Understanding the Context

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected businesses nationwide, with Black ownership experiencing a dramatic decline of over 40% in May 2020—more than any other racial demographic. In the wake of this crisis, a national movement arose, urging individuals to support Black-owned businesses as a means of solidarity and empathy.

"We received numerous requests from our community for a straightforward way to locate and support Black-owned businesses on Yelp. This feature has been our most sought-after during this period..."

— Tara Lewis, VP of Community Expansion and Trends at Yelp

Recognizing the demand, our team initiated the creation of a Black-owned business label on Yelp to facilitate user searches and support for these enterprises.

Scoping the Solution

Our interdisciplinary team consisted of a project manager, data scientist, engineers from iOS, Android, and Web, a communications manager, public relations expert, illustrator, and product designer.

Given the urgency of the project, we established key product decisions early in the development process:

• The label would require business owners to opt in.
• It would be offered at no cost.
• The label would be displayed across various sections of Yelp.
• It would be a permanent feature rather than temporary.

These guidelines helped frame the project's potential and constraints, ensuring our solution would remain relevant as the product evolved.

Examining the User Experience

We pinpointed several touchpoints where both new and returning Yelp users could encounter the Black-owned business label throughout their journeys on the platform.

A singular placement of the label would reduce its visibility and effectiveness, so we opted to integrate it into existing user behaviors. High traffic between search results and business pages enhanced visibility, while in-app promotions on the homepage further highlighted the label.

To improve user access, we implemented an auto-fill feature in the search bar, allowing users to type "Black-owned" and receive suggestions for various categories like restaurants and local services. This provided direct access to a curated list of relevant businesses.

Addressing Challenges

Not all business owners interested in displaying the label would actively manage their Yelp pages. To address this, our team devised a solution whereby if a certain number of reviews for a business mentioned "Black-owned," the search results would indicate: "X reviews mention Black-owned."

This approach allowed users to identify potential Black ownership without prematurely labeling a business.

Defining the Visual Identity

At the project's outset, our illustrator explored various symbols that could represent the Black-owned label. The goal was to create an icon that communicated support for Black businesses without relying on stereotypes.

"We aimed to craft a metaphor that conveyed unity, empathy, and entrepreneurship within a 24x24 pixel space."

— Scott Tusk, Lead Illustrator

The challenge was to convey a nuanced concept within a limited space. Some initial concepts were too broad, while others lacked the necessary depth. Ultimately, a design combining a storefront and a heart emerged, symbolizing support and compassion for Black-owned businesses.

Community Impact

From May 25 to June 10, 2020, we observed a staggering 35-fold increase in search activity for Black-owned businesses compared to the same period in 2019—a remarkable 7,043% spike. This surge included diverse categories, from restaurants to local services.

Our team remains motivated by the enthusiastic response from the Yelp community, with business owners embracing the label and users actively seeking to support them. We are committed to developing additional features that benefit our community members.

The first video showcases Yelp's partnership with Rebecca Minkoff to celebrate Women's History Month in 2019, highlighting the importance of supporting women-led businesses.

In the second video, Rebecca Minkoff discusses her experiences at Yelp's Women in Business Summit in 2021, emphasizing the significance of community support for women entrepreneurs.

Citations:

[1] Knowles, Hannah. “Number of Working Black Business Owners Falls 40 Percent, Far More than Other Groups amid Coronavirus.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 May 2020.

[2] Stoppelman, Jeremy. “An Update on Our Commitment to Change.” Yelp, 13 Nov. 2020.

[3] Lewis, Tara. “Yelp Teams Up with My Black Receipt to Support Black-Owned Businesses.” Yelp, 30 Sept. 2020.