Reframing the Project Through Collaborative Discovery
World Connect approached us with what seemed like a straightforward request: update their website to reflect their new messaging around "activating power inside communities." However, I recognized that a simple visual refresh wouldn't address underlying issues that might be hindering their digital effectiveness.
I advocated for a comprehensive discovery phase, making the case to stakeholders that understanding core challenges would lead to more impactful solutions. With team support, this approach was approved, transforming the project scope and ultimately providing World Connect with strategic insights beyond their initial expectations.
This pivotal decision shifted the project's trajectory from a surface-level refresh to a fundamental reimagining of their digital presence based on user needs and organizational goals.
Research Methodology & Key Insights
As UX Research Lead, I designed a comprehensive discovery process that included three key methodologies:
Stakeholder Interviews
What We Did
Conducted in-depth interviews with five key stakeholders representing different perspectives within the organization: the Executive Director, Program Director, a board member, and two international partners.
What We Learned
- The website had become a content repository without strategic purpose
- Multiple user types had competing navigation needs
- Their impact measurement approach wasn't effectively communicated
- Regional power centers needed better ways to share local stories
How We Did It
Developed a structured interview protocol exploring four key areas: brand identity and tone, content strategy and audience needs, site organization and usability, and competitive landscape. Questions focused on uncovering pain points with the current website, understanding target audiences, and identifying how stakeholders measured success.
Competitive Analysis
What We Did
We analyzed websites of peer organizations identified by stakeholders, including Peace Direct, African Visionary Fund, and Global Fund for Children.
What We Learned
- Successful organizations made their theory of change immediately visible
- Effective sites balanced high-level metrics with individual stories
- Top performers created clear pathways for different audience types
- Leading organizations were strategic about content distribution across platforms
How We Did It
We evaluated each competitor across five dimensions: brand representation, mission clarity, brand narrative & impact, user experience, and digital ecosystem integration.
Card Sorting
What We Did
We facilitated a collaborative card sorting session with key stakeholders to reorganize site content based on user needs and organizational goals.
What We Learned
- Four key website objectives emerged: user-friendly navigation, maintainable structure, prioritized key actions, and clear communication of mission
- Significant content redundancies and opportunities for consolidation became apparent
- A simplified structure with four main categories emerged: Ways to Engage, About, Hub Network and Structure, and Impact
How We Did It
Started by establishing core website objectives through facilitated discussion before moving to the actual sorting exercise. This foundation-setting proved crucial, as it shifted the conversation from "where should this content go?" to "does this content serve our core objectives?" This approach led to more strategic decision-making throughout the exercise as stakeholders organized content cards into logical groupings.
Uncovering the Real Challenges
Through our discovery process, we identified fundamental issues that went beyond visual design:
Content Architecture Problems
The site suffered from significant content redundancy and inconsistent presentation. Project stories appeared in multiple locations with different formats, donation pathways competed for attention, and the comprehensive project database overwhelmed users with insufficient contextual data or intuitive filtering options.
Outdated Features and Functionality
Several elements no longer served their purpose effectively: an isolated photo gallery showcasing only gala events, a generic FAQ section that dispersed related information across the site, and features designed for internal use rather than public engagement.
Identity Crisis: Brochure vs. Database
The site struggled with competing purposes—attempting to function simultaneously as a comprehensive database of all 1,200+ projects and as an engaging brochure for potential supporters. This tension resulted in a cluttered experience that served neither purpose effectively.
Digital Ecosystem Disconnection
Content appeared inconsistently across their digital channels rather than being thoughtfully distributed based on platform strengths and audience needs. Promotional content that would be better suited for targeted emails or social media occupied valuable website real estate.
Design Response
Information Architecture Redesign
Principles from discovery
Our discovery research revealed several key principles that guided the information architecture redesign. Users needed clear pathways tailored to their specific roles, whether as donors, partners, grantees, or general visitors. The site suffered from extensive content redundancy, with project stories appearing in multiple locations and inconsistent presentation. The organization struggled with competing site purposes—attempting to function simultaneously as a comprehensive project database and as an engaging brochure for potential supporters. Finally, their small team had limited capacity for content management, making sustainability a critical concern.
Strategic Application
Based on these insights, I developed a new streamlined architecture built around four main sections. "Who We Are" housed mission, values, and team information with a visual representation of their theory of change. "Our Network" showcased their global structure, power centers, and international affiliates with an interactive map. "Our Impact" created a dual approach to storytelling with high-level metrics alongside curated project examples. "Get Involved" established clear pathways for different engagement types, consolidating previously scattered calls to action. This approach reduced the site from over 1,200 pages to a focused, manageable structure while establishing a single source of truth for each content type.
Component System Development
Principles from discovery
Discovery revealed significant inconsistency in how content was presented across the site, making navigation confusing for users and maintenance challenging for the small team. Stakeholders expressed frustration with the existing content management approach, which required technical expertise for even minor updates. Our competitive analysis showed that successful nonprofit sites utilized systematic approaches to content presentation, creating recognizable patterns that helped users navigate intuitively.
Strategic Application
I developed a comprehensive component system that established a shared language between our team and the client. This modular approach ensured consistency across templates while providing flexibility for different content needs. This approach provided several key benefits. It created a clear, common vocabulary for discussing design solutions between our team and the client. The modular nature enabled efficient wireframe development across multiple templates, saving time while maintaining consistency. During reviews, the component-based approach facilitated stakeholder feedback by focusing discussions on content structure rather than visual details. Perhaps most importantly, it established a foundation for a sustainable content management approach that would serve the organization well beyond the initial redesign.
Wireframing
Principles from discovery
Competitor analysis showed that successful organizations made their theory of change immediately visible through strategic placement rather than buried in dense text. Stakeholder interviews revealed the need to balance high-level impact metrics with individual stories to build both credibility and emotional connection. We discovered that users struggled to understand World Connect's global network structure and how local power centers related to the organization. Additionally, different user segments (donors, partners, grantees) needed tailored entry points rather than competing for attention in a one-size-fits-all navigation.
Strategic Application
I developed wireframes for key templates that directly addressed these challenges. The homepage featured a prominent mission statement with visual representation of their approach, immediately communicating their purpose. The impact section implemented a two-tiered structure with a dashboard of key metrics at the top, followed by filterable project stories below. For the network visualization, I created an interactive map highlighting power centers with geographic context and relationship indicators. Throughout the site, context-sensitive calls to action provided relevant next steps based on likely user intent for that section, rather than overwhelming visitors with every possible engagement option.