Produc Design

Sponsor Project

Mary Pickford Art Alliance

Mary Pickford Art Alliance

Mary Pickford Art Alliance is a digital platform for Los Angeles based non-profits to connect, collaborate, and co-host events.

Working with the Mary Pickford Foundation at ArtCenter, I am developing a system that automates the time-consuming tasks of hosting events.

Year

Spring 2025

Spring 2025

Role

UX Research, Product Design

UX Research, Product Design

Duration

14 Weeks

14 Weeks

Journey of exploration

Our Goal In project

We aim to bridge the gap for Los Angeles-area nonprofits by developing an Art Alliance Platform for the Mary Pickford Foundation that directly addresses their challenges.

Quote From Interview

" How do we get people to to know who we are, to know what we do. How do we reach them? "

" We (staffs) usually don't have the time or the the resources to do everything maybe at the best way possible in the most optimal way. "

" How do we get people on Internet for example to donate to us cause you know what would be the best way to do that that's been a little bit of a challenge "

" But we don't talk to each other (Non-Profits) often, right? We're just there. We don't collaborate often or at all. "

" Students don't pay anything. We provide all the materials to them. Important thing is trying to get funding for those materials and things like that. "

" How do we get people on Internet for example to donate to us cause you know what would be the best way to do that that's been a little bit of a challenge "

Insight

Constrained by limited funding and staffing, these organizations struggle to reach new donors and build structured community partnerships.

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Opportunity

How might we help non-profits collaborate more easily and effectively to share resources and ideas within their local ecosystem?

Goal

My role in this project is to design an AI-driven system that streamlines proposal generation, strengthens alliances among non-profits, and facilitates efficient resource mobilization and data tracking.

Solution

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Feature 1

Leveraging AI to analyze organization goals and resources, and provide personalized activity matches designed to maximize your impact.

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Feature 2

Intuitive activity insights and automate workflows, including resource searching and automated progress updates.

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Feature 3

System periodically generates new event proposals, matching them with suitable non-profits for review and potential engagement.

After Thoughts

These past 14 weeks have been a truly unique experience. We were no longer just students designing within the vacuum of our imaginations. Through this sponsored project, we analyzed interview data to uncover core challenges and propose solutions, all while carefully weighing their feasibility and real-world practicality.

It was also my first time gaining a true understanding of the operational hardships non-profits face a reality that stood in stark contrast to my initial expectations. This realization pushed me to dive into how these organizations function, ultimately fostering a stronger sense of empathy and a more holistic approach to our design thinking.

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