Redesigning web presence for a non-profit.
Web Design + Development, UX Architecture
4 MONTHS - INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association is a non-profit organization in Hartford, CT that was looking to audit and modernize their website to enhance their web presence.
Tools
Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, Flipcause
Methods
Wireframing, Brand Management, Web Development
The Challenge
I connected with the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association (AHNA) through a skills-based volunteering organization Catchafire, that makes skills-based connections between professional volunteers and non-profits.
Representatives from AHNA felt that their original site was outdated and in need of a stronger visual design. A Beta site in Flipcause had been started but needed refining of the architecture and a stronger visual design language.
In our debriefing meeting for the website audit and redesign, project coordinator Bernie illuminated a silver thread running through the history of Asylum Hill of community, compassion, and philanthropy. Learning about the organization’s history, culture, and needs would help to guide the design of the new website.
The Original Website
AHNA’s original website.
Design Approach
The new site has a lighter, more modern look with cleaner navigation, clear value proposition, and uses color to unify. A hero image replaces the carousel, utilizing photography taken by the project coordinator, header images highlight the people that make up the Asylum Hill neighborhood. The clearly articulated history and vision of their organization helped identify a design direction.
The visual identity of the website draws from the organization’s story, describing the organizations through the communities that create webs of care. The color overlays also serve to visually organize the now reduced site hierarchy of the website (i.e Resources, Committees, etc).
On the home page, a ‘Support Us’ button provides a clear call to action. The most important information-seeking tasks - news and events - are surfaced directly on the landing page.
