Chapter 1: Foundations

Setting The Scene

In August 2022, I began an exciting collaboration with Kaja Kraska, a prominent YouTuber known as Globstory with over half a million YouTube subscribers and a 125K-strong Instagram following. Our mission was to create a bespoke e-learning platform by April 2023 for Kaja to sell her current and future courses. Spoiler alert: we did it!

Why not use an existing platform like Skillshare, Teachable, or Podia, you might ask? These platforms work well if all you aim to do is share and sell your knowledge. But when it comes to creating a personalized brand experience with your unique courses, they impose plenty of limitations. Therefore, we decided to create a tailored platform for Kaja, constructed, synchronized, and interconnected using no-code tools for a perfect fit.

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‍Chapter 2: First Steps

We took a sequential approach, breaking down the project into manageable steps rather than tackling everything at once. This strategy was not only cost-effective but also provided valuable user behavior data early on.

After several brainstorming sessions, we established a tone of voice for the platform and created several styles. Kaja chose a dark theme that aligned well with the Globstory brand, presenting an extension of her existing brand, but with a touch of film noir.

I used Figma to design the landing page and then transferred the design into Webflow, ensuring a responsive design since over 85% of users were interacting on mobile devices. Within two weeks, we had a simple signup page connected to MailerLite, and we started collecting emails.

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Chapter 3: Building the Core

While the landing page was shaping up, I began work on the core of the platform - the viewing experience. The design drew inspiration from Skillshare, ensuring a smooth UX where users could watch lessons, browse modules, jump through tabs, and access transcripts and add-ons for each lesson.

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Chapter 4: Setting up the Marketplace

With the core ready, it was time to create the sales page. Structuring this part was challenging and involved multiple meetings and mini-workshops. The goal was to create a structured, user-friendly space that showcased the course without being overly salesy.

We settled on a design with "x" sections and decided to skip the table of contents for the course. The final result was a beautiful, user-friendly page that represented the Globstory brand well.

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Chapter 5: Gearing Up for Launch

This phase was a flurry of activity as we integrated payments, login functionalities, and connected all the elements. I integrated Stripe with Webflow using Easytools and decided to use EasyCart as the payment system. In parallel, I created automations using make.com to add new users who purchased the course to specific groups in MailerLite, and I also set up an Airtable database for data flow tracking and backup.

Chapter 6: Test Runs

With everything in place, we invited a small group of early testers to uncover bugs and suggest new features. This decision paid off as it allowed us to uncover missing link connections and the need for an event page with a registration process for webinars with Kaja. I used make.com to create the necessary connections for this feature.

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Chapter 7: Final Cut

Working with Kaja was an incredible journey. Our relationship evolved from a professional association into a partnership based on mutual trust and a shared vision. With over 200 courses sold in the first week after launch, the final product was a unique, user-friendly platform that gave Kaja's audience an engaging learning experience.

Working as a Senior Product Designer and No-code Specialist, I've learned that designing for user experience is a journey of continuous learning and refinement. Each project presents new challenges, new opportunities, and a chance to create something truly exceptional. This journey with Globstory has been no exception.