CASE STUDY
NON-PROFIT WEBSITE REDESIGN
A group project with the goal of redesigning a local non-profit's website to modernize their image and help users access the information they need while meeting stakeholders’ demands.
Click HERE to view the Google Slides document with all of the deliverables required for the project, including
Project roadmap
Problem statement
User testing plan & notes
Wireframes
High-fidelity clickable desktop & mobile prototypes
RECOMMENDED
Recovery Dharma Denver is a non-profit dedicated to helping individuals seeking guidance and support on the path to recovery from addictions of many kinds. With the help of two other designers, we got in contact with the organization and helped to revitalize their website and make meeting information more accessible while honoring the stakeholder's requests.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
TEAM SIZE: 3
MY ROLE: UX/UI Researcher, Designer
TIMELINE: 3 weeks
TOOLS: Figma, Google Drive
ORIGINAL RDD HOMEPAGE
Recovery Dharma Denver’s website was created to provide information on the organization’s purpose as well as resources and meeting times for people seeking holistic pathways to recovery as an alternative to traditional programs. In our interviews and initial usability tests, we observed that users needed to dig through multiple pages to find meeting information and that key context was missing throughout the site. How might we redesign RDD’s website so that people seeking recovery can easily find meeting information and healing resources and thus increase website foot traffic and meeting turnout?
PROBLEM STATEMENT
One of our team members, already being familiar with RDD and the people behind the non-profit, was able to have several meetings throughout the design process. The owners of RDD gave us specific requests in redesigning the website:
The website has to be easily handed off with little or no notice to someone else. This website has to be straightforward to use for both Recovery Dharma and its users.
No images or iconography of Buddha or anything that resembles Buddhism.
Absolutely not pictures of lush vegetation and no use of colors represented in the national website.
STAKEHOLDER REQUESTS
The team at RDD were very specific in their instructions. As we worked on the website mock-ups, we were sure to avoid using the highly saturated natural colors used on the national website as well as any iconography or images linked to Buddha. Instead, we leaned more into Colorado pride, and using colors and imagery more reminiscent of Denver and the state.
Meetings with Recovery Dharma Denver assured our group that we were on the right track as they approved our designs.
DESIGNING
Prototyping as well as wireframing was done in Figma.
The final product was a high-fidelity clickable desktop prototype including 6 completed pages: the homepage, meetings page, newsletter, library, RDD book page, and contact information page.
PROTOTYPING
REDESIGNED RDD HOMEPAGE
At the end of our project timeline, the staff at Recovery Dharma Denver were incredibly pleased with our work. So pleased, in fact, that our team stayed in contact with them to get their brand new website up and running. Check out the finished product at https://www.recoverydharmadenver.org/!
This project was fun, challenging, and very rewarding; especially since our group member’s relationship with the staff at RDD meant we could really help the organization.
Some final thoughts we came to as we ended our project:
UI really can make or break a website.
Understanding the need of both the internal and external customer is critical.
CONCLUSION