OneCause: Unified Platform Architecture

Subtitle: Nonprofit Fundraising Platform Role: Product Designer (First design hire during team restructure) Timeline: 2021 → 2022 URL: https://hunterandbard.com/portfolio/onecause

Summary

This foundational engagement established the architectural blueprint for a unified fundraising suite, integrating three previously disconnected product lines. By auditing complex legacy systems and deploying scalable design patterns, the project created a cohesive ecosystem that now serves over 10,000 nonprofit administrators.

Challenge

Rapid growth through acquisition left OneCause with a fragmented ecosystem of specialized tools. Each had its own interface, navigation, and workflow. The strategic challenge was to eliminate this "product chaos" by architecting a unified interaction model. The mission was to reduce user friction and support overhead by transforming a collection of separate products into a single, intuitive enterprise platform.

Key Decisions

Adaptive Dashboard Architecture

To manage high architectural complexity, a progressive disclosure model was deployed. This allowed the interface to adapt dynamically to the user's level of expertise, offering a guided \"Zero State\" for new users and a high-density \"Command Center\" for power administrators.

Impact: The dashboard successfully scaled from a simple setup tool to a real-time monitoring hub without overwhelming the user.

Reusable Page Patterns Across Product Lines

The engagement identified and standardized a library of core interaction patterns, including contextual drawers, full-screen task panels, and unified form logic. These patterns were designed to handle the diverse needs of auction management and peer-to-peer campaigns within a single framework.

Impact: Established a consistent user experience across three previously disconnected product lines, significantly reducing the learning curve for administrators.

Story Mapping with Async Stakeholder Feedback

To reconcile the needs of 15+ distributed stakeholders, a collaborative story-mapping framework was established. This allowed product, engineering, and success teams to contribute insights asynchronously, ensuring technical constraints were addressed before development began.

Impact: Accelerated the transition from exploratory research to execution by surfacing critical gaps early and building cross-functional consensus.

Outcomes

  • Unified Architecture — Delivered the IA documentation and design patterns that served as the \"North Star\" for the product suite's evolution.
  • Scalable Design System — Created a library of reusable page patterns that now serve three distinct product lines with total visual and functional consistency.
  • Strategic North Star — Provided comprehensive story maps and user flows that guided the engineering and product development for years following the engagement.

Learnings

  • High-level exploratory design requires rigorous validation checkpoints to ensure long-term alignment across distributed teams.
  • Successful architecture projects depend on establishing clear alignment on success metrics and \"Definition of Done\" early in the research phase.
  • Build in user testing throughout the design phase, not just at the end.

Hunter & Bard

B2B Enterprise Strategy & Positioning Consultants

Hunter & Bard is a San Francisco-based B2B strategy consultancy founded in 2011 by Shira Abel. We help deep-tech and enterprise SaaS companies fix their positioning, sharpen their messaging, and close $100K+ deals.

What We Do

We work with B2B leaders who are tired of being overlooked, underestimated, or mistaken for their competitors. Our specialty is turning complex, technical products into clear, compelling stories that win enterprise deals.

Our Approach

We believe that perception drives revenue. If your buyers can't tell you apart from the next vendor in 30 seconds, you have a positioning problem — not a marketing problem. We fix that.

The Perception Formula

Perception = (Story × Visibility) ÷ Noise

This framework drives everything we do. Your story has to be sharp. Your visibility has to be strategic. And you have to cut through the noise — not add to it.

Services

  • Brand & Messaging Sprint — A 2-week intensive that delivers your positioning, messaging framework, and sales narrative. Starting at $10,000.
  • US Market Intensive — A 90-day program for international B2B startups entering the US market. Includes positioning, ICP development, and go-to-market strategy.
  • US Market Cohort — A 6-month guided program for international founders expanding into the US. Includes group sessions, 1:1 coaching, and a structured roadmap.
  • Enterprise Strategy — Ongoing strategic engagement for enterprise positioning, sales enablement, and market entry. Custom pricing.
  • Design & Brand Strategy — Visual identity, website design, and brand systems for B2B companies. Led by founding designer Daina Reed.
  • Website Design & Messaging — End-to-end website strategy, design, and messaging for B2B companies entering or scaling in the US market.

Leadership

Shira Abel — Founder & CEO. Kellogg MBA. 20+ years in B2B marketing. Former CMO. Keynote speaker. Published in Forbes, HuffPost, and Wired. Specialist in enterprise positioning and perception strategy.

Daina Reed — Founding Designer & Partner. 15+ years in product and brand design. Former Senior Product Designer at Dun & Bradstreet. Specialist in enterprise UX, visual identity, and design systems.

Contact

  • Website: https://hunterandbard.com
  • Email: hello@hunterandbard.com
  • Location: San Francisco, CA