Website Redesign
Increasing desirable donations by consolidating information
Redesign of the existing “Donate Goods” webpage to attract desirable donations, increase interest, and drive sales.
Timeline
Team
Role
2 Week Sprint
Lucy G
Jessica H
Jessica W
UX Designer
UX Researcher
THE CLIENT
Vinnies, short for the St. Vincent de Paul Society, is a charitable organization that assists vulnerable individuals and communities through various programs and services. These include emergency relief, homelessness support, food assistance, financial aid, and advocacy for social justice.
THE PROBLEM
Vinnies have seen a surge in consumer donations of "expired" or "out-of-trend" items.
While this boosts the organisation’s inventory, our help was needed to design a user experience that educates the public on the benefits of sustainable products, with the aim of encouraging desirable donations.
THE SOLUTION
A redesigned "donating goods" webpage that aligns with Vinnies’ branding and is easy to implement.
The team and I leveraged existing assets such as branding collateral, articles and organisation policies to create a cohesive page that consolidates information on where donations go and who it can impact.
This solution allowed us to bridge the knowledge gap, enabling donors to make informed donations that are beneficial to both the organisation and the community they are serving.
OUR RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROCESS
MARKET TRENDS
A ton of waste, literally.
Before diving into industry trends, it was vital for our team to examine the greater environmental context that may shape donor motivations. This involved exploring the clothing lifecycle and its environmental implications.
We discovered that:
In Australia, a staggering 800,000 tonnes of clothing and textiles are discarded yearly, with 90% making their way to landfills
Despite the common practice of donating unwanted clothing to charities, it costs organisations $13 million for the disposal of unusable donations
Whilst contributing to the production of 60,000 tonnes of waste.
On the flip side: Thrifting for profit
We wanted to explore what was going on, on the consumer side of things:
Our research uncovered a recent trend of “thrift flipping” which involves buying second-hand clothing from thrift stores and reselling it online for profit.
Thrift flipping has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially among younger generations who are concerned about sustainability and waste reduction.
However, this practice can also inadvertently contribute to the gentrification of thrift stores and in turn, displace low-income individuals from accessing affordable clothing.
Who’s donating?
Upon exploring the patterns of people’s donating behaviour, we found:
A noticeable surge in giving and donations, both in Australia and globally
Older Australians are more likely to engage in donating activities
Whereas, younger Australians demonstrate a stronger inclination towards supporting environmental and social justice-related causes
ACADEMIC STUDIES
A way to increase charitable donations...
To understand current trends in in-kind donations (goods and services), we reviewed existing literature but found limited studies on enhancing in-kind donation quality. Instead, we turned to a recent meta-review of over 1,300 studies and 2 million participants which revealed that monetary donations could be increased through:
While the focus of the meta-analysis was on improving monetary donations, we can still draw connections and explore ways to apply these strategies to improve the quality of donated goods.
MARKET POSITIONING
Successful competitors have a strong social media presence, which is vital for engaging younger audiences.
Recognising the role of social media in reaching younger users, we plotted competitors based on their digital presence, focusing on metrics like social media followers and participation in charity programs.
We found Vinnies' digital presence lacking in comparison:
Dispersed Social Media Strategy: Vinnies uses multiple social media platforms but lacks a centralized approach, leading to scattered content.
Inconsistent Updates: Platforms like Instagram are regularly updated, while TikTok receives less attention. This may lead to lower engagement levels due to the lack of uniformity in content updates.
FIELD STUDY
Salvos and Vinnies regularly receive dirty, damaged and dangerous items
To kickstart our user research, each team member visited their closest Vinnies and Salvation Army and conducted interviews with workers and volunteers to gain a better understanding of the donation space in each city.
We discovered that:
Both Salvos and Vinnies regularly receive DDD (dirty, damaged and dangerous) items such as rubbish, knives and animal remains.
While there's a recycling program to tackle land waste, the majority of items are discarded if recycling isn't possible.
Donors often indiscriminately dump items, lacking awareness of donation guidelines.
USER INTERVIEWS
We conducted 65 interviews with both donors and non-donors
To support our secondary research, we interviewed donors and non-donors to gain deeper insights into their experiences and expectations during the donation process, asking questions such as:
“Can you walk me through your last donation experience?”
“What prompted you to donate?”
“How do you feel after you donate?”
We then organised our insights into groups and highlighted the key trends.
The interviews revealed 6 key findings:
SURVEYS
We received 66 survey responses from the general public
Additionally, we carried out a general survey to further validate and gather quantitative data, asking questions such as:
“What motivates you to donate?”
“What prevents you from donating to a charity?”
Here are our key insights:
ARCHETYPE BRAINSTORMING
Conflicting user behaviour led us to create three different archetypes
As we compiled our insights, we encountered conflicting user behaviours. Rather than attempting to solve for everything, we created three archetypes:
The Social Donor - Donates infrequently when prompted by their inner circles
The Informed Donor - Donates regularly to causes they believe in
The Practical Donor - Donates when it benefits them, such as spring cleaning
This approach enabled us to narrow down to specific behaviours and address them more effectively.
As well as sufficient insights to support this archetype:
We voted on the most feasible, beneficial archetype for Vinnies & their users
To decide which archetype would be the most valuable to solve for, our team examined the strengths and weaknesses of each archetype, as well as aligning with Vinnies’ key objectives to:
Enhance community awareness about the impact of fast fashion and
Encourage the donation of higher quality items
We then conducted a team vote to decide on the archetype that was the:
Most feasible to solve within our constraints and
Will provide immediate value for both Vinnies and it’s donors.
We converged on the “Informed Donor” archetype as they have the lowest barrier of entry
Lower barrier to entry:
Self-motivated donors who already have a habit of researching and supporting causes they believe in
They do not rely on external influences such as their inner circles or self-serving events to make donation decisions
Thus easier to appeal to compared to the other archetypes, allowing us to further encourage this existing behaviour
EMPATHY MAP
Understanding the Informed Donor
Before finalising our archetype, we delve into the mindset of the 'Informed Donor' to understand their actions and emotions to better
align our strategies with their motivations.
This exercise helped us to emphasize more deeply with the user, enhancing our understanding of their needs and wants. And thus, we were able to build out our archetype more clearly.
ARCHETYPE
Meet the Informed Donor
Self-driven to research charities before giving, they strive to ensure their donations not only reach those in need but also create meaningful change.
FORMULATING THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
With our user identified, we needed to define their main problem.
To conclude that…
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The informed donor needs to know where their donations go so that they can help people in need.
JOURNEY MAP
The journey map allowed us to identify the ‘research’ phase as the intervention point.
Here, the donor struggles with the lack of information on the:
Destination and
Impact of their donation
We recognised this as an opportunity to provide the most value to the user and prevent early drop-offs, thereby reducing the negative impact on Vinnies business.
REFRAMING THE PROBLEM
How might we…
Build donor confidence?
Show where their donations go?
How their donations are helping people?
With these two pain points identified in the user journey, we needed to make sure we ideated on the right problem. Hence, we reframed the problem into three “How Might We” statements
Following a series of ideation workshops for each How Might We statement, two recurring solutions emerged.
We assessed that a visual donation lifecycle would add the most value to the user
Based on the criteria of feasibility, impact and value we considered the following options:
Testimonials and Infographics: While feasible, this idea posed challenges in maintaining a consistent and comprehensive narrative. The impact might be limited due to the segmented nature of the information presented.
Donation lifecycle: Whilst requiring more interactive elements, we agreed this idea would add the most user value. It offers a consolidated, step-by-step guide to the entire donation process, ensuring complete transparency.
WINNING IDEA
A visual ‘donation lifecycle’ that informs donors about where their contributions go and who they can help
We hypothesized: A visual 'donation lifecycle' would help users gain a clearer understanding of how their donations are utilized and who benefits from them. Furthermore, a holistic view of the donation process will make the Informed Donor feel more confident and reassured about their contributions to Vinnies.
But how and where should we implement our solution?…
THE EXISTING WEBPAGE
Refining the existing ‘Donate Goods’ page to make it more feasible for the business
In determining the best approach to implement our solution, we examined the Vinnies website and found that:
The current Vinnies site already features an information page on goods donations, that we can refine instead of starting from scratch.
This approach is also more feasible for the business to implement.
This is supported by secondary research that found that desktop users were 75% more likely to convert to donate than those visiting via a mobile device.
Developing and maintaining an app will be more costly and does not align with the user’s basic need for information access
Hence, it makes more sense to redesign an existing webpage that is also mobile responsive.
Moreover, information that should be applicable nationwide was only available on the Western Australia Vinnies page
This included information describing the:
The donation lifecycle diagram
How Vinnies processes and receives goods and
How goods are sold in stores
These findings further validated our chosen approach:
By revamping the goods donation page to consolidate all relevant information, we could more effectively meet our users' desire to understand the destination and impact of their donations.
Existing goods donation page
Testing the ‘Donate Goods’ web page with 5 people revealed that users struggled to find content that described their impact
Before moving forward, we wanted to assess the validity of developing our idea. We achieved this by testing the existing page with five users to identify key pain points and opportunity areas to address in our Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
“I expected all the information I needed to be on the “Donate Goods” page...but everything is scattered”
DEVELOPING THE MVP
A task flow focused on transparency & education
Our task flow is tailored to enhance understanding with the donation process. Our research indicated a need for clarity on how donations are used and their impact.
From this, our team outlined 8 steps our donor had to take to ensure they feel informed, valued and ready to donate.
Prioritising features for user value & feasibility
We determined what features from our task flow to include in our MVP by prioritising them according to what would bring the most value to our informed donor whilst requiring minimal effort to implement.
Hierarchy of needs to ensure our solution is well-rounded
The hierarchy of needs allowed us to narrow down and identify the key features for our MVP. It ensured that our solution was not only functional at it’s core, but also reliable, user friendly and emotionally resonates with the user.
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
As we proceeded to move forward, we noticed that Vinnies had recently revamped their website:
The goods donation page now featured an accordion menu to streamline the content presentation.
Despite this, the content remain unchanged from the previous version and information related to the donation process is still scattered
Although there is a section below the accordion menu highlighting the benefits of donating, it lacked compelling visuals and sufficient statistical to engage users effectively
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Despite these changes, most of the content relevant to our project was still present on the website.
As such, our content strategy was to reference existing content
We identified the donation lifecycle diagram from Vinnies Western Australia as a model that could be implemented nationally
With this in mind, we opted to restructure the page content by presenting a clear, step-by-step guide based on Vinnies’ actual donation process
We aim to preserve Vinnies’ engaging, action-oriented language to effectively communicate their commitment to tackling social issues
TESTING THE UPDATED WEB PAGE
Testing the updated web page with 3 people revealed that users still struggled to locate information about their impact
Before we moved on to wire framing, we tested the revamped site to identify any remaining issues and opportunities. Each user was tasked with understanding where their donations go and who benefits from them.
We found that:
2/3 users skimmed through the information on the page
2/3 users did not feel a strong personal connection to the information in the impact section, citing the language as too impersonal and lacking engagement.
All users struggled to find information on the processing and destination of their donations
2/3 users wanted specific details about the impact of their donations, rather than broad statements like “donations received helped 1.3 million Australians.”
LOW-FI TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT
Testing with 5 users led us to reintegrate the existing accordion menu and replace the donation lifecycle format with a sidebar navigation system
Our testing revealed that:
Most users found the cyclical format unappealing, alongside the excessive scrolling required to access the next step.
They preferred clearer headings and seeing the impact of their donation first.
Furthermore, users tended to focus on clicking through the cycle rather than focusing on the actual content body.
As we looked to develop our mid-fi prototype, I raised that interactive features such as the cycle did not add value to the user’s main need ‘to feel informed about their contribution.”
Adjustments made as we moved into mid-fi:
Replacing the donation lifecycle format in favour of a sidebar navigation system for easier browsing
Streamlining the content by using clearer headers and icons to improve information clarity
Keeping the accordion menu from the existing Vinnies site to streamline user access to needed information
Demonstrating user impact first over other content
Consolidating state-specific impact reports from various Vinnies sites for convenient access
Incorporating real-life profiles of beneficiaries who have directly benefited from donations to create a stronger emotional connection with users by showcasing the tangible impact of their donation
MID-FI TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT
Testing with another 5 people revealed that users understood their impact and felt ready to donate, but desired more context about the beneficiaries
Our testing revealed that:
Users preferred scrolling for navigation but appreciated the sidebar option for quicker access to information.
The combination of iconography and text in the impact section proved highly effective in conveying information efficiently.
The accordion menu was also found to be highly intuitive, with users only accessing items they needed.
Additionally, personal profiles in the impact section resonated strongly with all users, fostering deeper emotional connections.
Users felt confident enough to proceed with a donation after reviewing the content.
Adjustments made as we moved into hi-fi:
Enhancing the content on the page by:
Using more concise language and
Providing additional context where necessary such as in the
“Who you can help section”.
VISUAL DESIGN
A design system that is consistent with existing brand guidelines
To streamline the development of our prototype, we crafted a simple design system.
Given Vinnie’s latest website rebranding, we opted to incorporate the same:
Colours
Fonts
Imagery and
Design language to maintain brand consistency and provide a cohesive website experience.
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
From Hesitation to Action: Informing users to make a positive impact
Sticky side navigation
Easily access different sections of the page without needing to scroll
Accordion menu
Select and view topics of interest without overwhelming the page with information, allowing for a personalised browsing experience
Testimonials
Click on the "Read more" button to explore stories of Vinnies beneficiaries from different states, demonstrating the positive impacts Vinnies has had on their lives.
Fosters an emotional connection, going beyond mere text and statistics
Store locator
Once users are informed and ready to act, the store locator helps them easily locate their nearest Vinnies store for making a donation.
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1. 4/4 users achieved a 100% scroll depth, reading through every heading and subtext. They valued the ease of access to information, finding it both easy to digest and understand.
2. 3/4 users felt that the impact reports adequately provided the transparency they expected.
3. 2/4 users frequently used the sidebar to navigate through the page, finding the titles effectively guided them to their intended sections.
4. 4/4 users reported feeling well-informed and confident about donating, citing their ability to easily locate all the essential information
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Our MVP is the consolidated information provided on Vinnies’ Goods Donations page.
Based on our research, we've restructured the Goods Donation page by consolidating the most relevant details such as user impact, donation process, and guidelines. This approach thoroughly informs and empowers potential donors, guiding them to make a positive impact through their contributions to Vinnies.
The key metrics to measure this would be:
- Scroll depth
- Bounce rate
- Number of users entering their postcodes to find their nearest Vinnies
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1. A centralized hub for donation information encourages users to choose Vinnies as their primary donation resource.
2. Enhanced clarity on donation impact encourages user advocacy, driving organic growth through word-of-mouth.
3. Increases user interaction by clearly demonstrating the effect of donations, encouraging more frequent and meaningful contributions.
4. Strengthens community ties by showcasing local beneficiary stories, creating a sense of connection and urgency to contribute
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1. Staying True to Research:
We realized the importance of always connecting our decisions back to our initial research and the problem statement. This helped ensure that our actions were aligned with the project's overarching goals.
2. Embracing the Process:We learned to understand the purpose of each task and to trust the process, even when the outcomes were unclear. We found that sometimes not knowing the immediate next step was part of the journey. We had to remind ourselves not to jump to solutions too early and to avoid imposing our preconceived ideas on the tasks.
3. Adapting to User Feedback:There were moments when our usability testing yielded unexpected results. For example, when people did not find the donation lifecycle user-friendly even when it was a part of our MVP. Instead of resisting or ignoring these findings, we embraced the feedback. This approach led us to adjust our design to better meet user needs, teaching us the value of being flexible and responsive to user behaviours.
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1. Further test and validate the solution design to gather user feedback and address pain points.
2. Create an interactive and responsive page for better cross-device user experience.
3. Implement stronger social media and marketing strategies to enhance social media presence.
4. Collect and analyse metrics to assess design performance and make data-driven improvements.