Project Overview
The Philip Hayden Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing loving homes and medical care for orphans with special needs in China. Due to evolving regulations and the impact of COVID-19, the organization faced significant operational changes and needed a flexible, scalable website that could evolve with their mission while maintaining brand consistency and emotional resonance.
Challenge
A key challenge in this project was the user research and donation optimization. The primary objective was to drive user donations, but the pathways to conversion varied significantly across different audience segments. To enhance engagement and conversion rates, I identified two core user personas to inform the site’s UX strategy.
User Research & Persona Development
To build data-driven personas, I conducted stakeholder interviews with the client to analyze their existing donor demographics. I then cross-referenced these insights with external research on digital donor behavior to refine our understanding of the audience.
Key findings included:
- 60% of donations came from mail-in contributions, primarily from individuals aged 55+.
- The organization aimed to expand its digital reach to younger demographics for long-term sustainability.
- The organization aimed to expand its digital reach to younger demographics for long-term sustainability.
Using these insights, I developed user personas that reflected the foundation’s current and target donors, ensuring the site’s design and functionality aligned with their behaviors and motivations.
User Flows & Information Architecture
To optimize the user experience, I mapped out key user flows focused on two main objectives:
1. Streamlining the donation process to reduce friction and improve conversion rates.
2. Enhancing newsletter sign-ups to strengthen donor engagement and retention.
Based on the user flows, I recommended the creation of six custom-designed pages beyond the homepage to support a seamless navigation experience, improve information hierarchy, and guide users toward key conversion actions.
UI/UX Design & Implementation
With user research and personas established, I moved into the design phase, ensuring usability, accessibility, and conversion-focused UX principles were at the forefront.
- The client provided a brand standards guide but lacked a clear digital design direction. I maintained their existing color palette while refining the site’s visual language to evoke warmth and trust.
- I applied accessibility best practices, ensuring high-contrast typography, intuitive navigation, and mobile responsiveness to accommodate diverse users.
- The final UI designs balanced aesthetic appeal with functional clarity, creating a modern, engaging, and user-centered experience that supports the foundation’s evolving mission.
Agency: Back40 Design | Designer: Amber Plaksin