SBA Ascent

The Client

SBA Ascent

The Challenge

Creating a national learning platform designed to support women entrepreneurs required a brand and digital experience that felt both empowering and practical.

Eleven Peppers was tasked with building an identity and UX framework that could carry a wide range of educational content while remaining approachable, modern, and scalable for long term growth. The solution needed to unify naming, branding, illustration, and platform design into a cohesive system of learning resources that could meet the needs of a diverse audience of business owners at every stage of their journey.

Awards

• Gold Hermes Creative Awards, The Pitch Playbook Infographic
• Telly Awards, Mastering A Marketing Plan Video
• Platinum Viddy Awards, Culture and Values Video
• Silver Davey Awards, Best User Interface
• Silver Davey Awards, Best Visual Appeal Utility
• Silver Davey Awards, Best use of Animation/Illustration

The Services

• Logo Design
• Visual Identity
• Learning Experience Design
• User Experience (UX) Research
• Human-Centered Design
• Data-Informed UX/UI
• Animation & Motion Graphics
• Video and Audio Development

THE BRANDING JOURNEY

First, we needed to develop a name for the program. 11p collaborated with stakeholders to name the learning platform, Ascent. The name implies upward movement, from a lower to a higher state, degree, grade, or status; advancement.

Playing off the name, 11p designed a logo that used the visual mountain references as a metaphor for business obstacles and challenges, combined with a line graph moving in an upward trajectory to symbolize overcoming these hurdles to increased sales and business growth.

DIVERSE CHARACTERS

To support the learning platform and development of learning resources, 11p illustrated an extensive character library. We designed a variety of features and styles to reflect the diverse female audience. Creating a custom library enhanced the workflow for our designers, so they could produce over 100 micro-learning tools in a short period of time!

FEEDBACK AT EVERY STAGE

The UX process in building the Ascent platform consisted of five distinct phases: Discover, Design, Build, Test, Launch. Each phase of the project incorporated feedback from users, the business goals of stakeholders, and sound design decisions involving the small-business owner.

User Interface

Platform Design

Mobile Design

THE ASCENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Within the Ascent platform, content is organized into structured “journeys” covering a wide variety of business topics. Each journey provides an organized path for entrepreneurs to learn about a particular topic. Entrepreneurs looking for an in-depth learning experience can complete the entire path start-to-finish. However, those looking for a quick refresher can dive into a particular topic to access the information they need for just-in-time learning.

Ascent learning resources come in a broad range of formats, including infographics, podcasts, success stories, inspirational videos, and guided exercises. Through the use of animated videos, 11p demonstrated the power of visual storytelling. The combination of visuals with an inspirational story not only captures attention but also enhances comprehension and retention of information. At the end of each video, there is a clear call to action, prompting entrepreneurs to apply what they have learned.

23

Infographics

68

Exercises

9

Videos

23

Key Insights

12

Success Stories

7

Discussions

Infographics

Women have a big impact on the U.S. economy. 45% of all businesses are women-owned (or men & women co-owned).

Videos

Mastering Your Marketing Plan

Key Performance Indicators

Values and Culture

Tools

It is an incredible privilege to assist women-owned businesses – a key pillar of our nation’s economic firepower – thrive and achieve success.

Jovita Carranza, SBA Administrator

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