Hey everyone!
Welcome back to our series, which spotlights the talented product designers who shape your Fandom experience. We're excited to continue pulling back the curtain and introduce (or perhaps reintroduce) you to another group of creative minds behind the scenes.
These designers, working in tandem with your feedback and their team's ingenuity, are a driving force behind Fandom's ongoing evolution. Their passion lies in understanding your needs, incorporating your valuable input, and transforming ideas into features that make Fandom more intuitive, engaging, and enjoyable for editors and fans.
Meet Fandom's Senior Product Designer, Ivy!
In this next installment, we'll dive deeper into another of the worlds of the five remarkable designers. Get to know them, discover the philosophies that guide their work, and learn about the projects that ignite their passion. We'll also explore their perspectives on accessibility, collaboration, and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead for Fandom. Their personal stories are sure to inspire and build a connection between you and the people shaping your Fandom journey.
Prepare to be motivated by their journeys, gain valuable insights into the design process, and learn how to provide even more impactful feedback. Get to know Fandom's Senior Product Designer, Ivy Pulchan! Read on as she discusses her thoughts on design at Fandom, input and collaboration, accessibility, and looking ahead.
Meet Ivy[]
Tell us a bit about yourself! What sparked your interest in product design, and how did you find your way to Fandom?
Ivy: I’m a Senior Product Designer at Fandom and I’ve been at Fandom for 6 years. I work on the Community Platform, specifically on the UGC and Engagement team, focusing on creating tools for admins, editors, mods, and staff. Over the years, I've contributed to several key initiatives and features that editors use daily, including the Fandom redesign, social features, moderation tools for both the wiki and Discussions, mobile theming, Theme Designer enhancements, Interactive Maps, Quick Answers Dashboard, and the overall visual and source improvements, to name a few 🤭.
My favorite fandoms are Doctor Who (huge fan), ⚡Harry Potter, The Vampire Diaries, Arrowverse and Marvel. I’ve always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mysteries, and period dramas—these are my favorite genres—but I also enjoy action and adventure.
I’ve been in the design field for many years, with the last 8 focused on product design. I studied communication design and advertising in uni. I initially started my career in graphic design, then moved into sales and marketing design, before transitioning into visual design and eventually product design. Over time, I found myself drawn to product design because of the unique challenge it presents—balancing aesthetics, functionality, and user needs. I love problem-solving and creating new, intuitive, engaging experiences for people.
As someone who has always enjoyed entertainment and pop culture—whether it's TV shows, movies, music, or video games—Fandom felt like the perfect fit. Before joining, I worked at a digital music video platform, but I had always been a fan of the various wikis on Fandom. When I saw that Fandom was hiring for a Product Designer in 2018, I jumped at the opportunity, and I've been passionate about creating and contributing to the wikis ever since.
How long have you been designing, and what experiences have shaped your approach to creating tools specifically for editors?
Ivy: My passion started with art at a young age. I was fascinated with impressionism, modern art, and the street art in my neighborhood. Later, my high school art teacher introduced me to graphic design and Adobe programs, sparking a new interest that led me to study communication design in uni. There, I sharpened my skills and explored the intersection of creativity and technology. Over time, I developed a deeper interest in people, research, psychology, and problem-solving, which naturally I expanded my expertise into product design, including UX design, interaction design, information architecture, accessibility, and content writing.
My experiences at Fandom have been particularly influential in shaping my approach to designing tools for editors. Initially, I worked on Community Builder and small wiki-based features, which gave me insights into the needs of editors and the challenges they face. Designing trivia quizzes, where I designed both the creation and consumption aspects, was especially eye-opening, as it highlighted the importance of creating intuitive, user-friendly tools that streamline the editing process and enhance user engagement.
I like to pull inspiration from a variety of sites and features that offer creator, admin, or moderation tools. By observing how other sites design similar features, I try to identify what they're doing well and incorporate them into my own designs. These experiences have reinforced my passion for creating tools that not only address the practical needs of editors but also deliver an engaging and efficient experience.
Design at Fandom[]
What are the biggest challenges and rewards of designing features for the diverse community of editors on Fandom?
Ivy: Designing features for a diverse community of editors on Fandom comes with its own set of challenges and rewards that keep me engaged and motivated.
One of the biggest challenges is designing for a wide range of editors with different needs and preferences. This requires careful consideration to ensure the features we create are effective for everyone. Balancing functionality is another challenge; creating tools that are both powerful and user-friendly while accommodating editors with varying levels of expertise—from newcomers to power users. Also, managing and prioritizing feedback from editors as well as cross-functional teams like product, design, engineering, and leadership can be complex. It involves figuring out how to prioritize and address conflicting feedback in order to make an informed design decision.
On the flip side, the rewards are what really make it worthwhile. Knowing you liked a feature or tool I’ve designed is incredibly fulfilling. Hearing that editors appreciate and find value in what I helped create is truly gratifying. I also enjoy connecting with new editors and hearing their feedback. And even though I’m more on the quiet and introverted side at times, building these relationships and seeing firsthand how our tools support and empower the community adds a personal touch to my work.
Can you share a specific example of a project you're particularly proud of? How did it impact editors' experiences on the platform?
Ivy: One project I’m particularly proud of is the wiki redesign that took place in 2020 and 2021, which overhauled both desktop and mobile experiences. As the lead designer for the UCP and UCX initiatives, I led a comprehensive update that touched every part of the wiki. It was my first time leading such a massive initiative, and while it was certainly daunting, it was also incredibly rewarding. This experience provided invaluable insights into our platform and helped me understand how to effectively balance user needs with business goals and lots of feedback.
As the lead designer, I collaborated with many stakeholders and was responsible for designing key elements of the site, including global navigation, page structure, page layout, fluid content width, page-level navigation, and more. Many of these changes were informed by years of feedback from casual users, admin, and editors. This project not only expanded my knowledge of our wikis but also deepened my understanding of editor tools and features, fueling my passion for focusing on these areas in future projects.
The redesign had a significant impact on editors, making tools and features more accessible and creating a more intuitive site structure. It also allowed editors to create responsive, modern-looking content that adapted seamlessly across devices. Additionally, it paved the way for teams like UGC to revamp tools like Theme Designer and establish a strong foundation for future improvements.
Fandom wikis cover a wide range of topics. How do you ensure your design choices are adaptable and relevant to such a wide range of interests?
Ivy: To ensure that my design choices are adaptable and relevant across the wide range of topics covered by Fandom wikis, I start by researching new or existing features. I collect feedback from users, editors, and community partners to gain diverse perspectives. Once I have a clear understanding of the requirements, I ask as many questions as possible to help me identify any missing gaps.
A key aspect of my design process is focusing on scalability and adaptability. I like to think several versions ahead, considering the long-term vision for a feature or product. This forward-thinking approach helps me ensure that the design not only meets current needs but is also flexible enough to evolve over time. Then dial it back to create an MVP that will serve as a strong foundation for future iterations.
Understanding the target audience and use cases is the key here—knowing how a feature will be used across different verticals like gaming, TV shows, or anime helps me create a design that’s flexible enough to be relevant to all these interests. By keeping the broader application in mind, I can ensure that the designs are adaptable to cover a wide range of topics.
Feedback and Collaboration[]
How do you gather feedback from editors? What are some effective ways for them to provide input that directly influences your design decisions?
Ivy: When gathering feedback from editors, I use various methods to ensure that their input directly influences my design decisions. Depending on the feature and timeline, I collect insights from user research and collaborate closely with my Community Product Support partners. Our Community Managers, who have strong relationships with our editors, provide valuable insights and feedback. Additionally, I seek input from editors in Discord channels, such as product feedback, stars-feedback-forum, or other feature-specific channels. I also try to engage directly with editors for specific features like Discussions Post History or the Quick Answers Dashboard.
In the future, I would like to post screenshots of my mockups and request direct feedback. This approach will allow editors to view design early on, offer specific suggestions, ensuring that their voices are heard and that the feature meets their needs.
What qualities do you value most in feedback? What makes certain suggestions more actionable and impactful for your design process?
Ivy: I value feedback that is clear, specific, and well-structured. When someone takes the time to explain the problem they encountered, walks through their workflow, and highlights pain points, it helps me understand the problem from their perspective. Providing relevant context, like why a particular feature is important to them or how it impacts their overall experience, makes the feedback more actionable.
Another quality I value is feedback that not only identifies problems but also offers solutions. There are times when I encounter features that I haven’t used extensively or don’t have enough context to address on my own. In these cases, working directly with editors who can provide guidance on how to resolve it makes the process much smoother.
Fandom Favorites & Accessibility[]
As a product designer, what's your favorite feature on Fandom, and why? Does it align with your own design philosophy?
Ivy: My favorite feature on Fandom is the Theme Designer. While I could easily pick Interactive Maps because I worked on it 😜, Theme Designer stands out because it's intuitive and empowers admins to create and customize their community's identity. The original Theme Designer 1.0 was dated, difficult to use, and offered limited customization options. With the 2.0 version, we introduced light and dark themes, options to customize the background image, pre-selected header fonts, built-in color contrast checks for better accessibility, and the ability to preview any page in both desktop and mobile views. This feature aligns with my design philosophy, which emphasizes usability, intuitiveness, and accessibility while being aesthetically pleasing. It's a great example of how thoughtful design can enhance user experience and make a tool more powerful and user-friendly.
How does accessibility factor into your design process? How do you ensure the editing tools are inclusive and usable by editors with diverse abilities and needs? (This explores the designers' commitment to creating a platform that welcomes everyone.)
Ivy: Accessibility is a core part of my design process, and I like to account for it from the very beginning. By following established guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), I strive to create tools that are inclusive and usable by editors with diverse needs. This includes focusing on crucial aspects such as design, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility, which I’m still learning more about.
I pay close attention to details like color contrast for text, links, buttons, and icons, ensuring they are easily readable by everyone, including those with visual impairments. Typography is another key focus, where using the appropriate text sizes and font weights to maintain clarity. I also consider the overall page structures with a strong information hierarchy, guiding users through tasks with descriptive, non-ambiguous CTAs. As well as touch target areas that are designed to be large enough for easy interaction, especially for users with motor impairments. These best practices are part of my design process.
Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. I continuously learn and improve by staying updated on best practices and learning from experts in the field. This kind of collaboration and feedback allows me to refine my designs, making them more inclusive with each iteration.
Looking Ahead[]
What exciting design projects are on the horizon for Fandom's editing tools? What can editors look forward to in the future?
Ivy: On the UGC side, we're working on some exciting new design initiatives to improve Fandom's editing tools. One of the key features is an editor task management tool, which we're experimenting with based on ideas that came out of Community Connect and old design concepts. This tool is designed to help editors manage their workload more efficiently, providing organization and guidance, particularly for new or returning editors who want to become regular contributors.
We’re also planning to introduce Structure Quotes to the Visual Editor, with the goal of making the editing process smoother and more intuitive for all editors.
Lastly, we're exploring various ideas that will further streamline workflows and make the editing experience more engaging and intuitive. Editors can look forward to tools that not only improve their efficiency but also make the process more enjoyable.
In the Engagement team, we’re adding more functionality to maps and improving the Fandom Auth flow. Our goal is to improve overall user experience and accessibility while also streamlining the registration and sign-in process for wiki-based features.
Stay tuned for an upcoming conversation with Fandom's product designers as they dive deeper into their favorite design philosophies and experiences and build stronger connections with editors to design better experiences on the Fandom platform coming to Discord on August 27, 2024!