Case Study

The Futur - Member's Area

Empowering The Futur’s Digital Transformation

Exposition

The Futur, founded by the visionary Chris Do, is a renowned design and education platform based in Los Angeles. Serving as a beacon for creative professionals, entrepreneurs, and designers worldwide, The Futur offers courses, coaching, and a wealth of resources to help individuals and agencies master both their craft and the business of creativity. Their mission is to empower creatives to bridge the gap between passion and profit, fostering a thriving global community of learners eager to turn ideas into successful enterprises.

Over the years, The Futur has built a stellar reputation by delivering actionable insights that enable creatives to transform ideas into thriving businesses. However, as the digital landscape evolved, so did the needs and behaviors of their audience. Traditional digital products were no longer driving the same level of engagement. Instead, there was a noticeable shift toward membership-based offerings that provided ongoing value and community involvement. Recognizing this trend, The Futur saw an opportunity for a strategic pivot—and that’s where we at Fri3nds Agency stepped in.

VERTICAL:

Creative & Business Education

Services:

Web development

partners:

VISIT WEBSITE

compelling event

The Futur aimed to manage protected content by establishing a paid subscription system. They wanted users to register and access different types of subscriptions—both free and paid—to unlock various content and benefits.

The challenge extended to integrating this new system with Circle, a community platform they were already utilizing. Additionally, the site needed to be dynamic, featuring functionalities like videos, filters, searches, a favorites system, and all the fundamental features of a user system, including account creation and updates.

Beyond the website’s functionality, The Futur needed a robust platform capable of securely handling content, user payments, and sensitive information. Seamless connections with existing tools like Drip, Pipedrive, and Circle were essential to create a dynamic ecosystem. This integration would enable their marketing team to have traceability over user behavior, enhancing their ability to nurture leads and engage effectively with their community.

the process

We began by leveraging our previous experience with The Futur’s static site and e-commerce platform, both built using Webflow. Recognizing Webflow’s potential, we chose it as the foundation for this project. We managed content through the powerful Webflow CMS and handled users and memberships using Outseta, a tool that integrates seamlessly with Webflow. To connect with their marketing tools, we utilized Zapier, which The Futur was already familiar with.

The process was both exciting and challenging. Integrating Outseta, with its native use of Stripe, streamlined the payment system—convenient since The Futur was already using Stripe for e-commerce transactions. The flexibility of the Webflow CMS allowed us to create specific content collections tailored to each subscription plan. Using the Outseta app within Webflow, we quickly established protected content, user registrations, and authentications for each of the client’s designated plans.The next step involved structuring the website through a detailed content strategy meeting. From this, we created wireframes that mapped out the key sections of the site. Once the structure was in place, we worked closely with a copywriter to craft engaging content that aligned with the brand's voice.

An intriguing aspect of the project was the integration of DoBot, an artificial intelligence inspired by Chris Do himself. The Futur had engaged an external service to develop DoBot, aiming to provide users with an interactive AI experience that mirrors Chris Do’s expertise and personality. Coordinating with this external provider presented a significant challenge, as we needed to synchronize our development timelines and technical frameworks to ensure a seamless integration.

We collaborated closely with the AI service team to embed DoBot into the site effectively. Additionally, we developed functionality to remember and save user conversations in a backend system, much like how ChatGPT retains conversation history. This feature was crucial for enhancing user engagement, allowing for continuous and context-aware interactions with DoBot.

Outseta enabled us to focus on crafting an incredible and intuitive user experience without worrying about managing user data, payments, or profiles. Integrating Zapier through webhooks was straightforward, allowing seamless connections with Drip, Pipedrive, and Circle. This ensured that each user who purchased a plan received all promised features instantly, eliminating obstacles or the need for human intervention.

the outcome

The result was a comprehensive, member-centric platform where subscribers could access exclusive content, valuable business and creative resources, and the Circle community—all from a single hub. The successful integration of DoBot added a unique and interactive element to the site. Users could engage with an AI version of Chris Do, receiving personalized insights and advice. The functionality to remember and save conversations allowed users to pick up where they left off, providing a more personalized and engaging experience.

Enhanced search and filter functionalities, along with a feature allowing users to save favorite videos, made it effortless for users to find specific content quickly, saving valuable time. Our implementation of Finsweet’s filter functionality and integration of Algolia’s powerful search engine elevated the user experience. Algolia’s AI capabilities enabled quick discovery of content through synonyms and intelligent word recognition, making searches more intuitive and efficient.

Our integration with The Futur’s external marketing tools worked flawlessly. It enabled them to collect insightful data about user interests and behaviors, allowing their marketing team to nurture users with targeted emails and campaigns. Additionally, it helped capture potential clients and direct them to other offerings like courses, mentorships, and events.

the impact

The impact was overwhelmingly positive. The Futur began receiving hundreds of new registrations per day and now boasts three robust subscription plans with thousands of active users on both the membership platform we created and on Circle. The addition of DoBot significantly enhanced user engagement, offering a unique interactive experience that set The Futur apart from competitors. Users appreciated the ability to interact with an AI version of Chris Do, deepening their connection to the brand.

This growth not only expanded their community but also provided them with a substantial and relevant list of users and potential clients. The enriched user base, coupled with the insights gathered from user interactions with DoBot and other site features, is poised to lead to new clients for other products that The Futur continually launches. By successfully integrating advanced AI features and pivoting to a membership-based model, they have strengthened their position as a leader in the creative education space, providing ongoing value to their community and ensuring sustained engagement and growth.

“Working with Fri3nds has made everything easier on our team here at The Futur. They not only simplified our existing website build, but they helped us push the site beyond Webflow's native capabilities. I'm a big fan of no-code, but sometimes, you need experts like Fri3nds to bring the magic of engineering to bear. Together, we've even created a low-code membership app and have been expanding features and capabilities each month. Their team is responsive, proactive, and, as their name would suggest, friendly. Highly recommend.”