Superbloom

Welcome

Welcome! We hope you enjoyed kick-off day and our presentation.

This page is a hub for getting started on your coaching journey with Superbloom and we are excited to be working with you!

Coaching can be a variety of things. Whether a discussion on strategy or methods, a hands-on design workshop or a usability test with current or potential users. We’ve made a list of popular themes and topics in the page below.

We are available to help you in whichever way you feel would be useful during your project. If you need a quick sense check or want to discuss an idea etc, you can book a 15 minute call with a coach at any time during your project, or email us with your query. Our coaches can be utilised in whichever way you feel would help. We are flexible and please use us as a resource. We have many coaches with much expertise! Plus we're a very friendly bunch ;-).

Below you will find more information about our coaches, how to book your session, how we can help you with your project, and more.

Dive straight in!

If you would like to book your session straight away, here is some useful info:

• Ask us a question: coaching@superbloom.design, and one of the coaching team will reply.

• Book your coaching session via our OS booking tool. Email nicola@superbloom.design and she will send you a link. Not all coaches have a booking app; if so, Nicola will put you in touch. If you're not sure who would be the best coach for you, please email Nicola.

• View all our coach profiles including further information about our coaching offering. We have over 30 coaches with a wide variety of skills!

What is Prototype Fund?

The Prototype Fund is an Open Knowledge Foundation Germany project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The Prototype Fund has supported ideas in civic tech, data literacy, data security and software infrastructure by funding projects since 2017, which gives it the necessary means to implement innovative software prototypes for the greater good.

One of the main benefits provided by the Prototype Fund is freeing people from dealing with German government bureaucracy.

Prototype Fund stipulates that all projects are based in Germany.

What is Superbloom?

Superbloom, formerly called Simply Secure, was founded in 2014 as a US 501c3 nonprofit to help build usable secure communications tools and make it possible for everyone to have access to security and privacy. It launched as Simply Secure and in October 2022 it rebranded to Superbloom.

Superbloom leverages design as a transformative practice to shift power in the tech ecosystem. It applies a holistic approach and views design as an intervention opportunity to center people and their needs. We collaborate closely with others in the space to grow the community focused on shaping our collective online future. Our vision is a world where everyone has the knowledge, network, and digital tools needed to enrich their lives.

It supports teams through individual coaching and direct support in the design of software projects, especially in the areas of design, user experience (UX), strategy and project management. Its support covers topics such as user needs analysis, interaction design, content strategy, information architecture and usability and is tailored to the individual challenges of each project. Its work is highly collaborative and constantly building design capacity; its value-based approach helps teams focus on the needs of target groups.

• It empowers practitioners to build trustworthy technology through professional education and research.

• It is an international team with expertise in research, design, software development, and product management, supported by a diverse set of advisors and partners.

https://superbloom.design/ and Coaching Collaborative.

About Prototype Fund coaching with Superbloom

Superbloom is contracted to supply design and UX coaching services to Prototype Fund, Germany and has been working with the fund since 2017.

• The Prototype Fund has two six-month cohorts or rounds:
  • March-August: kicks off at the end of February/beginning of March
  • September-February: kicks off at the end of August/beginning of September
• There are aproximately 25 projects in each six-month round and Prototype Fund provides each project with four hours of coaching.
• Each project usually books two hours' coaching at the start of the six month round and two hours at the end of the six-month round. Coaching is encouraged but not compulsory. If you would prefer four 1-hour sessions or something similar, we can work with that if it would be a better fit for the project’s needs.
• You can be coached in your preferred language, though some coaches speak English only. Please see the coach profiles for more information.
• You can book each session with a different coach depending on your needs.
• You can meet online, or if you are based in Berlin, we can organise an in person session at a mutually convenient location. Online sessions may be held in GMeet, Jitsi, Signal, Whereby, Wire or Zoom, or if you would prefer another platform, please let us know.
• We also work with the Prototype Fund on a separate basis to support some of its alumni projects around open source community work. For these projects, the Prototype Fund reaches out to us when a coaching need arises.
• We offer follow-up coaching once the six month Prototype Fund cohort has completed. You can find more information in the Superbloom CoachingCollaborative. Please email coaching@superbloom.design for fees and further details.

Superbloom coaches

• Collectively, our friendly coaches share over two centuries' experience in a large variety of sectors.
• Our coaches either work for Superbloom, or one of its Fiscally Sponsored Projects, or as a contractor with their own company, or who works in a freelance capacity.
• Our coaches are based in five continents! We have worked hard to recruit coaches to ensure we have a coach for your needs. This means that if if an evening or early morning session would work best for you and your team, we can facilitate that.
• We are training new coaches and your coach may be accompanied by a colleague who is listening and learning.  If you would rather have a private coaching session, no problem! Please email coaching@superbloom.design.
• You can find more information about each including a bio, social media links, interests and languages spoken by clicking on their profile here.

Topics and themes

We can help match you to the coach who would best serve your project needs. Here are some of the ways we can help you to realise the potential of your project:

• Structuring your approach to design decisions
• Sign-up and onboarding
• Thinking aloud while you watch first use (screen share or in-person)
• Thinking aloud while undertaking specific tasks you're developing

• Task flows
• Looking at information architecture (what are the menus, what are the items in the menus) and identify opportunities for simplification
• Navigation, menus and overall organization. Setting and control panels are a common place where confusion piles up, is there anything to do there?
• Make sense of your tool
• Helping to communicate what your tool does
• Looking at naming and descriptions in the app store or website and identifying ways to clarify the explanation
• Looking at the setting and control panels and working our how much customization you need
• Competitive benchmarking from similar or analogous products. Would users expect a certain kind of interaction? Who handles this effectively?
• Discuss ways to gather additional feedback, e.g. setting up a customer advisory board or undertaking user research sessions, strategies for recruiting, ways of gathering feedback to prioritise features not yet built
• UI suggestions (increasing white space, adding visual elements, etc)

If you’re stuck, we can help unstick you! 

Superbloom also hosts four Open AMA sessions during the course of each round, each with a set topic. These calls are for the entire cohort and are an opportunity to meet those from fellow cohorts and some of our coaches:

• First call - User Testing
• Second call - Branding
• Third call - Fundraising and Sustainability
• Fourth call - Community Building

Booking your session

You can book your coaching session via our OS booking tool book.undersco.re and Nicola will supply you with their link. However; not all coaches have a book.undersco.re link and these sessions will be scheduled via email either by Nicola or direct with the coach. At the beginning of the round, Marie emails each project with an introduction to Superbloom/Nicola. Nicola will help 'matchmake' you to your coach! Once you have booked, you will receive an email confirmation and the appointment details will be added to your calendar.

As part of the booking process Nicola undertakes the following tasks:

• Answers queries from, and liaises with the projects and coaches team
• Coordinates all aspects of bookings in cal.com or via email
• Keeps the project coaching tracker up-to-date
• Adds calendar entries and meeting links for each booking
• Liaises with the Prototype Fund team

Preparing for your session

Prepare for your session:

• Write down what you would like to know, and where you would like to be in your project by the end of the session, and share this information with your coach at the start of the session or beforehand via email
• If you wish, you can send us information to review before your session (see calendar invite for email address(es) or dive straight in!
• Coaches type all their notes directly into a Notion Page which they can share with you afterwards
• Check you’ve received a calendar invite with booking link
• Find a quiet place with no distractions
• Enter the call five minutes early to cover off any potential tech glitches

Please bring the following to your session:

• A list of questions and goals, challenges or blocks
• A physical notebook and pen
• A computer
• As many team members as you wish
• Any demos, mock-ups, or sketches you may have

Superbloom Coaching program team

Our coaching program team comprises Georgia Bullen, Molly Wilson, Victory Brown and Nicola Pratt.

The Superbloom coaching team: coaching@superbloom.design is always on hand to answer any of your questions and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please feel free to email us.

We welcome your feedback!  If you have any comments or suggestions about how we could improve any aspect of our coaching process, please email us.

We wish you all the best with your project and look forward to hearing from you soon!

What next?

• Pick your coach depending on your location, language, questions and goals.
• Prepare for your session by making a list of things you’d like to discuss, and if you wish, send information to your coach prior to your session.
• Book your session by emailing: nicola@superbloom.design.
• Also, check out the design coaching page on our website.