Quick Links
We worked with the CEO and development team of Realm for 12 months to design, build, and test the community component of their generative AI app. Realm is a social platform for creators to design visual works of art using AI — allowing creators to discover one another, remix work that inspires them, and embed themselves and their friends into their art.
Our role was to turn the team’s technical vision into a real, growing community: coaching leadership on strategy, testing the product with actual users, and running live experiences that put Realm in front of the people it was built for.
what we did
- Hosted curated beta user sessions and customer interviews to identify the ideal community and product direction
Oversaw the design team’s rebranding campaign to clarify the product’s messaging and storytelling
- Provided ongoing executive coaching to the founder and leadership team
Produced a Generative AI Improv Show blending AI and the Realm platform into a live performance
Curated the first-ever in-person AI art exhibit at the 2023 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
Ran in-person outreach for thousands at conferences, gatherings, and Penn State classes
how we did it
Coaching the strategy, iterating the product
Throughout the engagement, we met regularly with the CEO and leadership team for coaching calls to review our community growth strategy. The app went through multiple iterations to refine the way users could create and connect, with our strategic input shaping each round.
Listening first: beta sessions and a rebrand
Early on, we hosted a series of curated beta user sessions to gather feedback from different potential user groups. These customer interview sessions helped identify a clear direction for the app and the ideal community we wanted to support. From there, we oversaw the design team to launch a rebranding campaign that clarified the product’s messaging and storytelling.
Testing the app in the real world
Rather than keep growth virtual, we ran a series of live outreach initiatives to put Realm in front of real user groups:
A Generative AI Improv Show that wove AI technology and the Realm platform into a live performance with improvisers
The first-ever in-person AI art exhibit — the Art & Algorithm Interactive AI Gallery — curated during the 2023 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, one of the largest arts festivals in the country, featuring generative AI work from around the world and more than a dozen AI artists
In-person outreach sessions for thousands of individuals at conferences, gatherings, and various Penn State classes
Beta-testing the app at a curated improv show that integrated the app
Organizing the first AI art exhibit at one of the large arts festivals in the country
