging, search, and admin dashboards
Prioritized accessibility and confidentiality at every touchpoint
Added gentle guardrails: warnings, visibility controls, and flexible structure.
Conducted usability testing with real members
Refined content hierarchy based on feedback
Collaborated with developers to ensure smooth implementation across legacy systems
Seamless experience on any device, anywhere
Works across languages and contexts
Find what you need without thinking
Always know who sees what and why
Freedom to be vulnerable without fear
Fast, lightweight even on slow connections
At the center of every need was a fundamental desire: to feel truly heard and safely connected with peers who understand the unique challenges of leadership.
Designing for Forums meant designing for trust. These weren’t just features — they were sacred spaces.
This project pushed me to translate human rituals into scalable digital systems — and reinforced my belief that design can elevate relationships, not just products.
And yes, there was a trip to Dallas to celebrate. 😉
