NDC - Increase user engagement by showcasing NDC projects, and motivating contributions through donations. As a result, the organization saved $19,306 and launched the first revamped version of the website, continuing ongoing improvement efforts.
OVERVIEW
My role
1. End-to-end UX Design
2. Content Design
3. Creation of Design System
Timeline Type Industry
June-on going CMS website re-design Community Development
Team
Myself and Director of Operations
Methods
Heuristic evaluation, Website analytics analysis, Competitive analysis, User interviews, and Prototyping
PROCESS
BACKGROUND
NDC is a non-profit dedicated to food security and education in the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Their mission is to prevent child abuse and revitalize the Apache community. Today, through partnerships and collaborations with both tribal and non-tribal people and entities, they have a facility on the Dripping Springs property and are in the initial stages of the Nnee Nalwoodi Life Center for youth and families. Their website aims to engage users, showcase their programs, and inspire involvement and donations.
The client approached me to help with a website redesign that would help NDC communicate its impact and increase donations and community involvement.
GOAL
How might we boost work visibility for more donors and enhance user understanding, volunteer engagement, and seamless contributions?
DISCOVER
In defining the main issues, I aimed to evaluate the current website to determine the scope of the redesign effort by identifying areas that can be improved.
This process was crucial to help the client in achieving their business goals within the agreed-upon timeframe.
3 MAJOR CONSTRAINTS
To better understand the usability of the current website, I performed a heuristic evaluation to identify potential issues users could encounter while interacting with the interface.
As the sole designer on the project, I developed a research approach that combined new and known methodologies to enhance my skills and knowledge. Additionally, I conducted a rapid UX audit of the website for discussion with my client.
❗Insight 1: Unoptimized landing page
NDC does not clearly display indicators related to their recent work, values, and volunteer programs to showcase their cause or mission.
❗Insight 2: Lacking donation transparency
NDC does not clearly demonstrate its community impact with the donation, making it challenging for users to understand how their contributions are used.
❗Insight 3: Lack of visual presentation of activities
The UI appeared outdated and lacked aesthetic appeal. Typography, layout, and color in the previous version were poorly implemented, resulting in usability issues.
A high bounce rate was observed on the landing page and key activity pages. Noticeable drop-off on the donation page.
After evaluating the website, I accessed the current website builder to explore the analytics data used by the client's existing platform and identify some of the website's issues. The major issue was the lack of user engagement in exploring main pages, but further analysis revealed potential enhancements to improve overall user interaction and navigation.
Understanding NDC’s competitors not only acquainted me with the features pursued by the non-profit organization but also revealed three key aspects in which our competitors excelled.
✔ Captures users' attention toward the impact of their work
✔ A clear and simple donation process with various donation options
✔ Engaging and easy-to-navigate volunteer participation
DEFINE
Contextual usability testing sessions helped me improve my understanding of current user insights by integrating task-based and contextual probes.
I spoke to the director of operations to better understand the target users of the website. Through our conversation, we identified two personas that the website is designed to cater to. User testing involves contextual observational research designed to comprehend users' needs and behaviors.
Synthesizing insights from the interview, I populated the value proposition canvas to guide my redesign focus areas.
DEVELOP
In this ongoing project, the immediate focus was on updating recent activities and improving the donation page.
To discover solutions, I generated rapid wireframes and proposed the following objectives.
· Highlight NDC’s continuous work and programs to engage and inspire volunteer participants.
· Create a clear visual representation using visual language to help users learn more about the food distribution processes.
· Simplify the donation page and enhance transparency.
Rebranding efforts for NDC included aligning the organization's colors with its mission and values.
Our goal was to help users understand the unfamiliar agricultural process and emphasize how food distribution works. To achieve this, I developed visual resources to convey information quickly and keep users interested in learning about it.
DELIVER
Optimize the landing page to showcase the organization's values and work clearly, aiming to engage users and facilitate quick navigation.
Prototype: Concept Landing Page
Implement a step-by-step donation process and ensure transparency to enhance the impact of donations.
Prototype: Concept Donation Page
Creating a visual representation of the food distribution process
Prototype: Concept page for food distribution
Full Prototype
🖥️
Full Prototype 🖥️
Prototype: Concept Design
What have I learned?
The main challenge in this project was the limited time and being the sole designer responsible for evaluating the website. Initially, I intended to redesign three 'our work' pages, considering them crucial. However, the key focus shifted from adding new features to assessing the current state and improving designs that align closely with the business's core purpose. In the future, I plan to establish a clear prioritization roadmap to determine tasks' order and enhance my effectiveness.
What comes next?
In phase 2, we will use observed success metrics, such as increased website traffic and user engagement, to guide decisions and assess the effectiveness of initial improvements. Note that further enhancements will be considered upon receiving sponsorship from a tomato sauce company.