Inspiration

Her Manual was inspired by an observation about the gap in fundamental and seemingly "unspoken rules" between men and women. Many life skills are passed down informally through networks that not everyone has equal access to. Additionally, upon conducting further research, we found that women-only communities lead to an increase in confidence and empowerment specifically when women can receive and share advice in a protected space. We decided to combine structured guidance with real community support and created Her Manual.

What it does

Her Manual is a women-centered platform that combines practical “how-to” guides with a supportive discussion forum. It helps users build confidence while learning unfamiliar tasks whether that’s preparing for a first professional job, understanding a lease, navigating healthcare, or protecting digital privacy. The manuals provides clear, step-by-step structure and the discussion forum allows users to ask follow-up questions, share experiences, and receive support in a moderated, encouraging environment.

How we built it

When building Her Manual, we focused on relevance, clarity, and safety. First, we identified broad but impactful categories such as career, automotive, technology, finance, healthcare, and civic duties. We intentionally chose topics that are practical, commonly unfamiliar, and are the kinds of things people often feel embarrassed asking about. To make the experience more relevant, we added personalization features during onboarding. Users can select their age range and topic preferences, allowing the platform to tailor guides and discussions to their stage of life and interests. Safety was also a major priority. We implemented anonymous posting options to encourage open discussion without fear of judgment. Additionally, new posts go through moderation review to ensure they are appropriate, helpful, and aligned with the platform’s purpose. Rather than verifying identity in invasive ways, we chose to protect users through thoughtful design and community moderation.

Challenges we ran into

One challenge we ran into was figuring out what topics and categories would be best suitable to include for users. Essentially we wanted to come up with a wide range of topics that could facilitate open discussion and also be useful and relevant. Another challenge was finding the right balance between tee structured wikiHow format and Reddit-style discussion mode. We didn't want the platform to be overwhelming for the user so we had to implement a design where users could access step-by-step guides while also engaging in supportive discussion.