Redefining discovery on Crunchbase
UX case study link

Search strategy · AI Search Builder · 2023–2025

Crunchbase users had access to data on 3M+ companies, but getting to the right answer meant navigating hundreds of filters most people never found. As a result, retention was slipping.

I led the strategy that evolved search from a filter-based tool into an AI-powered research experience. The work moved in stages: Quick Search improvements, a filter redesign, and the company's first natural-language search flow. Each stage built on what the previous one validated. That work converged into AI Search Builder, launched in February 2025, where I set the vision and interaction patterns while mentoring the senior designer who brought it to production.

Since launch: 4x increase in 6-month retention, 45% fewer searches before users save one, and 11% more users saving searches.