An Overview
In September 2022, our Tech for Social Good (T4SG) team collaborated with the USAID Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) to develop an interactive and engaging experience aimed at educating users about the importance of monetary donations during disasters. The team comprised a Project Manager, Senior UX Designers, and UX Designers. The project spanned 12 weeks and focused on creating two main features: a tile layout of active campaigns and an interactive infographic to guide users toward making cash donations.
The Challenge
The main challenges we identified were:
- Lack of Engaging Content: The current USAID CIDI website lacked engaging and interactive content to effectively educate users on the importance of cash donations over material goods.
- Simplistic Donations Calculator: The existing donations calculator was too simplistic and failed to effectively illustrate the benefits of cash donations.
- User Distrust and Misunderstanding: Users were skeptical about where their cash donations would go and the actual impact they would have, leading to a preference for in-kind donations.
The Solution
To address these challenges, we undertook a structured design process, focusing on user-centered design and iterative development:
User Research
- Competitor Analysis: We analyzed six competitor websites to understand best practices and identify gaps.
- User Interviews: Conducted 17 user interviews with potential USAID users, including students and humanitarian workers, to gather insights on behaviors, pain points, and goals. These insights were synthesized into user personas and affinity maps to guide our design process.
Design Process
- Sprint Overview: We completed three 2-week design sprints. Each sprint involved designing key features in Figma, conducting usability tests, and incorporating feedback into the next iteration.
- Low-Fidelity Prototypes: Initial prototypes focused on layout and structure rather than visual details. We tested these with users to identify friction points and gather feedback.
- High-Fidelity Prototypes: Developed detailed, interactive prototypes with enhanced visual elements and improved user interfaces based on user feedback.
Key Features
- Interactive Infographic: A “Choose Your Own Story”-style infographic that maps the journey of a donation from start to finish. This feature aimed to gamify the learning experience and demonstrate the benefits of cash donations.
- Tile Layout of Active Campaigns: An organized layout allowing users to learn about different active campaigns and make donations. This feature included compelling stories of the positive impact of previous cash donations.
Usability Testing
- Feedback Process: Conducted usability tests with potential users to identify design issues, gather insights, and refine the prototypes. We asked open-ended questions to observe user behavior and preferences, ensuring our designs met user needs.
Conclusion and Key Learnings
Working on the USAID Disaster Donation Guide project provided a wealth of insights and practical skills that are valuable for future roles. Here are some of the key learnings and takeaways from this project:
Engaging User Experiences
- Interactive Design: Designing the interactive infographic taught me how to create engaging, educational content that captures user interest and effectively conveys critical information.
- Gamification: Implementing gamification elements, such as quizzes and "Choose Your Own Story" features, highlighted the potential of interactive storytelling to enhance user engagement and learning.
Effective Communication Strategies
- Clarity and Transparency: Ensuring that users understood the benefits of cash donations over material goods involved clear and transparent communication. This experience emphasized the importance of building trust through transparent and informative design.
- Storytelling: Incorporating stories of the positive impact of cash donations helped humanize the data and make the benefits more relatable. This approach reinforced the power of storytelling in design.
User Research and Feedback Integration
- Comprehensive User Research: Conducting extensive user interviews and competitor analysis provided a deep understanding of user needs and industry standards. This comprehensive research was foundational in guiding the design process.
- Iterative Feedback Loop: Regular usability testing and feedback sessions were crucial in refining our designs. This iterative process ensured that the final product was user-centered and effectively addressed pain points.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Team Coordination: Collaborating with a diverse team of designers and stakeholders from USAID demonstrated the importance of effective communication and coordination across different roles and departments.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Regular updates and feedback sessions with stakeholders ensured that the project remained aligned with organizational goals and user needs.
Technical Proficiency and Design Tools
- Prototyping Skills: Developing both low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes in Figma enhanced my proficiency with design tools and my ability to translate ideas into tangible, testable designs.
- Visual Design and Accessibility: Implementing visual enhancements and ensuring that designs met accessibility standards was key to creating inclusive and user-friendly experiences.
Practical Skills Gained
- Interactive and Gamified Design: Creating engaging, interactive experiences that educate and inform users.
- Storytelling in Design: Utilizing narratives and real-life stories to build trust and enhance user engagement.
- User Research Techniques: Conducting interviews, synthesizing findings, and developing personas to guide design decisions.
- Iterative Design Process: Developing and refining prototypes based on user feedback to ensure alignment with user needs.
- Prototyping with Figma: Building detailed and interactive prototypes to visualize and test design concepts.
- Effective Communication and Collaboration: Coordinating efforts across a multidisciplinary team and engaging stakeholders to ensure project success.
- Visual Design and Accessibility: Creating visually appealing and accessible designs that cater to a broad audience.
This project underscored the importance of engaging user experiences, clear communication, comprehensive research, and effective collaboration. The skills and insights gained will be invaluable in future roles, enabling me to contribute to creating impactful and user-friendly digital solutions.