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2025

Juno AI

For my graduate capstone, I decided to refine the way we support local businesses to thrive in my neighborhood - Howard County, Maryland.

Role

UX designer

Visual designer

Duration

6 months

Demo

Neighborly Demo

PROBLEM

Howard County in Maryland is home to vibrant small businesses, schools, and nonprofits. But I noticed residents struggle to discover them beyond word of mouth or google search.

SOLUTION

Neighborly is a community-driven platform designed to connect neighbors through resource sharing, local support, and stronger social ties.

DESIGN PROCESS

INITIAL
VISION
PLAN
FINAL
DELIVERY

SETTING THE STAGE:

MY ASSUMPTIONS

Maybe ...

Residents find it difficult to discover nearby small businesses, events, or local initiatives.

Residents find it difficult to discover nearby small businesses, events, or local initiatives.

Maybe ...

Business owners struggle to promote themselves online due to budget or technical limitations.

Business owners struggle to promote themselves online due to budget or technical limitations.

Maybe ...

Local schools and nonprofit organizations also lack easy access to business sponsors for their community events.

Local schools and nonprofit organizations also lack easy access to business sponsors for their community events.

Maybe ...

Existing platforms like Yelp or Google Maps (Meetup and Evenbrite, ) do not meaningfully connect local businesses with community organizations or residents.

Existing platforms like Yelp or Google Maps (Meetup and Evenbrite, ) do not meaningfully connect local businesses with community organizations or residents.

RESEARCH

Networking Events: Met with small business owners at Howard County Chamber of Commerce events to learn firsthand about their challenges and needs.

Survey (~30 owners): Conducted a survey with local business owners to validate pain points and gather broader input.

Focus Group (Residents): Hosted an online focus group with local residents to understand how they discover and engage with small businesses.

Expert Interview: Spoke with the Howard High School orchestra director to gain perspective on organizing student concerts and the fundraising difficulties faced by community groups.

I just start my business 2 months ago, and the budget for online ads is $1500 per month already. Now I try to go to local events as much as possible for better visibility and possible collaborations.

Julia M., Owner of Adaptive Chiropractic

I just start my business 2 months ago, and the budget for online ads is $1500 per month already. Now I try to go to local events as much as possible for better visibility and possible collaborations.

Julia M., Owner of Adaptive Chiropractic

I just start my business 2 months ago, and the budget for online ads is $1500 per month already. Now I try to go to local events as much as possible for better visibility and possible collaborations.

Julia M., Owner of Adaptive Chiropractic

If a friend recommends a place, I’ll check it out—but otherwise I don’t really see small businesses unless I drive by them.

Liam T., Local resident

If a friend recommends a place, I’ll check it out—but otherwise I don’t really see small businesses unless I drive by them.

Liam T., Local resident

If a friend recommends a place, I’ll check it out—but otherwise I don’t really see small businesses unless I drive by them.

Liam T., Local resident

We’re always looking for sponsors for our events, and most of our current sponsors are from our parents’ network.

Toby M. Orchestra Director at Howard High School

We’re always looking for sponsors for our events, and most of our current sponsors are from our parents’ network.

Toby M. Orchestra Director at Howard High School

We’re always looking for sponsors for our events, and most of our current sponsors are from our parents’ network.

Toby M. Orchestra Director at Howard High School

PAIN POINTS

Promotion is exhausting

Small husinesses and organizations alike are stretched thin trying to reach local audiences.

Discovery is broken

Residents lacka centralized, reliable source to find local business or community events.

The connection gap

Local businesses and community organizations miss natural opportunities to support and benefit from each other.

Community isn't visible

There’s no digital space that reflects the offline ecosystem of connections in Howard County.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Full analysis

Key Insights

  1. Visibility often requires membership fees or ads, limiting small businesses.


  2. Local platforms lack modern self-service dashboards.


  3. Review-driven platforms like Yelp can bias customer discovery.


  4. Google dominates for search visibility but businesses have limited control over presentation.

Key Insights

->

->

->

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Design Opportunities

  1. A free, local hub without heavy paywalls.


  2. A self-managed dashboard for small businesses to update info easily.


  3. A fair ranking system that highlights relevance and local support, not just reviews.


  4. Community-focused features that foster connections between residents and small businesses.

MISSION STATEMENT

Create a free, inclusive, and web-based experience that helps residents discover local businesses and events, empowers business owners to manage their visibility, and enables organizations to connect with potential sponsors.

REFLECTION

Visibility isn’t just marketing - it’s access: what started as a discovery problem became much deeper: visibility is about inclusion.

Community-centered design is non-linear. Designing for a shared space required thinking beyond individual user flows and toward ecosystem balance.

Special thanks to Dr. Tim Gorichanaz for his guidance and unwavering support throughout this journey. This work would not have been possible without his mentorship.