Optimizing the Website for Donations
Food Education Australia is a non-profit focused on Food education for kids and sustainability. It empowers individuals, especially youth, to make informed food choices through cooking classes, workshops, and community outreach. Their programs address food literacy, social enterprise, disaster resilience, food justice, and sustainability, aiming to reduce health disparities and promote environmental stewardship.
Service
UX Design
Client
Food Education Australia
Year
2024
Food Education Australia
Website Optimization
THE CHALLENGE
The project brief revealed four key touchpoints crucial for enhancing user engagement.
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Optimize Food Education Australia’s homepage for donor conversions and streamline the donation process.
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Enhance user experience with a persuasive content strategy and intuitive donation pathways.
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Balance raising donations with encouraging volunteer community engagement.
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Improve donor engagement through refined website design, content, and user journeys.
MY ROLE
I designed a donation-focused landing page using Figma to boost conversion rates. My role involved comprehensive product analysis, strategic planning, a competitive audit, user interviews, and iterative design improvements to craft an optimized solution.
KICKOFF
Stakeholder Interview
The team met with the founder, Kay, who outlined her vision, project goals, and strategic plan for Food Education Australia.
Insights from stakeholder interview
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Shifting to grassroots engagement, focusing on middle- and low-income donors with transparent, impactful initiatives.
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Plan to Launch an online platform to enhance donor and volunteer engagement with balanced recognition.
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Focusing on food safety, volunteer training, and tackling food insecurity, with a rebrand to engage new audiences through compelling storytelling.
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Promoted science-based information and culturally appropriate food distribution through planned collaborations with universities and community groups.
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Targeting small contributions from large groups while refining user journeys and enhancing digital platforms with impactful storytelling and improved user experience.
Target Audience
Donors
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Age: 30+
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Individuals with the resources to contribute are motivated to support meaningful causes and create a positive impact within their community.
Volunteers
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Age: 50+
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Predominantly women who are deeply committed to community involvement and enthusiastic about promoting food literacy and wellness.
Deliverables
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Conduct user research with the target audience to gather insights to shape and refine the design solution.
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Deliver a UX design improvement that aligns with the project goals and effectively enhances the overall user experience.
FEA's Theory of Change
IDENTIFY
UX Opportunity Canvas
Based on stakeholder insights, I created a UX Opportunity Canvas to identify key areas for improvement and align design solutions with business goals and user needs.
#1 Business problem
What problem does the business have that you are trying to solve?
The charity currently struggles with visibility, making it difficult to attract new donors. Additionally, there’s a decline in donor retention, with challenges in maintaining the existing user base.
#2 Business Outcomes
How do you know that you solved the business problem? What will you measure?
We can measure success by tracking increased website traffic and comparing it to the number of new donors. This will help assess whether the changes effectively attract and convert more visitors into supporters.
#3 Users
Who are you trying to help the most? What users and customers are they?
I’m focusing on users who recognise the importance of food literacy and seek meaningful, long-term donation opportunities, such as parents, especially mothers, who are invested in their children’s well-being. Additionally, I’m targeting corporations looking to make impactful food-related donations for tax deductions.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Competitive Analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis to understand market trends, benchmark performance, and identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
I selected eight websites for comparison, categorizing them into direct and indirect competitors based on their location and the specific focus areas of their organizations.
Click on the image to view the details
Insights from stakeholder interview
A detailed competitive audit was conducted, examining both direct and indirect competitors. This included an evaluation of elements such as user experience (UX), website and mobile interface design, navigation, branding, and content effectiveness.
Key Findings
1. Authentic Visuals and Content
Successful platforms, like Kids Giving Back and OzHarvest, effectively leveraged real-life imagery and user testimonials to create authentic, engaging experiences. This approach enhanced their credibility and fostered a sense of community involvement.
2. Clear Value Proposition and Messaging
Strong examples included impactful one-liners tailored to their target audiences and clearly communicated unique value propositions. This helped users immediately understand the organization’s purpose and offerings.
3. Navigation and Accessibility
Smooth navigation and intuitive layout were key strengths for standout platforms. However, many competitors faced challenges in mobile optimization, often resulting in desktop-like experiences being poorly rearranged for smaller screens.
4. Visual Design and Branding
Effective competitors used vivid, user-friendly designs that resonated with their target audiences. Conversely, platforms with inconsistent visuals or outdated branding faced higher user friction.
Recommendations
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Enhance Authenticity: Incorporate user stories, testimonials, and visual elements that connect emotionally with the audience.
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Tailored Messaging: Develop concise, impactful messaging that clearly articulates the organization’s value.
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Optimized Navigation: Ensure a smooth experience with intuitive navigation.
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Consistent and Engaging Visual Design: Apply cohesive branding and visually engaging elements to create a memorable user experience.
This audit provided actionable insights to shape a user-centred solution that leverages best practices from competitors while addressing common pitfalls.
THE DISCOVERY
User Interview
I recruited three participants to conduct interviews focused on their donation experiences and the usability of the FEA website. The goal was to gain deeper insights into user needs, donation experience, pain points, and overall interaction with the website, helping to identify areas for improvement and enhance the user journey.
Interview Insight
Personal Connection
Users are often motivated to donate based on personal experiences or connections, especially to causes that resonate with their struggles or those of loved ones. Religion can also play a significant role in driving this charitable behaviour.
Trust
Trust is key in users’ donation decisions. They value transparency and familiarity with an organization’s work, prioritizing ongoing awareness over detailed financial breakdowns. Community visibility and the trust of others further reinforce their confidence in the cause.
Empathy and Compassion
Users are driven to donate by empathy and compassion. Visual representations of a problem, such as images or videos, evoke emotional responses and inspire action. Understanding the “why” and “who” behind a cause helps them connect more deeply, making them feel their contribution has a tangible impact.
I believe providing access to food should be a higher priority than education. While education is important, meeting immediate needs like food security has a more urgent impact on people’s lives.
Kyle Early 20's /Male
Trust in the organization is essential when I decide to donate. I look for photos or videos showing progress, which reassures me that my contribution is making a real impact and driving meaningful change.
Amy Early 30's /Female
I’d like to see more multimedia content showcasing the impact and better explanations of the problems being solved. Additionally, enhancing the overall branding could help engage users more effectively and create a stronger connection.
Mary Mid 30's /Female
THE COLLABORATION
User Persona & Journey Map (Group Work)
I collaborated with three other designers to develop the user persona, incorporating insights from user interviews. Through this process, we identified three key findings: Lack of communication channels, emotional connection, and social proof. Below are two additional quotes from my colleagues.
I have a strong core belief in making sure people can access nutrition information. I love to give back to my community and often donate to causes where I can see the outcome of my contribution.
Those who make the donation actually don't get anything in return. Nowadays, there are a lot of scams when it comes to money on the internet. If you want us to make a donation, you need to make us feel trusted and appreciated
We collaborated on defining the jobs to be done, while I focused on designing the User Persona and user journey map for the group presentation.
Click the image to view
Click the image to view
Click the image to view
The following Opportunity Insights were derived from our user persona and user journey map, highlighting key areas where the user experience can be improved. By addressing these opportunities, we can create a more seamless, user-centric experience that encourages ongoing support and drives long-term loyalty.
Opportunity Insights
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Simplify website navigation and enhance call-to-action
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Use videos and images for quick scanning, catering to time-constrained users.
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Send regular newsletters to keep FEA top-of-mind.
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Add a credibility page and newsletter subscription button on the homepage.
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Provide clear info on how donations are used to build trust.
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Include an FAQ section to address common concerns.
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Offer personalized receipts and easy donation options like subscriptions and automatic payments.
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Enable sharing through flyers or info packs to boost awareness.
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Gather user feedback to improve the experience.
THE VISUALIZATION
Sketch & 1st Prototype
Based on insights from the competitive audit and user interviews, I designed a user-friendly landing page in Figma for usability testing.
I fixed the donate button at the top for easy access and added a section highlighting food education for children, showcasing the organization’s activities to build trust.
I also included a feature to share weekly educational recipes, boosting engagement and reinforcing the value of the cause.
USABILITY TEST
Test Planning and Key Insights
I had a tight two-week window to develop a prototype and conduct usability testing, which I managed simultaneously. My test group included four individuals, half of whom were participants from earlier user interviews. Their valuable feedback provided insights into how they perceived the design and its messaging.
Test Planning
Key Insights from Testing
The usability testing revealed two critical areas for improvement.
First, users expressed a desire for a stronger emphasis on the urgency of the food education deficit.
Second, they found the page to be text-heavy, suggesting that enhancing visual elements—such as positioning and colour contrast—would improve readability and engagement.
THE OUTCOME
Empowering Communities through Engaging Design
For this project, I designed an intuitive and inspiring user experience for Food Education Australia’s website, prioritizing seamless navigation, trust-building features, and actionable pathways. Using insights from user research, competitive analysis, and usability testing, I simplified the donation process and highlighted ways users can support FEA’s mission.
I extended FEA’s vibrant logo palette (yellow, purple, and green) to create a playful, kid-friendly design that conveys positivity and sustainability. Each page—landing, community, and support—was carefully structured to balance visual appeal with functionality, making it easy for users to explore and contribute.
This redesign aims to transform FEA’s website into a trustworthy, engaging platform that inspires action, connecting users with FEA’s mission while fostering community involvement.
Landing Page Solution
The landing page showcases FEA’s mission, emphasizing food education’s urgency through compelling visuals, stories, and statistics. It highlights FEA’s unique role and achievements, with intuitive navigation ensuring easy access to key sections.
The footer strengthens FEA’s online presence by offering convenient links to social media channels, promoting further engagement and community building. The footer reinforces FEA’s branding, provides navigation links, and ensures users can access key pages easily.
To improve navigation, a fixed menu bar ensures key sections, including the donation button, remain easily accessible to users at all times.
The Hero section features original FEA imagery, including a vibrant shot of a child in an FEA logo hat, harmonizing with the site’s design to create a welcoming atmosphere.
As users explore further, they encounter impactful statistics and compelling storytelling designed to illustrate the urgency of food education. Insights from usability testing revealed the need to emphasize this urgency, leading me to enhance the messaging and visuals to highlight how immediate action can positively impact children’s quality of life.
During our meeting with Kay, it became clear that FEA’s unique value proposition lies in being the only charity dedicated to food education. To emphasize this distinction, I made it the focal point of the “What We Do” section, clearly communicating FEA’s critical role and unique impact in this space.
The Impact section showcases FEA’s achievements, providing users with a clear view of the organization’s contributions and impact.
The Support Us section offers various ways for users to engage with and support FEA’s mission.
I introduced a recipe-sharing feature to encourage ongoing user engagement, inviting users to return for fresh content regularly. This allows users to subscribe to FEA’s newsletter, fostering a deeper connection and keeping them informed about new recipes and updates.
Our Story Page
The “Our Story” page shares FEA’s journey with authentic photos and a clear “Theory of Change” using cooking-themed visuals. Goals are outlined in milestones, fostering trust and connection through clarity and relatability.
To authentically convey FEA’s history, I incorporated original photos that capture the essence and milestones of the organization, providing a genuine and engaging narrative.
Old Design of
Theory of Change page
One of Kay’s key requests was to keep the website engaging and effectively communicate FEA’s values. Recognizing that this page was text-heavy and potentially challenging to navigate, I incorporated custom illustrations to break up the content and enhance readability. These visuals make complex information more approachable, ensuring the page remains both informative and enjoyable for users.
The “Theory of Change” section outlines FEA’s strategic approach with cooking-themed visuals, tying back to the core mission of food education. Goals are divided into short-, mid-, and long-term milestones, clearly showing how FEA plans to create lasting impact. This structure helps users connect with FEA’s vision and fosters trust by making the mission transparent and relatable.
Support Page
The “Support” page serves as a key touchpoint for fostering community involvement and driving contributions. The layout was structured to align with user behaviours, prioritizing clarity and minimizing friction.
Real-life imagery conveys authenticity and builds trust.
To make supporting FEA’s mission more inclusive and impactful, I emphasized offering diverse ways for users to get involved. This includes incorporating a “giving circle” option, which provides a meaningful and accessible way for users to collectively support FEA’s cause. By presenting various engagement opportunities, this page empowers users to make a difference in ways that resonate with their preferences and capabilities.
Community Pages
The page is designed to encourage users to interact frequently by offering practical resources, recipes, and educational content in an engaging format.
The page opens with a striking hero image of community members, reinforcing FEA’s mission of “Nourishing communities for healthier futures” and setting an inclusive tone.
I found that FEA’s recipes from the Arc UNSW Student Cookbook 2015 were hard to locate on the website. To improve accessibility, I suggested centralizing these resources on dedicated Community Pages, making content more visible and engaging to encourage repeat visits and strengthen connection with FEA’s mission.
Centralized educational materials are showcased in a grid layout, using inviting imagery and concise text to capture user interest. This section makes it simple to locate valuable resources, fostering learning and engagement.
A dedicated section showcases the value of FEA’s content, emphasizing accessibility, fresh and seasonal ingredients, and peer-to-peer development, reinforcing FEA’s commitment to practical and collaborative learning tools.
Cantact Pages
The Contact Page was designed with a focus on creating an open channel for communication between FEA and its users.
The headline “We’d love to hear from you” invites user engagement with a warm tone.
The FEA email address is prominently displayed, offering users an alternative way to connect via email.
A photo of smiling staff and volunteers adds a personal touch, highlighting FEA’s community involvement. The simple form includes fields for name, email, interests, and a message, with an option to subscribe to the newsletter for continued engagement.
Streamlined Donation Process
I focused on enhancing emotional engagement and transparency to simplify the donation process.
Research shows that photos of recipients evoke empathy and inspire donations, so I included visuals to connect donors with the cause. A progress bar tracks the impact of donations, motivating further contributions. By consolidating the entire donation process onto a single page, users can donate quickly and easily without the need to navigate back and forth.
Users can easily choose a donation type (one-time, weekly, or monthly) and select preset or custom amounts. The process is streamlined into three simple steps—donation type, user details, and payment method—reducing cognitive load.
A reassuring message about data privacy is included in the details section to address concerns around personal information sharing.
Tax receipt options and acknowledging donations in Australian dollars build transparency and credibility.
Late Discoveries and Suggestions
Throughout the design process, I made several key discoveries that have the potential to significantly enhance the overall user experience:
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Mobile Responsiveness: Consider optimizing the website for mobile devices to ensure a seamless user experience. Given that many users arrive via social media platforms like Instagram, the design should load quickly, display content clearly, and maintain usability on smaller screens. Key elements such as buttons, forms, and navigation can be resized and spaced appropriately to provide mobile users with an intuitive and frustration-free experience.
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Pop-Up Donation Window: This feature enables users to donate without disrupting their browsing, creating a smoother, more intuitive flow.
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Tribute Gifts: Introducing tribute gift options allows FEA to build deeper connections between donors and the organization.
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Personalized Thank-You Messages: Custom messages highlight the impact of donations, reinforcing donor confidence and encouraging future contributions.
PRESENTATION & FEEDBACK REVIEW
What’s Working and Opportunities for Growth
I was thrilled to receive feedback from Kay and my mentor. Presenting my idea and designing the presentation itself were both challenging, but their insightful feedback was incredibly valuable. It made me realise how much I truly enjoy the process of designing, researching, and solving problems.
I’m glad you found the presentation visually appealing and that it aligned with our logo's colour scheme while bringing in the playfulness we discussed. Designing something that is both visually engaging and reflective of your organization's mission was a priority for me, so I’m thrilled it resonated with you.
The point about the audience demographic is particularly insightful. Considering how social media followers and more professional donors may connect with the message is interesting. This feedback will help refine the design and communication strategies to better align with that audience while still maintaining an approachable, playful tone.
I also appreciate the mention of the persona's "food intelligence" and how it reflects the nuanced approach FEA takes—focusing beyond immediate food relief to long-term education and empowerment. I’m glad this differentiation came through in the design and content choices.
Finally, your comment on emphasizing the urgency of the problem was spot on. Conveying the importance of food education and its outcomes is essential to connecting with donors emotionally and inspiring action. I’m so happy the presentation left me with a positive feeling, as creating that emotional connection is at the heart of what I strive for in every project.
Thanks again for the kind words and constructive insights—working on this project was a joy!
Founder of FEA
Your work is a wonderful example of how thoughtful design can evoke positive emotions and drive engagement. The focus on uplifting visuals and playful elements resonates deeply, especially given the mission of working with children. The balance of bright, cheerful imagery and the nuanced representation of the challenges faced by FEA ensures that viewers are left with a sense of hope and motivation rather than stagnation caused by overwhelming sadness.
The design’s alignment with the psychosocial aspects of food is particularly impactful—it highlights the importance of food education and creates a connection to the joy and positivity that food can bring. This approach is critical for donor conversion, as ending on a positive, action-oriented note tends to inspire more engagement and support.
Additionally, the way the design keeps children at the forefront—through playful vector graphics, a kid-friendly colour palette, and subtle cues—ensures that the audience understands the focus of the mission. Clearly, the visuals were carefully chosen to connect with children and donors, leaving no doubt about FEA’s purpose.
Overall, this project showcases your ability to solve complex design challenges and your empathy in creating experiences that leave lasting, positive impressions. Excellent work!
Mentor of the Harness project
EVALUATION & REFLECTION
Reflection
Reflecting on this project, I’m thrilled to see how my design solutions have turned into the final product. Balancing a full-time job with just two weeks for prototyping and usability testing was undoubtedly challenging, but it pushed me to refine my time management skills and deepened my passion for user-centred design. Each project teaches me something new, fueling my motivation to grow as a designer.
After our session, I noticed impactful updates on their website, such as the prominent "Donate" button and the inclusion of a registered charity badge in the footer—small but meaningful changes that enhance trust and usability. Seeing these improvements reinforces my love for tackling real-world problems and collaborating with businesses to create effective design solutions.
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