OVERVIEW

Background

Teachers spend their own money on students, and we need donors to help. But donors are unsure because they don't know much about it and want to be sure their help makes a real difference. We need to build trust and explain things clearly to get everyone involved.

Challenge

To simplify the crowdfunding process for education, making it easier for donors to find fundraisers and feel assured in their choice to contribute.

Outcome

Continuing our work with getGFTD, our team crafted a donation feature centered on transparency for donors. This feature empowers donors to effortlessly find and support their selected teachers, see the impact, and contribute to a stronger community. Prioritizing users benefits donors, teachers, and students collectively.

PROJECT GOAL

GFTD

EMPOWER

Develop a simple donation feature for confident contributions to education crowdfunding.

INFO

Team

3 UX Designers

Role

UX / UI Designer & Researcher

Prototyper

Timeline

6 weeks ( June - August 2023 )

Tools

Figma , Google Suite

DESIGN THINKING PROCESS

1

EMPATHIZE

User Research
User Interview
Competitive Analysis
Affinity Mapping

2

DEFINE

Persona
Problem statement
Design Goals

3

IDEAT

Design Studio
& Sketches

4

DESIGN

Wireframes
Branding
Hi-Fi Mockups
Prototyping

5

TEST & REFINE

Usability Testing
Design Iteration

CLIENT BRIEF

Streamlining gift exchanges through digital wishlists and reducing plastic waste.

getGFTD, a mobile app for streamlined gift-giving via digital wishlists, is expanding into charity. While the app facilitates gift exchanges the website lacks a gifting feature, a gap we are addressing in this project by adding the functionality.

UNDERSTANDING THE USERS

Major insights & key findings

I interviewed eight donors aged 38-55, comprising parents and affluent community members who have previously supported schools. Employing a semi-structured approach, I explored their needs and challenges. The resulting insights were organized into an affinity map, spotlighting key themes from the interviews.

Personal Connection

Donors are often inspired by a personal connection to individuals or causes.

Transparency

Donors value transparency, seeking clear communication on how their contributions will be used to build trust in the donation process.

Tangible Impact

Donors find joy in seeing their contributions make a real impact, bringing satisfaction and a sense of reward, which fuels ongoing support for positive change.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Finding market gaps

I analyzed four major fundraising platforms, with a specific focus on three platforms crafted for education. Given teachers' reliance on computers, these online platforms align well with our project.

To address existing gaps in crowdfunding platforms:

Real-Time Updates

Gap: Limited real-time communication.

Opportunity: Implement instant updates for donors to see the ongoing impact.

Direct Communication

Gap: Lack of direct donor-teacher interaction.

Opportunity: Introduce messaging features for direct communication.

Enhanced Transparency

Gap: Current transparency could be more detailed.

Opportunity: Offer visual breakdowns for increased transparency and donor confidence.

PERSONA

Walk in Mark's Shoes

Now it was time to think about who we were designing for. Drawing from the data, our user was an accountant, who passionately supports education for a better future, focusing on transparency and impact in donations to improve learning environments and drive positive systemic change.

BIOGRAPHY

Mark is a 50-year-old father of two who values education and wants the best for his children. He strongly believes that education is the key to a better future, and every child deserves access to quality education. He is always looking for ways to give back to society, and supporting education is his top priority.

BEHAVIOR

Prefers to donate online.
Always looking for ways to make a positive impact.
Cautious about where his money is going.

FRUSTRATIONS

Mark is cautious about the credibility of the educational causes he supports.
He feels frustrated by the lack of transparency in the donation process, questioning the impact of his contributions.
Mark finds it challenging to keep track of the progress of the educational causes he supports.

PROFILE

Name: Mark

Location: Baltimore, MD

Age: 50 years old

Job: Accountant

Gender: Male

NEEDS & GOALS

Ensure donations positively impact students and teachers.
Maintain confidence in the effective use of his contributions.
Support teachers in creating better learning environments.
Make a positive difference in the education system for his children and all students.

PROBLEM

Mark needs a user-friendly platform to discover, donate to, and track the impact of teachers' initiatives, staying motivated through regular updates.

"Transparency is a top priority for me when it comes to donating. I want to know exactly where my donation is going and how it will be used."

"It's important to me that my donation is used effectively and makes a meaningful difference. I want to know that my contribution is making a positive impact and creating meaningful change."

"I am more motivated to donate when there is a personal connection to the person or cause that is requesting the donation."

OPPORTUNITY

How might we create a motivating and user-friendly platform for Mark to easily discover, donate to, and track the impact of teachers' initiatives?

IDEATION

Sketching ideas

We considered the received information and our HMW statement, conducted a design session, and collaboratively identified the best features and layouts. This resulted in a rough website wireframe.

IMG_2406

IMG_2398_edited

IMG_2401

IMG_2406

1/4

SOLUTION 1

Observe three unique types of itemized wishlists

Donors can explore three distinct categories of itemized wishlists and discover personal connections.

SOLUTION 2

Get cost breakdowns and project updates

Donors can gain a transparent understanding of how their contributions will be utilized, fostering trust. They can witness their impact through regular updates.

USABILITY TEST

Testing unveiled two crucial enhancements for the upcoming iteration

Landing Page Issue

The landing page lacked donation process details, causing confusion on other pages

Item Selection Challenge

The process of item selection lacked clarity and ease of use

ITERATION 1

Enhance landing page for clarity on donation process

Wishlists mentioned once, easily missed in a paragraph.

The "Donate" button was unclear; users thought they were donating a sum of money, not contributing to specific items.

Added a section to introduce the website as wishlist-based, setting it apart from typical donation websites

Incorporated a donation process walkthrough to guide users

Shifted transparency section to prioritize donation details

Changed button to clarify wishlists, reducing ambiguity

ITERATION 2

Optimizing Item Selection

Improve the process of selecting items by incorporating e-commerce best practices, with a focus on simplicity and user-friendly features. This approach aims to enhance efficiency and create a more intuitive experience on behalf of the users.

Limited Visibility

Three Wishlist Items at a Time Due to Sticky Buttons

Usability Challenge

'Donate' Button Not Intuitive for Adding Items to Basket

Improvement & Enhancement

Expanded item section for a wider view
Aligned item card UI with e-commerce standards

Wishlist Selection Dilemma

Anticipating to select items in previous page

A 'Quick View' Approach

Enabling Direct Item Selection on Wishlist Page

FINAL PROTOTYPE

From Concept to Creation

Our final prototype enhances the process, allowing donors to effortlessly find and support their selected teachers, monitor the impact of their contributions, and actively participate in building a stronger community.

Try Prototype

RETROSPECTIVE

What insights I gained?

Less Complexity, More Impact

This project reinforced the principle that simplicity often leads to a better user experience. Stripping away unnecessary features and elements allowed us to create a more streamlined, user-friendly product.

Effective Collaboration Paves the Way Forward

Regular check-ins with the client, collecting their feedback on our designs, led to a promising result: the client's keen interest in ongoing collaboration, showcasing the power of working together.

NEXT STEPS

What comes next?

The immediate priorities include refining the prototype based on feedback, collaborating with developers for implementation, planning a transparent launch, and monitoring performance for improvements.