Design Process

Empathize, Research, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test

1. Empathize & Research

2. Define & Ideate

3. Prototype & Test

To deepen my understanding, I conducted user interviews aligned with the proto-persona and administered an in-depth survey. Additionally, I performed a SWOT analysis to benchmark the organization against other nonprofits, identifying opportunities for improvement and differentiation.

Below are a few key finding from the survey.

The website redesign began with a comprehensive heuristic analysis and content audit, focusing on functionality, navigation, and overall design. My goal was to uncover the underlying message and tone the organization aims to convey to potential donors. To deepen my understanding,

*Affinity Map of User Interview Notes*

57%

Said they were unclear on where their donation was going

87%

Said they value sustainability the most when considering a NPO

79%

Donated $100 or less to ocean conservation efforts

78%

Purchased merchandise where proceeds go to a donation

*Brain storming methods to decide key features of the redesign*

After conducting research to better understand the users and their pain points, we created a user persona named Riki. He became the guiding light for the design process, constantly reminding us to ask, "How can we design this nonprofit website to encourage donations and foster ongoing engagement with the organization?"

Key Features + Updates

Through numerous brainstorming sessions, one core need repeatedly emerged: users want to see the impact of their donations. Many donors expressed frustration with a lack of transparency, often donating or purchasing once without ever knowing where their contribution went. This lack of follow-up frequently resulted in one-time donors rather than long-term supporters.

While the website required significant cosmetic updates and interface restructuring, the concept of impact remained at the heart of the redesign. The user flow would lead to user to donate, and then follow their impact through the 'Your Impact' page. 

- An 'Impact Page' showing progress of projects to keep the donator up to date
- Clear up the different ways to make a donation
- Clean up UI and sitemap

The lo-fi prototype was developed through multiple brainstorming sessions. Once the prototype was functional, we conducted usability testing. From this, we discovered that while the impact page was helpful, its purpose was not entirely clear to users. To address this, we renamed it "Your Impact" in the hi-fi prototype and included a clearer mission statement on the homepage.

Additionally, we resolved issues related to cohesiveness and improved the overall site map for a more seamless user experience.

* Site Map *

* User Flow *

* User Persona *