Table of Contents

Table of Contents

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

A design solution focused on crafting compelling narratives to inspire support for clean water initiatives.

Reading Time
5 min
Timeline
Nov 2024 - (5 days)
Tools
Figma
Method
Design Sprint
Role
UX Research
Prototype & High Fidelity
Payment Stucture
Interactions

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

A design solution focused on crafting compelling narratives to inspire support for clean water initiatives.

Reading Time

5 min

Timeline

Nov 2024 - (5 days)

Tools

Figma

Method

Design Sprint

Role

UX Research

Prototype & High Fidelity

Payment Stucture

Interactions

Project Overview

Designing for Change

As part of a team of five, we completed a 5-day design sprint focused on creating solutions for social good.

The Problem

Non-profits like Charity: Water faces significant challenges in retaining donors:

This highlights a critical need for better donor connection strategies.

The Solution

We created a prototype that show cases out proposal to improve the landing page and donation experience for Charity: Water, ensuring their value proposition and impact are communicated effectively.

Compelling Narrative

Compelling Narrative

Enhance the landing page to effectively communicate the organization’s value proposition and highlight the impact of donations.

Enhance the landing page to effectively communicate the organization’s value proposition and highlight the impact of donations.

Enhanced Donation Experience

Reimagine the donation process to provide a clear understanding of projects, reinforce transparency policies, and showcase all available donation options.

Enhanced Donation Experience

Reimagine the donation process to provide a clear understanding of projects, reinforce transparency policies, and showcase all available donation options.

Foster Emotional Connection

Foster Emotional Connection

Utilize clear messaging, engaging visuals, and compelling storytelling to resonate with potential donors and inspire meaningful action.

Build Trust and Simplicity

Build Trust and Simplicity

Create a seamless, transparent, and trustworthy donation experience that encourages long-term donor engagement.

Meet the Client:

Meet the Client:

Charity: Water is a non-profit organization with the ambitious mission of ending the global water crisis. Since 2006, they have funded over 170,000 water projects in 29 countries, bringing clean and safe drinking water to millions.

Charity: Water is a non-profit organization with the ambitious mission of ending the global water crisis.

Since 2006, they have funded over 170,000 water projects in 29 countries, bringing clean and safe drinking water to millions.

Step 1: Research

Getting the full picture

To address this challenge, we explored strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase retention, focusing on:

Secondary Research

To address this challenge, we explored strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase retention, focusing on:

To address this challenge, we explored strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase retention, focusing on:

Primary Research - User Interviews

Primary Research
User Interviews

Objective

Conduct usability testing with 5 participants to:

  • Uncover key motivators that drive individuals to donate.

  • Identify the values individuals prioritize when choosing a charity.

  • Understand the pain points or barriers that discourage continued support.

User Roles

Individuals passionate about contributing to their communities and with previous experience donating to charities.

Insights #1

Emotion

Donors are drawn to charities with compelling storytelling that connects emotionally to their mission.

Insights #2

Impact

Clear links between donations and tangible outcomes inspire satisfaction and further contributions.

Insights #3

Integrity

Successful applicants emphasize the value of support from friends, family, or community groups throughout the process.

Based on our research, we crafted the following HMW question:

Based on our research, we crafted the following HMW question:

How might we connect donors to the impact of their contributions in order to inspire lasting generosity?

How might we connect donors to the impact of their contributions in order to inspire lasting generosity?

Step 2: Website Evaluation

Analyzing the User Journey

With a clear understanding of the problem and the user’s need for meaningful connection to build and sustain donations, we evaluated Charity: Water’s landing page and donation experience.

During this process, we identified four major issues:

Usability Issues

Different Experience
Various entry points lead to inconsistent landing pages (Left is though google search, right is through adds)

1

Limited Visibility. While multiple donation methods are available, they are not prominently displayed, making it challenging for users to explore options beyond credit/debit cards.

4

Unclear Causes Donors struggle to understand which programs their contributions support. Is not consistent on both pages.

3

Disconnected Narrative. The storytelling is uninspiring, making the mission and impact feel unclear.

2

The evaluation highlighted inconsistencies and a lack of narrative on the landing page, which limited its ability to inspire donations.

While transparency was present, it lacked the emotional connection and storytelling to engage donors.

Solution Goals

Trust

Enhance transparency and trust for

first-time donors.

Narrative

Engage new users through a more cohesive and inspiring narrative.

Path

Streamlined donation path that maximizes opportunities for contributions.

Step 3: Ideation

Shaping the Solutions

With a clear plan in place, we began by creating solution sketches and developing into wireframes ready for user testing.

Step 4: Testing

Iteration and Refinement Cycle

Iteration and Refinement

We then conducted user testing and used a prioritization matrix to ensure our users can complete the task flow.

Step 5: Branding & Solution

Bringing the Mission to Life

After addressing the tester's feedback, it was time to incorporate the brand identity into the final prototype.

We examined various branding elements, including typography, color, and imagery, to establish a cohesive identity.

Charity: Water has an extensive library of assets that we used to improve the design. Additionally, the team created custom design elements to enhance the brand's visual identity even more.


We explored branding elements such as typography, color, and imagery to create a cohesive and impactful identity.

Charity: Water has a robust library that we leveraged to enhance the visual storytelling. Additionally, the team developed unique design elements.

Prototype not showing? Access file here.

Our Solution

For the Landing Page, we crafted a narrative that guides donors through the charity's impact on the cause, emphasizes the importance of addressing the issue, and highlights specific projects they can support.


Conclusion

Our design solution enhances Charity: Water’s ability to connect with donors by providing a clear narrative, showcasing their mission and impact, and centralizing donation options. Donors can now confidently explore programs, understand where their contributions go, and choose from multiple giving methods, fostering trust, engagement, and lasting generosity.

Key Learnings

  • A warm, approachable voice and tone enhance user engagement and create a welcoming experience.

  • Emotional connection and trust are the most powerful motivators for donations.

  • While Charity: Water has excellent content—images, stories, and impactful results—the lack of a clear narrative diminishes its potential.

Next Steps

  • Enhance Visual Storytelling: Incorporate testimonials, videos, and other multimedia elements to make the narrative more compelling and relatable.

  • Conduct Further User Testing: Perform a second round of user testing to evaluate whether the improved visual identity strengthens the narrative and donor engagement.

  • Expand Content: Add an "About" page and include the organization’s history to reinforce credibility.

Credits

This project was a collaborative effort made possible by the exceptional teamwork of talented designers Vuoni Unuigbe, Michelle Murray, and Ashley Cabrera. Their skills and insights were instrumental to our success. I am grateful not only for the opportunity to contribute but also for the chance to learn and grow alongside such inspiring teammates.