AmEx OPEN Forum

Sr. UX Designer | New York, NY

OPENForum.com is run by American Express as an online community for like-minded small business credit card holders to read news, share advice, and mentor others.

Challenges

Redesign OPENForum.com with AmEx branding
Foster content creation from an engaged community of small business owners
Design for the mobile-first user

Actions

Conducted user research to inform our approach
Created wireframes and prototypes
Designed key features: registration, onboarding, personalized news feeds, and navigation

Results

Delivered an intuitive, community-driven user experience aligned with the AmEx brand
Month over month growth following launch

Design research

The redesign of openforum.com needed to honor its decade-long history while embracing bold, mobile-first solutions for small business owners. I collaborated with small business customers to conduct user interviews, usability testing, and brainstorming sessions. These insights shaped mentoring-focused platform that delivers real value to its users.

User flows & Wireframes

I created low-fidelity wireframes, prototypes, and user flows to test early design concepts. This iterative approach validated our direction before shipping features to customers. By gathering early customer feedback, I made informed product decisions and kept AmEx stakeholders aligned throughout the process.

Launching AmEx OPEN Forum

In early 2013, the redesigned openforum.com went live, balancing alignment with the American Express brand and establishing a distinct identity. I designed features that personalized the user experience, offering tailored advice and connecting users with experts to provide valuable insights.