Lounsbury Adaptive
Ski Program
UX Audit & Website Redesign
I created an updated website design to re-introduce LASP and their mission, increase usability for staff and users, increase donation conversions, and ensure a robust foundation to allow future feature integration.
ORIGINAL WEB DESIGN. EXCERPTS FROM UX AUDIT READOUT.
About the Project
LASP goal was to assess whether or not their current website was optimally supporting its mission and goals, and to outline the scope for needed changes and improvements.
Their focus was on improving user experience (mobile friendly, donor friendly, accessibility, aesthetics), as well as creating a foundation for storytelling in a clean, simple format with bold calls to action.
ORIGINAL NAVIGATION. REDESIGNED NAVIGATION.
Designing for users with disparate needs
One of the main considerations I took into account when creating the information architecture and design for this site is the variety of users that will visit it and the goals of the organization. The primary audience, current and future students (and their caregivers/families), visit the site for program information like dates / directions / and qualifications, LASP’s goals and mission statement, and most importantly, how to apply or contact someone.
The secondary audience are donors, who would be donating in various ways, and volunteers. These two audiences visit the site for business reasons, such as understanding the impact of LASP’s programs, following the progress of LASP, as well as finding how to volunteer.
There was a dichotomy in how the site needed to present: the work needed to feel approachable, and answer a lot of questions, but also inspire and excite users.
Additional challenges were creating designs that would work in low bandwidth situations, and designing for users who are neurodivergent/neuroatypical. I consulted a subject matter expert during the design process.
Without the ability to interview users, I designed based on the client’s description of users, insights from Google Analytics reporting and my knowledge of common donor personas based on my experience in nonprofit.
DONATION CTA ON HOMEPAGE. NEW DONATION PAGE WIREFRAME.
Improved Navigation
The site’s navigation had confusing information architecture. There was a mix of intuitive descriptive categories that followed a predictable pattern, but some of the navigation elements didn’t make sense.
The primary audience’s key actions are featured in the primary navigation (Adaptive Ski Program, Financial Aid, Support). We know that the majority of the users are coming to the site to get information about LASP’s program, and it’s important that that information is clearly displayed to users when they land to convey the feeling of transparency and increase findability.
A critical part of the project was understanding LASP’s constraints - technical capacity, resourcing, and organizational priorities and prioritizing design efforts, and providing strategic recommendations for future website updates.
Since LASP’s users have to navigate low bandwidth environments, as well as are comprised of users with various disabilities, I recommended getting user feedback after the launch of v1, as well as noting benchmark Google Analytics performance to begin evaluating the new design for efficacy.
HOMEPAGE ITERATIONS.
New Donation Flow
An important part of any nonprofit design is to strategically communicate how to support the organization and to effectively build trust by showing how donations are used.
The hierarchy of the page flowed from the primary action we wanted users to take (donate money), to providing context (about LASP and how funds are used), to other ways to give, to business involvement.
Business driven donation is a new funnel for LASP, so I included it in the mockup, but when it will actually be implemented is to be determined. This is why you’ll see we don’t have all the copy, actions, or full page design created (for example the Corporate Giving page).
Designing without knowing all the information is a really important skill in web design, and a skill I have a lot of practice in. I was able to produce the best design I could, with the information I had at the time, for a part of the organization that was not fully idealized yet. It was a critical step to making progress in their strategic plan.
Ultimately my designs for this portion served as a way for stakeholders to understand what they might need in the future, and ensure the website could grow in this way when necessary.
Additional Wireframes
Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP) is a small nonprofit in the upstate NY area that teaches persons of various disabilities to become skiers and experience a degree of freedom, confidence and independence previously unknown to them.
And while you’re there, considering donating to support their impactful work.