October 12, 2017 Introducing Topcoder’s New Design Bench

There’s a new way to run tasks through the Topcoder design community: the Topcoder Design Bench. We created the Topcoder Design Bench to allow clients to greatly increase their design cycles by using hand-selected Topcoder members to complete individual tasks on a single application design. These hand-selected Topcoder members serve as an extension of the client’s own team.
The power of the Design Bench is that the client always has a designer that is knowledgeable about their project and available to complete work. Separate tasks can be run simultaneously — with multiple designers at once. All designs can then be seamlessly merged back into a single design file, improving the speed and efficiency of design work.

How does the Design Bench process work?

Here’s a look at our Design Bench process from start to finish:

DaraK, a Topcoder designer and Design Bench copilot, says, “Using Abstract makes collaboration much easier, as it allows our team members to work simultaneously on the same files without any conflicts, while the Sketch integration solves the problem of inconsistency. Being that Abstract saves all versions of a design file, iterating on a concept is fairly easy and nothing is lost; no more pain with file management. It’s the best tool for designers right now!”
Using GE’s Topcoder Design Bench as an example, DaraK says, “I like that the Design Bench is an exploratory method for a particular problem, which gives the designers the freedom to explore multiple concepts and deliver creative solutions. The tasks don’t take much time to work on and involve 100% transparency in communication with the client, which speeds things up and doesn’t leave room for any feedback confusion.” By managing GE Design Benches, DaraK says, “I could see that all GE team members were very responsive and easy to work with, so things ran fast and smoothly. It’s been great being a part of this.”

What GE thinks of Topcoder’s Design Bench

Will Gunn, Digital Product Manager for GE Industrial Solutions, says, “The Design Bench has helped us to augment our team with skillsets we didn’t have. Being able to have on-demand designers for small tasks, UI concepts, mockups, and style guides has been a big boost to our productivity and the quality of our UI. The designers were able to get up to speed quickly, so their work fits our style patterns. And they have helped us think through quite a few design concepts with some new ideas and perspectives.”
With Topcoder’s new Design Bench, collaborating with a virtual team is easier than ever — with 24/7 communication tools like Slack and talented copilots overseeing things every step of the way.