Smashing Boxes

When Duke University Hospital faced the challenge of staffing gaps, high turnover, and increasing reliance on costly travel nurses, they turned to Smashing Boxes to help build a solution. Together, we developed HealthForceRx—a powerful tool that redefined how Duke manages its nursing workforce. Six months in, the results speak for themselves: ✅ Reduced temp nurse reliance by 90% ✅ Improved nurse manager satisfaction ✅ Enhanced workforce planning with real-time data This success highlights the power of collaboration and custom-built technology in healthcare. At Smashing Boxes, we're more than just software developers—we're your partner from vision to reality. 💡 Check out our latest blog post to learn how we’re transforming staffing for hospitals: https://lnkd.in/ebywhck9 #HealthcareInnovation #HospitalStaffing #NurseManagement #CustomSoftware #SmashingBoxes

With the market moving even faster than before, building scalable products is one of the ways to have startup success. Being scalable isn’t about just adding features or capacity – it’s about having a solid foundation at the start. Design Thinking is user-centered, iterative approach that helps teams develop flexible, adaptable solutions that scale. From empathizing with users to testing and refining prototypes, every step ensures that your product is built to handle future challenges. Here’s why design thinking is essential for scalability: ✔️ User-Centered: Products built around real user needs adapt more easily to growth. ✔️ Flexible & Adaptable: Iterative prototyping allows for continuous improvements. ✔️ Holistic Approach: Cross-functional collaboration catches scalability challenges early. By integrating design thinking into your process, you’ll create products ripe to meet today’s needs and evolve with tomorrow’s demands. Ready to build for scale? Let’s talk! https://lnkd.in/enVgr68q #DesignThinking #ProductDevelopment #Scalability #Innovation #StartupSuccess #GrowthMindset

Great products don’t just solve problems—they make users feel something. Product development isn’t just about function, it’s about emotion too. Whether it’s the joy of completing a task, the satisfaction of a beautiful design, or the relief of finding the perfect solution—emotional design is one way to driving product success. 🎯 Here’s why emotions matter in product design: 🔸 User Connection: Products that evoke positive emotions create a deeper connection with users. When someone feels good using your product, they’re more likely to come back and also spread the word. 🔸 Brand Loyalty: Emotional design creates memorable experiences, building trust and loyalty over time. It's not just about what your product does. It’s about how it makes your users feel. 🔸 Finding Pain Points: By focusing on the emotional journey of your users, you can uncover pain points that might otherwise go unnoticed. Solving emotional challenges leads to a more holistic product experience. Next time you’re designing or refining a product, ask yourself: - How do I want users to feel when they use my product? - Is my product delivering not just on function, but on emotion? Creating an emotional connection can be the difference between a good product and a great one. 🚀 Need help adding empathy and emotions to your products? Contact Smashing Boxes for a free consult! #ProductDesign #EmotionalDesign #UX #ProductDevelopment #Innovation

In the latest post from our series "Navigating the Journey from Ideation to Deployment," we dive into the next step of product development: turning user empathy into actionable insights. Discover how to: 💡 Synthesize research findings 💡 Spot opportunities for product development 💡 Conduct market research to validate your idea 💡 Build a compelling business case 💡Take the time to define your problem and validate it can make all the difference in creating a product users love. 🔗 Check out the full blog post here and stay tuned for the next in the series on Prototyping and MVP Development! https://lnkd.in/evqyiMDd #ProductDevelopment #StartupLife #BusinessStrategy #UserEmpathy #MarketResearch #ProductManagement #Entrepreneurship #MVP

🎙️ New Biz/Dev Podcast Alert This week, David and Gary sit down with NC legend Nick Jordan, Founder of the long-running dev shop Smashing Boxes and the newly launched Unboxed Venture Studio. From breaking down the intricacies of moving venture capital forward to outlining the big-picture strategies for long-term success, Nick delivers insights from a seasoned pro. Curious about what it takes to thrive in the venture space or simply want to learn from an expert who's been there, done that? This episode is a must-listen! Tune in and get ready to level up your venture knowledge. Catch the full episode this Tuesday! 🎧 https://lnkd.in/eHSmvFjv #BizDevPodcast #VentureCapital #Podcast

When building a product, it's critical to make decisions based on the core values you'll be delivering users through your product. Here's three things that happen when founders and product leaders don't stay laser-focused on their product's core value: 1️⃣ Building Too Little: Underbuilding can lead to a product that doesn't fully express its intended core value. When the product lacks essential features or functionality, users may not see the full potential of what you're offering, and the feedback you receive might be based on an incomplete experience. You might get to market faster, but it may seem that your product doesn't resonate when it hasn't been given the chance to shine. Make sure what you build completely delivers the core value proposition. 2️⃣ Building Too Much: On the other hand, overbuilding can dilute your core value by adding unnecessary features that increase complexity, development costs, and time to market. On top of that, it makes maintaining all the features nearly impossible. When a product tries to do too much, it can lose focus, making it harder for users to identify the core value you're offering. Focus on what actually matters to your users and keep your product aligned with that value proposition as your guiding light. 3️⃣ Asking the Right Questions: Asking your customers the right questions will help you understand and deliver your product's core value. Superficial or leading questions can bring you down the wrong path – and even more dangerously, they make you feel that you're on track. Instead of asking, "Would you like [core value] in your software?", focus on uncovering the real problems your users face. Try to understand the problem behind the problem, allowing users to reveal their needs organically. By guiding the conversation instead of leading it, you'll gain deeper insights into what truly matters to your users, and uncover the core value your users want you to deliver. At Smashing Boxes we help founders and product leaders build the right product the first time. We've built 250+ products and know what it takes to build a product your customers will love. Get in touch and see how we can accelerate your product today!

Smashing Boxes is now part of Unboxed Ventures. Now we'll be able to deliver the same product design and development services with more advisory from the venture studio. See what this next chapter means for us. https://lnkd.in/ebJZNUtu #venturestudio #productagency

Smashing Boxes is now part of Unboxed Ventures. Now we'll be able to deliver the same product design and development services with more advisory from the venture studio. See what this next chapter means for us. https://lnkd.in/ebJZNUtu #venturestudio #productagency

We are now a part of Unboxed Venture Studio! After nearly 4 years of building the venture studio, our CEO Nick Jordan is excited to announce its launch. Nick has already amassed a portfolio worth over $20M and a network of strategic partners and wants to become the area’s first $1B venture studio. We’re excited for the role that Smashing Boxes is going to play in launching new businesses in this next era. Although we’re now part of the Unboxed Portfolio, we’ll still be servicing clients with design and product development support. Even better, we’ll be able to leverage Unbox’s partnerships to give even more value to our clients. Read more about Unboxed in today’s GrepBeat article: https://lnkd.in/eaHbdzFP #venturestudio #product #productagency

💡 "Empathy is the secret sauce in creating products people love." 💡 At the start of every great product journey is a simple truth: understanding your users is key. In our latest blog, we explore how adding empathy during the ideation phase can transform your product into something people love. We dive into three powerful research methods—Observational, Attitudinal, and Generative—that will help you get inside the minds of your users and build a product that makes a real difference in their lives. Read Eric Porper's blog to find out more: https://lnkd.in/ebhVCjfq #ProductDevelopment #Empathy #Innovation #UserResearch #DigitalProducts