Colorful Minds, a 501(c)(3) organization, contracted a team of two freelance designers to re-envision a Wordpress website into one that reflects a cross between a mission-driven nonprofit and online storefront for artisan goods in the summer of 2022.
donation and ecommerce features
ux & visual designer (branding, graphics, site architecture)
project lead (user research, site architecture, copywriting)
client Project
redesign of a Wordpress website
apr - jun 2022 — from testing to designing
Problem
Lack of empowerment for artisans with disabilities
Less than 1% of aid funding is targeted towards people living with disabilities. The founder, Sachi Doshi, envisions a new market to help artisans sell their handicrafts and generate a sustainable stream of revenue to support their livelihoods. The current website does not reflect their nonprofit mission, nor does it draw attention to the handicrafts displayed for purchase.
Solution
Eliminate barriers to contributions
To redesign the website to convey appreciation for the cause, and familiarising consumers with the significance of purchasing the artisanal handicrafts.
donate
Learn about funding options and how significant donations are to the success of the nonprofit in garnering a partnership with artisans
shop
Browse through artisanal handicrafts and learn about how to contribute to artisans’ livelihoods through the direct sale of their products
Research
Mixed impressions based on memory recall
Confused survey users made generalizations of the current site:
Impression I Objects of children, arts & crafts, and colorful in nature
Impression II Child friendly website that is outdated and clunky
Impression III Focuses on kids and arts
Navigating an indecisive path
50% of site visitors challenged to follow prompts failed to succeed on the first attempt. Uncertainty and redundant information across pages made them second guess where to direct their attention.
How Might We redesign the site to convert the audience into long-term donors and shoppers of artisans’ worksmanship?
Ideate
Operating ecommerce as a nonprofit
The ambiguous branding, scattered information across pages, and distinction between products versus donation to the cause obstructs the mission. We prioritize segmenting the shopping experience from donation asks.
Visual Design
An artisanal theme to match the core mission
With a redesign comes rebranding. We invited the Colorful Minds team to help envision what speaks to their cause. Out of two themes presented, one reflected their vision.
”A traditional, artisanal brand identity that highlights the NGO-aspect of Colorful Minds. The layout is kept in a traditional format allowing users an introduction to the mission before visiting the marketplace. The subtle details in the accent color, strokes, and paper texture alludes to the artisanal attraction to the site.”
Prototype
Summary
From point A to point B
As a first-time freelancer navigating client demands without the structure of a bootcamp, this project was special. I learned to balance requests for donation and shopping features while keeping the site user-friendly and mission-focused. The challenge was creating an intuitive flow that showcases the organization’s mission and guides users to take action—whether to donate or shop. I recognized the need for further refinement of the user flow, usability testing via A/B comparisons to validate success metrics, and identifying technical feasibility issues before development to ensure the experience is seamless for both purposes.