Project Management Education App

frog - pilot - 6 weeks

THE CLIENT

PMI (Project Management Institute) is a world-leader in professional career development in project management.

PMI is on a mission to advance careers, improve organizational success and further mature the profession of project management through a globally recognized standards, certifications, resources, tools, academic research, publications, professional development courses and networking opportunities.

THE PROBLEM

Project managers aren’t working towards certificates anymore—they are jumping head-first into industry.

For decades, the Project Management Institute has offered competitive certifications. Many jobs today no longer require these certifications, and PMI needs to find a way to make their curriculum relevant to on-the-go millennials.

THE ASK

How can design help PMI stay relevant in this ever-changing work culture?

The days of receiving secondary education in classroom or in front of a computer are long gone. Millennials lack the time it takes to complete professional certifications, and jobs no longer incentivize these efforts. PMI needs a way to bring their expertise to next-generation project managers in a way that is flexible, sticky, and fun.

CONCEPT GENERATION

A mobile-first application could allow professionals to learn at their own pace, on their own schedule, and in bite-sized chunks.

I defined the system architecture, content breakout, card types, and overall experience principles while a team of visual designers crafted a look and feel inspired by modern editorial design language, and influenced by the rich history of the PMI brand.

THE DESIGN + BUILD

The interaction design, visual design, and technology team collaborated to produce a working pilot in 4 weeks.

Together, we created a working prototype that was piloted with 500 current PMI members to receive feedback on approach and efficacy.

FOCUS GROUPS

We conducted focus groups with next-generation PMs for qualitative feedback to further crystalize the value proposition.

Our team recruited 12 next-generation project managers to help inform the true value proposition of the piloted product. We learned that a certification wasn’t desired, and the motivation would come from professional advancement alone.

THE OUTCOME

The Project Management Institute recognizes the need for a mobile-first modern solution, and is working to test and build out content to support the experience. Stay tuned!

The working pilot was launched in collaboration with Henry Martes (ACD), Julie Harris (VD), Stephanie Zabala (VD), Lynda Lucas (ACD), Erika Wei (DT), Eva Peng (DT) and John Leonard (Director of Design + Tech) at frog.