Central texas
feline rescue
SubHeader
Platform: Web, Chrome Extension
Role: UX Designer.
Tools: Figma, Notion, Adobe Creative, Google Suite.
Timeline: 12 weeks
Screens Produced: 46+
Process: Research, Ideation, Prototyping, Testing. Repeat.
OVERVIEW
The Business
Founded in 2007 – C.T.F.R. is a non-profit organization located in Austin, Texas, whose volunteers feed and manage over 145 feral cats in dozens of colonies daily.
With the support of donors, they help feral cats live out their best days with the safety of clean food, water, and medical care.
The problem
The outdated and disorganized website presents a significant challenge for users, hindering their ability to navigate effectively and complicates their ability to locate the information they need.
Moreover, the absence of branding elements fails to establish an emotional connection with users, impacting their involvement with the rescue. .
the goal
Craft a website that fosters empathy and resonates with the organization's mission and values, aiming to boost donations and volunteer involvement.
Establish a robust and cohesive brand identity to instill trust in users and enhance the perception of legitimacy, ultimately driving increased donations.
heuristic evaluation
Unveiling bad User Experience
I initiated the research process by conducting a Heuristic Evaluation of the website.
The findings were stark: numerous design principles were neglected, resulting in an outdated, unappealing, and disorganized appearance that significantly impacted the user experience and affected the business’ goals.
The initial usability test
users struggled to navigate the site
I conducted five Zoom interviews and several live interviews to glean insights about the website.
My primary goal was to validate:
Whether users could successfully complete core tasks, such as locating the donation button.
The ease or difficulty users experienced while navigating the website, such as finding a list of cats for adoption.
Overall impressions of the website's aesthetics.
User interview
What motivate donor to give?
CTFR is a non-profit that relies on donor support. Understanding the reasons why donors choose to contribute—whether financially or through volunteering — was essential to crafting a user experience that not only engages them effectively but also motivates continued support for the organization. Here are the key insights gathered:
Users emphasize the importance of shelters having a stronger social media presence to effectively engage younger generations and encourage active participation in the non-profit's activities and initiatives.
Respondents advocate for organizations to provide alternative donation methods beyond monetary contributions.
Users are motivated to contribute through donations or volunteering when they can clearly understand the tangible impact of their contributions.
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As a user researcher, my focus was on uncovering three key objectives:
Strategies to enhance donations for Central Texas Feline Rescue.
Methods to effectively communicate our mission and values to a broader donor base.
Actions to guarantee the website's usability and accessibility for all users.
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I utilized Google Forms to conduct an online survey, aiming to identify patterns and commonalities among potential users' preferences.
Additionally, I conducted interviews both over Zoom and in person to gather comprehensive data.
Key insights
persona
This is Elisa Maria and her rescued cat, Snowball!
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Raise Awareness: Elisa aims to bring more attention to animal rescue organizations and their efforts.
Connect with Like-minded Individuals: She wants to meet others who share her passion for helping animals.
Increase Personal Impact: Elisa is determined to dedicate more of her time and resources to animal welfare and rescue initiatives.
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Advocacy for Animals: Elisa is deeply passionate about animals, especially those in need of rescue, and she often uses her time and social platforms to promote these causes.
Encouraging Others: She actively encourages her followers, friends, and family to support animal organizations and get involved in any way they can, whether through donations or volunteer work.
Community Engagement: Elisa stays engaged with local animal rescue groups, attending events, sharing posts, and helping to spread awareness about the importance of animal welfare.
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Lack of Transparency in Donations: Elisa is frustrated by the fact that many animal rescue organizations do not clearly disclose how donations are being spent, which undermines trust and transparency.
Limited Public Awareness: She is concerned that there is a lack of education around the role and importance of animal rescue organizations, making it harder to rally broader support for their missions.
Underrepresented on Social Media: Elisa feels that many animal rescue organizations don’t utilize social media to its full potential, missing an opportunity to engage a larger audience and increase visibility for their cause.
Elisa is a 40-year-old single woman who lives in Austin with her rescued cat, Snowball. During the week, she works as a teacher, and in her spare time, she serves as a social media advocate for animal causes. Elisa is an outgoing and caring individual who enjoys spending her free time outdoors with friends. Her passion for animals and community involvement drives her to continually seek new volunteer opportunities to support causes she believes in.
storyboarding
A user's quest to support animal rescue efforts
This visual narrative captures the motivations, challenges, and emotions users experience as they navigate the process of contributing to animal shelters — whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading awareness. By focusing on their goals and pain points, the storyboard highlights opportunities to design solutions that make supporting animal rescue both seamless and rewarding.
ideate
information architecture
For Central Texas Feline Rescue, streamlining information organization was a top priority. The existing website struggled with an overly long navigation bar, redundant content, and empty pages, making it difficult for users to find what they needed. To resolve these issues, I designed a new, carefully structured site map to improve usability, ensuring users can quickly access relevant information, accomplish their tasks efficiently, and seamlessly continue with their day.
prototypes
Low and Mid Fidelity
For Central Texas Feline Rescue, streamlining information organization was a top priority. The existing website struggled with an overly long navigation bar, redundant content, and empty pages, making it difficult for users to find what they needed. To resolve these issues, I designed a new, carefully structured site map to improve usability, ensuring users can quickly access relevant information, accomplish their tasks efficiently, and seamlessly continue with their day.
user insights
74% of users found the new website visually appealing and easy to navigate
Here are more key insights gathered during usability testing to further elevate the user experience:
Positives insights
of users found the new website both visually appealing and easy to navigate, appreciating its overall design and user-friendly interface.
of users valued reading testimonials from other volunteers, as it helped build trust and motivated them to get involved.
of users began by searching for information about the organization on the homepage, indicating that it serves as the primary starting point for visitors.
areas for improvement
of users found the FAQs helpful, their frequent repetition across multiple pages caused frustration and disrupted the navigation flow.
of users felt the secondary navigation appeared redundant, suggesting a need to streamline and clarify the site structure.
design system and brading
balancing visual appeal with functionality
It’s time to establish a comprehensive UI Style Guide to ensure consistency, strengthen the user interface, and elevate the business’s branding. Here's a sample with the main elements.
Final Screens
Final thoughts and lessons learned
REFLECTING FORWARD
During testing, we learned that Central Texas Feline Rescue's redesigned website motivates and empowers users to donate and understand the importance of their donations’ impact by creating a connection with their organization.
Design decisions were meticulously tailored to adhere to the organization's financial constraints and immediate needs, ensuring both practicality and efficacy while navigating the limitations of the CMS platform.
The organization reported an increase in donations by 26% and interest in adoption by 14%. The rescue is actively seeking more volunteers to join their cause and contribute to their growth.
The next steps include, but are not limited to refining visuals and design elements and adjusting the design as the organization grows after collecting more data from tests and users.
Thanks for reading through! ✨
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