BiggerAfrica : Brand Strategy & User Experience Design

Bigger Africa is a social and educational network that drives a better informed and more competitive workforce, as well as foreign and domestic investment on the continent of Africa. The result is powerful connections that provide growth opportunities for individuals, businesses, and Africa as whole.

Bigger Africa had assumed a daunting challenge: to link individuals and organizations to emerging opportunities across Africa, via the continent's first entrepreneurial-driven social network. Bigger Africa needed a clear positioning strategy, a compelling identity, and a truly differentiated approach to building and growing the premiere social network, tailored specifically to the needs of African individuals and businesses.

In keeping with our proprietary BrandSpring® process, Kristian Andersen + Associates began by spending time listening to BiggerAfrica's founders to come to grips with their ambitious vision. The team conducted stakeholder interviews, performed competitive research, and explored complementary models in other industries. Once Kristian Andersen + Associates had a clear understanding of the project's mandates, the team developed the brand name, corporate identity, and associated brand expressions. Once the brand work was completed our focus shifted to defining the user experience of the social network itself. In tandem with BiggerAfrica's software development partner, Kristian Andersen + Associated shaped requirements documentation, process flows, wireframes, visual prototypes, and interactive use cases. This work culminated in the design, development and launch of the BiggerAfrica social network.

BiggerAfrica officially launched in late spring of 2009 and has been passionately embraced by individuals, businesses, and non-profits in Africa. Early signs are overwhelmingly positive as membership continues to grow exponentially. Phase two of the product launch initiative is planned to commence in the fall of 2009, and includes some of the most innovative applications of the power of social networking yet seen.