Case study
A next step for founders: a Techstars website concept
A next step for founders: a Techstars website concept
A next step for founders: a Techstars website concept
A next step for founders: a Techstars website concept
Concept For
Concept For
Techstars
Techstars
Industry
Industry
Startup Accelerator
Startup Accelerator
Scope
Scope
Website & Brand
Website & Brand
About project
What a founder could learn about Techstars before applying
Techstars invests in startups through its accelerators. We began by reading its brand guide, going through the existing website and looking at how Techstars presented itself on LinkedIn and Instagram. Our research brought together the team, its investment philosophy, its tone of voice and the companies in its portfolio.
What stood out to us was how much a founder could learn about Techstars from the people it had backed, and how little of that came through on the landing page we reviewed. We wanted to show what that page could communicate using the identity Techstars already had. We mapped the wider site to understand where visitors needed to go, then designed the landing page in Figma.
About project
What a founder could learn about Techstars before applying
Techstars invests in startups through its accelerators. We began by reading its brand guide, going through the existing website and looking at how Techstars presented itself on LinkedIn and Instagram. Our research brought together the team, its investment philosophy, its tone of voice and the companies in its portfolio.
What stood out to us was how much a founder could learn about Techstars from the people it had backed, and how little of that came through on the landing page we reviewed. We wanted to show what that page could communicate using the identity Techstars already had. We mapped the wider site to understand where visitors needed to go, then designed the landing page in Figma.
About project
What a founder could learn about Techstars before applying
Techstars invests in startups through its accelerators. We began by reading its brand guide, going through the existing website and looking at how Techstars presented itself on LinkedIn and Instagram. Our research brought together the team, its investment philosophy, its tone of voice and the companies in its portfolio.
What stood out to us was how much a founder could learn about Techstars from the people it had backed, and how little of that came through on the landing page we reviewed. We wanted to show what that page could communicate using the identity Techstars already had. We mapped the wider site to understand where visitors needed to go, then designed the landing page in Figma.
Challenge
Making an established network easier to understand and trust
A founder considering an accelerator is deciding whom to trust with their company. In our review, we saw room to make the people and opportunities behind Techstars more visible. Photography mattered for that reason. The founder-story section, for example, only works if a visitor can connect a real person to a company Techstars backed.
We also had to learn how the programs fit together. A cohort is a group of companies going through a program together. A vertical is the industry a program focuses on. Those distinctions matter when a founder is trying to find a fit. Our audience map added another constraint. The same site serves investors looking for companies, mentors who want to participate, and partners, journalists and alumni with questions of their own.
Challenge
Making an established network easier to understand and trust
A founder considering an accelerator is deciding whom to trust with their company. In our review, we saw room to make the people and opportunities behind Techstars more visible. Photography mattered for that reason. The founder-story section, for example, only works if a visitor can connect a real person to a company Techstars backed.
We also had to learn how the programs fit together. A cohort is a group of companies going through a program together. A vertical is the industry a program focuses on. Those distinctions matter when a founder is trying to find a fit. Our audience map added another constraint. The same site serves investors looking for companies, mentors who want to participate, and partners, journalists and alumni with questions of their own.
Challenge
Making an established network easier to understand and trust
A founder considering an accelerator is deciding whom to trust with their company. In our review, we saw room to make the people and opportunities behind Techstars more visible. Photography mattered for that reason. The founder-story section, for example, only works if a visitor can connect a real person to a company Techstars backed.
We also had to learn how the programs fit together. A cohort is a group of companies going through a program together. A vertical is the industry a program focuses on. Those distinctions matter when a founder is trying to find a fit. Our audience map added another constraint. The same site serves investors looking for companies, mentors who want to participate, and partners, journalists and alumni with questions of their own.
Competitor analysis
Comparing how six accelerators introduce their programs
We put the full homepages of Y Combinator, 500 Global, Antler, Plug and Play, Alchemist Accelerator and ERA side by side. Keeping each page in full let us compare where a visitor first encounters a program and what they see before or after it. The references included founder stories, company portfolios, events and ways to explore programs by location or sector.
The comparison put two different kinds of information in view. Program listings tell founders where they can take part. Portfolios show who has already been through the network. In the Techstars design, a specific program appears in the opening. Company logos follow the explanation of investment and mentorship.
Competitor analysis
Comparing how six accelerators introduce their programs
We put the full homepages of Y Combinator, 500 Global, Antler, Plug and Play, Alchemist Accelerator and ERA side by side. Keeping each page in full let us compare where a visitor first encounters a program and what they see before or after it. The references included founder stories, company portfolios, events and ways to explore programs by location or sector.
The comparison put two different kinds of information in view. Program listings tell founders where they can take part. Portfolios show who has already been through the network. In the Techstars design, a specific program appears in the opening. Company logos follow the explanation of investment and mentorship.
Competitor analysis
Comparing how six accelerators introduce their programs
We put the full homepages of Y Combinator, 500 Global, Antler, Plug and Play, Alchemist Accelerator and ERA side by side. Keeping each page in full let us compare where a visitor first encounters a program and what they see before or after it. The references included founder stories, company portfolios, events and ways to explore programs by location or sector.
The comparison put two different kinds of information in view. Program listings tell founders where they can take part. Portfolios show who has already been through the network. In the Techstars design, a specific program appears in the opening. Company logos follow the explanation of investment and mentorship.
Rebuilding the sitemap
Organizing the site around people and the programs they need
When we went through the existing site page by page, we found it hard to navigate between related subjects. We rebuilt the sitemap to group those pages and bring the most important destinations into the main navigation. On the board, Startups, Investors and Partners each had a group. Locations and Verticals gave us a second way to organize it. A founder might start with a sector they know well or a city they can attend in person, even if they don’t yet know a program by name.
In the proposed header, Programs sits alongside Network and Portfolio, with Locations and Verticals directly accessible. Opening Programs reveals separate cards for Startups and Investors. One describes finding an accelerator and accessing capital. The other explains how to explore the portfolio and connect with founders. Both audiences can start in the same menu and see which route is meant for them.
Some distinctions work better further down the page. In the footer, finding a mentor and becoming a mentor are separate links. The wording does the work there, without adding another decision to the main menu.
Rebuilding the sitemap
Organizing the site around people and the programs they need
When we went through the existing site page by page, we found it hard to navigate between related subjects. We rebuilt the sitemap to group those pages and bring the most important destinations into the main navigation. On the board, Startups, Investors and Partners each had a group. Locations and Verticals gave us a second way to organize it. A founder might start with a sector they know well or a city they can attend in person, even if they don’t yet know a program by name.
In the proposed header, Programs sits alongside Network and Portfolio, with Locations and Verticals directly accessible. Opening Programs reveals separate cards for Startups and Investors. One describes finding an accelerator and accessing capital. The other explains how to explore the portfolio and connect with founders. Both audiences can start in the same menu and see which route is meant for them.
Some distinctions work better further down the page. In the footer, finding a mentor and becoming a mentor are separate links. The wording does the work there, without adding another decision to the main menu.
Rebuilding the sitemap
Organizing the site around people and the programs they need
When we went through the existing site page by page, we found it hard to navigate between related subjects. We rebuilt the sitemap to group those pages and bring the most important destinations into the main navigation. On the board, Startups, Investors and Partners each had a group. Locations and Verticals gave us a second way to organize it. A founder might start with a sector they know well or a city they can attend in person, even if they don’t yet know a program by name.
In the proposed header, Programs sits alongside Network and Portfolio, with Locations and Verticals directly accessible. Opening Programs reveals separate cards for Startups and Investors. One describes finding an accelerator and accessing capital. The other explains how to explore the portfolio and connect with founders. Both audiences can start in the same menu and see which route is meant for them.
Some distinctions work better further down the page. In the footer, finding a mentor and becoming a mentor are separate links. The wording does the work there, without adding another decision to the main menu.
Moodboarding
Finding a quieter direction that still felt like Techstars
The brand research gave us a starting point for the moodboard. We wanted a founder to be able to judge the offer and the people behind it at a glance. We gathered website references alongside Demo Day posters, diagrams and the existing Techstars palette. A poster could give a single line room to stand out. A website also had to make small details, like a program location, easy to pick out.
The direction we took into the landing page was restrained. Photographs had room to carry a section, with large type for the main message and green reserved for selected details. In the project review, the team pointed to the quieter sections as part of what made the important ones easier to scan.
Moodboarding
Finding a quieter direction that still felt like Techstars
The brand research gave us a starting point for the moodboard. We wanted a founder to be able to judge the offer and the people behind it at a glance. We gathered website references alongside Demo Day posters, diagrams and the existing Techstars palette. A poster could give a single line room to stand out. A website also had to make small details, like a program location, easy to pick out.
The direction we took into the landing page was restrained. Photographs had room to carry a section, with large type for the main message and green reserved for selected details. In the project review, the team pointed to the quieter sections as part of what made the important ones easier to scan.
Moodboarding
Finding a quieter direction that still felt like Techstars
The brand research gave us a starting point for the moodboard. We wanted a founder to be able to judge the offer and the people behind it at a glance. We gathered website references alongside Demo Day posters, diagrams and the existing Techstars palette. A poster could give a single line room to stand out. A website also had to make small details, like a program location, easy to pick out.
The direction we took into the landing page was restrained. Photographs had room to carry a section, with large type for the main message and green reserved for selected details. In the project review, the team pointed to the quieter sections as part of what made the important ones easier to scan.
Website identity
Building a visual language from the line in the wordmark
Techstars’ wordmark ends in a green bar inspired by the command line on early computer terminals. We kept the mark and gave its most recognizable detail a role throughout the website. The bar returns at the ends of headings, marking a new subject even as the background changes from a dark photograph to a white page.
The expanded Programs menu uses a translucent panel over the hero photograph. Its cards stay distinct while the city remains visible behind them. Green tells the reader where to look within a section. It picks out Apply Now in the header and marks the first stage of the application sequence. Further down, the Founder Catalyst card shows how a program can take focus. Its photograph appears in colour with a green arrow, beside two program cards in grayscale. The same identity can carry a large opening statement and distinguish one option in a row of three.
After designing the landing page, we brought the direction together in a stylescape. It pairs the palette and typography with website treatments, then shows how those choices could extend to social posts, presentations and physical applications. An ID needs the name to read in a small space. A billboard has room for a large message and photograph. The mockups let us explore both within the same identity.
Website identity
Building a visual language from the line in the wordmark
Techstars’ wordmark ends in a green bar inspired by the command line on early computer terminals. We kept the mark and gave its most recognizable detail a role throughout the website. The bar returns at the ends of headings, marking a new subject even as the background changes from a dark photograph to a white page.
The expanded Programs menu uses a translucent panel over the hero photograph. Its cards stay distinct while the city remains visible behind them. Green tells the reader where to look within a section. It picks out Apply Now in the header and marks the first stage of the application sequence. Further down, the Founder Catalyst card shows how a program can take focus. Its photograph appears in colour with a green arrow, beside two program cards in grayscale. The same identity can carry a large opening statement and distinguish one option in a row of three.
After designing the landing page, we brought the direction together in a stylescape. It pairs the palette and typography with website treatments, then shows how those choices could extend to social posts, presentations and physical applications. An ID needs the name to read in a small space. A billboard has room for a large message and photograph. The mockups let us explore both within the same identity.
Website identity
Building a visual language from the line in the wordmark
Techstars’ wordmark ends in a green bar inspired by the command line on early computer terminals. We kept the mark and gave its most recognizable detail a role throughout the website. The bar returns at the ends of headings, marking a new subject even as the background changes from a dark photograph to a white page.
The expanded Programs menu uses a translucent panel over the hero photograph. Its cards stay distinct while the city remains visible behind them. Green tells the reader where to look within a section. It picks out Apply Now in the header and marks the first stage of the application sequence. Further down, the Founder Catalyst card shows how a program can take focus. Its photograph appears in colour with a green arrow, beside two program cards in grayscale. The same identity can carry a large opening statement and distinguish one option in a row of three.
After designing the landing page, we brought the direction together in a stylescape. It pairs the palette and typography with website treatments, then shows how those choices could extend to social posts, presentations and physical applications. An ID needs the name to read in a small space. A billboard has room for a large message and photograph. The mockups let us explore both within the same identity.
Landing page structure
Putting the program first and the application in context
We organized the landing page around the order in which a founder could assess the offer. First comes a specific opportunity. Beside “Where founders become companies,” the opening card names an accelerator in Amsterdam and shows its location, attendance format and application deadline. Find your accelerator gives someone still comparing programs a route forward. Apply Now sits in the header for someone who has already decided.
Next comes the commitment behind the offer. Separate cards explain investment, access to mentors and fundraising outcomes, each with a link into the detail. The company grid follows. By the time the reader encounters those logos, they’ve seen what Techstars proposes to do for a participating founder.
Then the page turns the question around. The first application panel, “Signal Intent,” asks what the team is building, why it matters and why they are the people to build it. A photograph of a presentation sits beside the prompt, with the first position marked on a progress line. The founder now has something specific to prepare.
Landing page structure
Putting the program first and the application in context
We organized the landing page around the order in which a founder could assess the offer. First comes a specific opportunity. Beside “Where founders become companies,” the opening card names an accelerator in Amsterdam and shows its location, attendance format and application deadline. Find your accelerator gives someone still comparing programs a route forward. Apply Now sits in the header for someone who has already decided.
Next comes the commitment behind the offer. Separate cards explain investment, access to mentors and fundraising outcomes, each with a link into the detail. The company grid follows. By the time the reader encounters those logos, they’ve seen what Techstars proposes to do for a participating founder.
Then the page turns the question around. The first application panel, “Signal Intent,” asks what the team is building, why it matters and why they are the people to build it. A photograph of a presentation sits beside the prompt, with the first position marked on a progress line. The founder now has something specific to prepare.
Landing page structure
Putting the program first and the application in context
We organized the landing page around the order in which a founder could assess the offer. First comes a specific opportunity. Beside “Where founders become companies,” the opening card names an accelerator in Amsterdam and shows its location, attendance format and application deadline. Find your accelerator gives someone still comparing programs a route forward. Apply Now sits in the header for someone who has already decided.
Next comes the commitment behind the offer. Separate cards explain investment, access to mentors and fundraising outcomes, each with a link into the detail. The company grid follows. By the time the reader encounters those logos, they’ve seen what Techstars proposes to do for a participating founder.
Then the page turns the question around. The first application panel, “Signal Intent,” asks what the team is building, why it matters and why they are the people to build it. A photograph of a presentation sits beside the prompt, with the first position marked on a progress line. The founder now has something specific to prepare.
Program discovery
Giving an idea and an established team different starting points
A founder who knows their market can scan the sector grid for fields such as fintech, robotics or digital health. But knowing the sector doesn’t settle whether an accelerator is the right next move. Below the grid, we set three program descriptions beside one another so a reader can compare what taking part involves.
Founder Catalyst introduces preparation for an accelerator. Startup Weekend gives someone with an idea a setting to develop and pitch it. Startup Week offers a way into a local startup community through events. Naming those differences lets a founder choose on the basis of what they want to do next.
Program discovery
Giving an idea and an established team different starting points
A founder who knows their market can scan the sector grid for fields such as fintech, robotics or digital health. But knowing the sector doesn’t settle whether an accelerator is the right next move. Below the grid, we set three program descriptions beside one another so a reader can compare what taking part involves.
Founder Catalyst introduces preparation for an accelerator. Startup Weekend gives someone with an idea a setting to develop and pitch it. Startup Week offers a way into a local startup community through events. Naming those differences lets a founder choose on the basis of what they want to do next.
Program discovery
Giving an idea and an established team different starting points
A founder who knows their market can scan the sector grid for fields such as fintech, robotics or digital health. But knowing the sector doesn’t settle whether an accelerator is the right next move. Below the grid, we set three program descriptions beside one another so a reader can compare what taking part involves.
Founder Catalyst introduces preparation for an accelerator. Startup Weekend gives someone with an idea a setting to develop and pitch it. Startup Week offers a way into a local startup community through events. Naming those differences lets a founder choose on the basis of what they want to do next.
Events
Bringing accelerator discovery back at the end of the page
Near the footer, an event calendar sits beside the accelerator card introduced in the hero. The calendar distinguishes accelerator activity from investor events. The adjacent card supplies the place and application details for a particular opportunity.
Find your accelerator appears again on the card. A founder who has read through the support and application sections can return to program discovery from the foot of the page.
Events
Bringing accelerator discovery back at the end of the page
Near the footer, an event calendar sits beside the accelerator card introduced in the hero. The calendar distinguishes accelerator activity from investor events. The adjacent card supplies the place and application details for a particular opportunity.
Find your accelerator appears again on the card. A founder who has read through the support and application sections can return to program discovery from the foot of the page.
Events
Bringing accelerator discovery back at the end of the page
Near the footer, an event calendar sits beside the accelerator card introduced in the hero. The calendar distinguishes accelerator activity from investor events. The adjacent card supplies the place and application details for a particular opportunity.
Find your accelerator appears again on the card. A founder who has read through the support and application sections can return to program discovery from the foot of the page.
Result
A more informed route toward an application
The proposal brings program discovery, support details and application expectations into one page. A founder can see the offer alongside the questions they need to answer before applying. Separate links for investment information and mentors preserve routes into the detail, while the accelerator cards keep the application decision tied to a particular program.
More ways to identify a relevant starting point
The design presents location, sector and stage as different ways to consider Techstars. The main accelerator offer stays prominent, with other programs and participation routes available further down the page. A founder still developing an idea has options to explore before an accelerator application. An investor or prospective mentor has a different route into the same network.
Result
A more informed route toward an application
The proposal brings program discovery, support details and application expectations into one page. A founder can see the offer alongside the questions they need to answer before applying. Separate links for investment information and mentors preserve routes into the detail, while the accelerator cards keep the application decision tied to a particular program.
More ways to identify a relevant starting point
The design presents location, sector and stage as different ways to consider Techstars. The main accelerator offer stays prominent, with other programs and participation routes available further down the page. A founder still developing an idea has options to explore before an accelerator application. An investor or prospective mentor has a different route into the same network.
Result
A more informed route toward an application
The proposal brings program discovery, support details and application expectations into one page. A founder can see the offer alongside the questions they need to answer before applying. Separate links for investment information and mentors preserve routes into the detail, while the accelerator cards keep the application decision tied to a particular program.
More ways to identify a relevant starting point
The design presents location, sector and stage as different ways to consider Techstars. The main accelerator offer stays prominent, with other programs and participation routes available further down the page. A founder still developing an idea has options to explore before an accelerator application. An investor or prospective mentor has a different route into the same network.
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Dev & Growth
All-in-one Design Studio
for Startups and Enterprises
Address
44 Montgomery St, San Francisco,
CA 94104, United States
Dev & Growth
All-in-one Design Studio
for Startups and Enterprises
Address
44 Montgomery St, San Francisco,
CA 94104, United States
Dev & Growth
