Berkeley Clubs
TYPE
Product Design & Strategy
ROLE
Product Lead
DURATION
4 months
ORGANIZATION
UC Berkeley
Helping students navigate 1100+ campus organizations to find their perfect fit. Berkeley Clubs is a comprehensive platform that simplifies club discovery through personalized recommendations, detailed profiles, and streamlined communication.
The Challenge
At UC Berkeley, students face a paradox of choice with over 1,100 clubs and organizations. The existing discovery methods were fragmented across multiple platforms:
- Overwhelming club fairs with limited time to explore options
- Outdated directories with incomplete information
- Word-of-mouth recommendations that limit exposure to new opportunities
- Social media presence that varies widely between organizations
This fragmentation created barriers for students trying to find communities that matched their interests and for clubs trying to recruit engaged members.
Key Insights from Research
78%
of students felt overwhelmed by club options
3.5 hours
average time spent researching clubs each semester
64%
joined clubs through personal connections
82%
of club leaders struggled with recruitment
Our Approach
We began by conducting extensive research to understand the club discovery landscape:
- Surveys with 200+ Berkeley students across all years and majors
- Interviews with 25 club leaders from diverse organization types
- Competitive analysis of existing club directories and platforms
- Shadowing students during the club discovery process
Club cards showing different campus organizations
Detailed club profile page
MVP Development
We prioritized features for our minimum viable product based on user needs and development constraints:
Phase 1 (MVP)
- Comprehensive club directory with standardized profiles
- Basic search and filtering functionality
- Club management portal for organization leaders
- Google authentication for Berkeley students
- Mobile-responsive design
Future Phases
- Personalized recommendations based on student interests
- Application tracking system for recruitment
- Event calendar integration
- Analytics dashboard for club leaders
- Community features (reviews, testimonials)
The Solution
Berkeley Clubs was designed as a comprehensive platform to bridge the gap between students and organizations, creating a streamlined discovery experience that benefits both sides of the ecosystem.
Berkeley Clubs homepage featuring the iconic Sather Gate
Key Features
Comprehensive Directory
A searchable database of all 1,100+ campus organizations with standardized profiles and up-to-date information.
Advanced Filtering
Multi-parameter search allowing students to filter by interests, time commitment, application requirements, and more.
Club Management Tools
Self-service portal for organization leaders to update profiles, manage recruitment, and communicate with members.
Business Model
The platform was designed with sustainability in mind, balancing student accessibility with revenue generation:
- Free basic access for all Berkeley students
- Premium features for clubs (recruitment analytics, application management)
- Partnerships with campus departments for institutional support
- Targeted sponsorship opportunities for relevant brands and employers
Results & Impact
Organizations onboarded in first semester
Active student users
Reduction in time spent searching for clubs
User Feedback
"Berkeley Clubs completely transformed how I found organizations on campus. Instead of wandering through crowded fairs, I could browse and compare options that actually matched my interests."
"As a club leader, our recruitment numbers doubled after we created our profile. The platform helped us reach students who would have never found us otherwise."
Institutional Impact
- Officially recognized by the ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California)
- Integrated into new student orientation materials
- Reduced administrative burden for the Student Organization Office
- Created a comprehensive dataset on student engagement patterns
- Improved equity in club discovery, giving smaller organizations equal visibility
Reflections
Challenges
- Initial resistance from organizations comfortable with traditional recruitment
- Maintaining data accuracy across 1,100+ organizations
- Balancing comprehensive information with clean user interface
- Developing a sustainable business model while keeping core features free
- Technical challenges integrating with university systems
Key Takeaways
- Early stakeholder involvement was crucial for platform adoption
- Focusing on core user needs rather than feature bloat accelerated MVP development
- Creating value for both sides of the marketplace (students and clubs) was essential
- Data-driven decisions helped prioritize features that delivered the most impact
- Building for scalability from the start enabled rapid growth
Future Development
Berkeley Clubs continues to evolve with several initiatives in development:
Expansion
Adapting the platform for other universities facing similar club discovery challenges.
Advanced Analytics
Developing insights tools to help organizations optimize their recruitment and engagement.
Integration
Creating APIs to connect with other campus systems and services for a seamless student experience.