CORSO Collective for Cieran Studio
Client Case at Berghs
Date:
Oct, 2024
Client:
Cieran
Duration:
2 weeks
Problem
CORSO (Ciaran) is an upcoming streetwear clothing brand with an edge.
They approached us with a request to build a community where product innovation, craftsmanship, comfort, and essential uniqueness are central to the consumer experience, all while emphasizing transparent product development.
My main insight
The actual job to be done wasn’t just to set up a community and expect people to join. It was about redefining what a community could be by stepping away from the traditional, square approach. To innovate what a community could be and changing the way how people look at a community connected to a brand.
We needed to create a space where people feel genuinely heard, seen, and connected, where they find meaning and purpose, not just engagement.
Picthdeck:
Tools:
Used during the project
My role:
Digital strategist & UX/UI Designer
Led prototyping in Figma
Team:
2 people
Problem:
CORSO (Ciaran) is an upcoming streetwear clothing brand with an edge.
They approached us with a request to build a community where product innovation, craftsmanship, comfort, and essential uniqueness are central to the consumer experience, all while emphasizing transparent product development.
Solution:
Designed a unique community model with three levels: Core, Ambassador, and Creator, each offering different levels of engagement and benefits.
Added a Latest News feature to provide transparency, offering members clear updates on what each community tier has to offer, encouraging participation.
Integrated a Re-sell function to support sustainability, allowing users to resell their CORSO items, promoting circularity within the community.
Problem
CORSO (Ciaran) is an upcoming streetwear clothing brand with an edge.
They approached us with a request to build a community where product innovation, craftsmanship, comfort, and essential uniqueness are central to the consumer experience, all while emphasizing transparent product development.
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Key Methodologies
We used the Double Diamond Method.
The methodologies we focused most on were:
- User Research:
We gathered deep insights by creating a VPC (Value proposition canvas) and a BMC (Business model canvas. (See images from process)
- Competitor Analysis:
Analyzed community structures within similar brands to identify common approaches and potential areas for innovation.
- Concept Prototyping:
Developed a prototype to demonstrate how the solution could be seamlessly integrated into their website in a fresh and appealing way.
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Why is this important?
This was a very interesting task to solve because I feel that this is a task that will become even more relevant over time. I think community matters because it’s all about human connection—feeling seen, heard, and part of something bigger. As the world becomes more digital and driven by AI and automation, I believe the need for human connection will only grow. And for brands to thrive and remain relevant over time, building authentic communities will be key. Because as long as you sell to a human, you’ve got to focus on what makes us human in order to create a real relationship.
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Solution
Our solution involved creating CORSO Collective, a three-tiered community model designed to offer value at every level:
1. CORSO Core:
A free, entry-level experience for members to stay updated on the latest product innovations and participate in community conversations.
2. CORSO Ambassadors:
An application-based membership providing early access to products and insights into product development, along with the chance to co-create through feedback sessions.
3. CORSO Creator:
A premium tier where selected members collaborate directly with CORSO to design a limited annual drop, promoting individual expression while influencing the brand’s product direction.
- To further enhance transparency and engagement, we designed the Latest News feature to give members clear updates on what the models actually have to offer. We felt that this was really important to support the models and to make people feel intrigued to join, as it gives them insight into all the great things they can be part of when they join CORSO’s community.
- Additionally, sustainability was integrated through a Re-Sell function, allowing members to buy and sell secondhand items, promoting a circular economy within the community and enhancing product longevity.
4
Key Challange
Shifting the Community Model from Passive to Active Engagement
Traditional communities often result in passive memberships with limited value beyond basic updates. Our challenge was to design each level to actively engage members by making them feel central to CORSO’s mission and product evolution, breaking away from standard community models.
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Result
Me and my colleague pitched our project, CORSO Collective, to the founders of Cieran and received amazing feedback. Of all the projects presented to them, we were chosen to pitch again in a private session, as they were particularly intrigued by our concept. During this follow-up meeting, we had the opportunity to discuss our project, share deeper insights, and exchange ideas with the founders.
The feedback highlighted our innovative approach to redefining what a community could be. The founders were especially impressed by:
1. How we created a structure that allows the brand’s customers to co-create and help shape the brand itself.
2. Our Re-sell functionality, demonstrating a strong sustainability focus.
3. The Latest News feature, which provides transparency and highlights the tangible benefits of the community models.
We received the highest grade for this project.
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