Joe Schram

Building Strong Communities, Pt. 1

Conversations with friends who are leading companies or working product-side often drift toward the topic of attracting business and generating revenue. We share stories, swap tips, and commiserate on what we’ve learned about making a good fit between the product and the people we’re hoping to serve. Whenever

projects

Northwestern Mutual + B&EA

Improved Client Experience for a High Performing Financial Advisory Team With a fresh research-based value proposition, improved digital deliverables, and a new client experience perspective, this high-performing financial advisory team is now delivering a differentiated service experience to existing and prospective clients. The Client Being part of Northwestern Mutual helps

writing

Hiring A Designer Pro Bono

People ask me all the time how to approach designers (or other knowledge workers) for pro bono work. The first thing I always say is to remember that pro bono doesn't mean free, it means for the public good. You're asking for a contribution of time and energy to improve

writing

Freakout @ Hopescotch

On September 9th, 2016, I gave a talk at Hopscotch Design festival in Raleigh on the topic of Designing for Hope and Action; here are selected images from that talk annotated for anyone who wants to take a deeper dive. Friends everywhere. This grilled cheese sandwich sold for $28,000.

2016

Yum! Brands & KFC Global Development

A Compelling Prospect Experience for an Iconic Global Brand With a new research-based value proposition, improved sales collateral, and the blueprint for a digital sales pipeline, this business development unit inside a Fortune 300 company can now deliver a differentiated sales experience to franchise prospects. The Client A global powerhouse

writing

You Can Automate! An Introduction to Zapier and IFTTT

If you're like most people, you find yourself doing the same things day after day. Here are some things that I used to do on a regular basis: Turn down the thermostat when I leave my house Check Facebook and save any new photos in which I'm tagged Get status

writing

Intro to Personal Automation: Stop Wasting Time with Paper Forms

I'm confident that you're wasting time in your daily technology interactions. Between manually adding things to your calendar, sending status updates ("Leaving now, home in 15 min"), checking to see if that client paid your invoice yet... ...you might be spending an extra hour per day on things

writing

Always Choose the Right Business Software Using These Five Criteria

Take a look in your toolbox. I don’t mean hammers and screwdrivers. I mean your digital tools — those apps and programs that help your day-to-day business process. Do they work really well or are they a bit rusty? Even the most beloved tools (email) get worn out or become

writing

A View of The New Frontier

Sometimes, in the face of a challenge, we end up in the right place, at the right time, with the exact things we need to succeed. It can come down to luck, or preparedness, or sheer stubbornness and determination. But more than anything, our chances of landing in this perfect

projects

WomanCare Global

Field Data Capture & Reporting Platform for a Global Health Nonprofit With a new digital field data collection and reporting platform that requires no Internet connectivity in remote parts of Kenya and South Africa, this global women's health nonprofit was able to cut their time-to-decision by as much as 85%