Serenpedia
Building a research tool from idea to funded beta, as project and product lead.
Serenpedia
Building a research tool from idea to funded beta, as project and product lead.
Role
Project & product lead, concept, UX
Role
Project & product lead, concept, UX
Team
I led a developer, a graphic designer and a researcher
Team
I led a developer, a graphic designer and a researcher
Funding
Secured from Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and Eindhoven Cultuur
Funding
Secured from Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and Eindhoven Cultuur
Timeline
2022 – now
Timeline
2022 – now
What I owned
I initiated Serenpedia and lead it end to end: setting the product vision, securing funding, assembling and steering a small multidisciplinary team, and deciding what gets built next. Next to running the project I do the concept and UX work myself, so research findings go straight into product decisions.
What I owned
I initiated Serenpedia and lead it end to end: setting the product vision, securing funding, assembling and steering a small multidisciplinary team, and deciding what gets built next. Next to running the project I do the concept and UX work myself, so research findings go straight into product decisions.
The opportunity
Search engines return precise but fragmented results, which makes it hard to see connections between topics and think creatively. Serenpedia aims to be the antidote: a research tool that encourages exploration and helps you find what you didn’t know you were looking for.
The opportunity
Search engines return precise but fragmented results, which makes it hard to see connections between topics and think creatively. Serenpedia aims to be the antidote: a research tool that encourages exploration and helps you find what you didn’t know you were looking for.
Validating the problem before building
Building on hypotheses from my pilot project Sevenclicks, I ran user interviews and then a survey with 30 participants to check the problem was real and worth solving.
Validating the problem before building
Building on hypotheses from my pilot project Sevenclicks, I ran user interviews and then a survey with 30 participants to check the problem was real and worth solving.
01 Keywords drive discovery
finding the right search terms leads to new insights and creative moments.
01 Keywords drive discovery
finding the right search terms leads to new insights and creative moments.
02 Depth sparks ideas
creative moments happen once research reaches a certain depth.
02 Depth sparks ideas
creative moments happen once research reaches a certain depth.
03 Structure vs. rabbit holes
users need structure and fear getting lost.
03 Structure vs. rabbit holes
users need structure and fear getting lost.
It’s a black hole — it is difficult to stop, it takes time to find the right important terms.
Participant 3
user interview
It’s a black hole — it is difficult to stop, it takes time to find the right important terms.
Participant 3
user interview
70%
of survey participants said creativity is important in their work, though only 4 of 30 worked in creative industries. This told me the audience was broader than creatives, and shaped how I prioritised features.
70%
of survey participants said creativity is important in their work, though only 4 of 30 worked in creative industries. This told me the audience was broader than creatives, and shaped how I prioritised features.
From insight to product
I translated the findings into a clear product concept: a mind map that builds itself node by node as you explore Wikipedia. Each click expands the map in the background, so users can capture their path, reflect on it, and see how topics connect — addressing both the need for structure and the fear of the rabbit hole.
Where I’m taking it
Where I’m taking it
Ship early
I chose to release a raw beta to learn while changes are still cheap.
Ship early
I chose to release a raw beta to learn while changes are still cheap.
Find the core segment
we’re running a diary study with researchers to define the minimal viable segment to focus on.
Find the core segment
we’re running a diary study with researchers to define the minimal viable segment to focus on.
Long-term vision
a universal way to explore and archive text data, adaptable to other archives and databases.
Long-term vision
a universal way to explore and archive text data, adaptable to other archives and databases.
Collaborators: Vincent van Dijk (development), Seo Kim (graphics), Lauren Lundholm (research). Partners: MADlab Eindhoven, Design Academy Eindhoven, University for Business and Society Ludwigshafen.