Client
CRC America
Industry
Non-profit organization
Role
UI UX Researcher
Tools / Methodologies
Accessibility testing, User Interviews, Observations, Ethnography, Heuristic, Evaluation, Figma.
Year
2024
The Colorado Community Resource Center (CRC) supports nonprofits and community groups across Colorado, but its website struggles to clearly communicate its mission, history, and offerings. This project focuses on improving the site’s usability and content clarity to strengthen partner engagement, highlight CRC’s impact, and make its resources more accessible to those driving change in Colorado.
Overview
Community Resource Center (CRC) was founded in 1981. The initial mission was to assist organizations that used community organizing to promote social change in Denver’s inner city. By 1984, the mission expanded to encompass the broad range of nonprofit organizations and community groups that provide services throughout Colorado. CRC has responded to the needs of the sector by continually developing new ways to serve Colorado’s nonprofits.
About
Objective
The Colorado Community Resource Center (CRC) faces the challenge of unclear communication on its website regarding its mission, history, and impact. Some of their external partners, including nonprofit organizations, community groups, and government agencies in Colorado, have reported difficulties in understanding exactly what CRC does and the resources it offers when visiting the site.
This challenge shows the need to improve the usability and clarity of the website to effectively communicate CRC’s focus and the breadth of its programs.
Challenge
Improving the usability and communication challenges on CRC's website is crucial to elevate the organization's overall impact and engagement with its partners.
Through clear communication of their mission, program offerings, and impact, CRC can strengthen its relationships with external partners, attract new stakeholders, and facilitate meaningful connections and resources that drive positive change and inclusivity across Colorado's communities.
Study Impact
Target users
Local Competitors
Research Questions
01
What are the main challenges users face when navigating CRC's website, especially in accessing resources and grant information?
02
What website improvements would users prioritize to enhance their experience and engagement with CRC's programs?
03
How can the CRC website content and design clearly express what CRC does, who they serve and what their impact is?
Research Hypotheses
If we understand what information users need, then we will be able to implement proper hierarchy on the website to make the overall user experience better.
01
If we understand what services users are using the most, then the services can be presented with clarity throughout the website to provide an improved user experience.
02
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Heuristic Evaluation
Methodology 01
HOME PAGE
WHO WE ARE
GRANTS GUIDE
DONATE
Each team member assessed the above pages across nine distinct categories, accompanied by comments clarifying their evaluations. The scores were then averaged to compile the data.
Score Card
Heuristic Evaluation
Scale
1
Poor
2
Needs Improvement
3
Adequate
4
Good
5
Excellent
Cumulative evaluation of CRC website
2
Clarity
Clear communication and presentation of information facilitate comprehension and usability.
3
Information density
Balancing the amount of information presented ensures content remains digestible and avoids overwhelming users.
1
Aesthetic Design
A visually appealing design enhances user engagement and perception of the website.
2.5
Communication
Feedback mechanisms enhances engagement and fosters a sense of connection and understanding.
4
Task completion
Guiding users efficiently through task flows enables them to achieve their goals effectively.
2.5
Efficiency
Streamlining processes and minimizing unnecessary steps allows users to accomplish tasks quickly.
3
Navigation
Intuitive navigation structures help users locate information and features easily.
2
System Status
Providing clear system status updates ensures users are informed about the state of the website.
Clarity
Heuristic Evaluation
The homepage does not have a clear statement about what CRC does and its services.
upcoming events under rural philanthropy days
Does not explain what is the donation used for? why to donate? no mission. works done with donation money
Is the interface free from ambiguity, providing clear instructions and labels, with error messages and notifications being clear and informative?
The homepage doesn't clearly explain what CRC does or what services it offers. It needs clearer information about its products and services. Also, the descriptions for the information cards are insufficient.
Highlights
2
Clarity
Clear communication and presentation of information facilitate comprehension and usability.
Aesthetics
Heuristic Evaluation
Center aligned text is difficult to read, Inconsistent imagery
Text style is not consistent
Font size and color contrast is not readable
Button styles keeps changing
Is the visual design and content focused on the essentials, with all distracting, unnecessary elements removed?
There is no clear design system in place with a consistent color palette, style, text sizing, and image layout. A lack of visual style guidelines makes it distracting for users.
Highlights
1
Aesthetic Design
A visually appealing design enhances user engagement and perception of the website.
Navigation
Heuristic Evaluation
No arrows to navigate back to CRC
Overwhelming amount of drop downs
Is the navigation system intuitive and easy to use, with clear and descriptive labels guiding users to relevant content and features?
There are many links and buttons that direct the user to external sites with no clear path back to CRC. The navigation bar has an abundance of drop downs that makes it hard for users to navigate.
Highlights
3
Navigation
Intuitive navigation structures help users locate information and features easily.
Information density
Heuristic Evaluation
Overwhelming amount of text.
Is there an appropriate balance of information on each page, and is complex information presented in a digestible manner?
There are certain pages with content overload that overwhelms the users and creates confusion.
Highlights
3
Information density
Balancing the amount of information presented ensures content remains digestible and avoids overwhelming users.
Efficiency
Heuristic Evaluation
Nonfunctional button / links
AmeriCorps visa program links does not work
Can users get the information they need in a clear & efficient path?
There are nonfunctioning links and buttons throughout the site. There is confusion about how to access certain resources.
Highlights
2.5
Efficiency
Streamlining processes and minimizing unnecessary steps allows users to accomplish tasks quickly.
Heuristic Evaluation
System status
Does the design clearly communicate its state, and is feedback presented promptly after user actions?
There are missing breadcrumb menus, back arrows, and navigation back to the homepage from external sites.
Highlights
2
System status
Providing clear system status updates ensures users are informed about the state of the website.
No breadcrumbs and No back arrows
Heuristic Evaluation
Task completion
Is there a clear indication of task progress and completion status, and are tasks clearly defined and structured for successful completion?
It is confusing between information/resources and actionable tasks. There is an unclear path on how to complete certain tasks.
Highlights
4
Task completion
Guiding users efficiently through task flows enables them to achieve their goals effectively.
Tasks and information are not separated
Not intuitive for fundraise to be under donate
Heuristic Evaluation
Communication
Does the interface effectively communicate important information, and are notifications and alerts appropriately prioritized and presented?
The content is not properly prioritized in order for users to know what is the most important information, services, and tasks to complete.
Highlights
2.5
Communication
Feedback mechanisms enhances engagement and fosters a sense of connection and understanding.
Mission and background statement at the bottom and does not have strong hierarchy.
Interview
Methodology 02
METHOD
USER INTERVIEW
SAMPLE SIZE
5
PLATFORM
GOOGLE MEET/ZOOM
We recruited 5 users on userinterviews.com that are Nonprofit Organization workers. We studied users demographics prior to recruitment in order to get a broad range of participants. In addition to their personal demographics, we considered their role and type of nonprofit to consider various perspectives.
Amy
Vice president/director of training
Female, 57
Tommy
Senior External Relations Assistant
male, 27
Zachary
Non-profit Policy Director
male, 57
Vernon
Donor relations manager
male, 36
Alicia
Non-profit Program coordinator
Female,47
Interview Participants
Study Limitations
The study's limitations encompassed the difficulty in recruiting Colorado-based nonprofit professionals due to their limited numbers, leading to the recruitment of nonprofit professionals nationwide who may find the website relevant to their respective states. Additionally, the study only tested the desktop website and did not include testing for mobile responsiveness.
Interview Findings
User journey map
Exploring CRC's Homepage
Navigating to Specific Information
Resource Discovery
Interacting with Interactive Elements
Go into CRC website and explore the homepage.
The homepage appears straightforward initially, but scrolling down feels chaotic and disorganized.
Actions (doing)
Mindset (Thinking)
Finding the 'Who are we' section was easy, but the content seemed a bit overwhelming. There are so many subsections!
The lack of a clear pathway or dedicated section made it challenging to explore the options.
The donation process was straightforward with clear buttons, but the form's order made it confusing to know who I'm donating to.
Find the 'Who are we' tab/section and explain what you see and understand from this page.
How would you find information on partnership opportunities on CRC's website?
How you would donate to a specific organization on CRC's website.
Navigation/Task Efficiency
UXR FINDING
Users appreciate the clean navigation but suggest improvements for clarity, including clearer calls to action and better prioritization of content.
Tailor content navigation for diverse user personas (nonprofit leaders, volunteers, grant seekers) for relevance and accessibility
RECOMMENDATION
“On the Colorado grants page, it feels like I'm redirected to a completely different site, with no way to return to the main menu or access the programs section.”
“The 'Subscribe' button could be clearer, as I hesitated to click on certain elements because I wasn't sure of their function.”
Information Organization
There's a consensus among users that the website's content needs better organization to align with CRC's mission and make it easier for visitors to find relevant information.
UXR FINDING
Strategically use the homepage to spotlight key resources, upcoming events, success stories, and featured content that align with CRC's mission. This encourages visitors to explore valuable information right away.
RECOMMENDATION
“The top menu feels cluttered with too many options that aren't very intuitive. It's overwhelming to navigate through so much information right from the start.”
“The website is a bit overwhelming with all the information scattered around.”
Aesthetics/Visual Design
While the website is generally clean, users feel it could be improved aesthetically to enhance engagement and appeal.
UXR FINDING
Create visual hierarchy with size, color, and positioning to prioritize critical content, ensuring easy distinction from less important information.
RECOMMENDATION
"The grants page has a different color scheme than the rest of the site and a different logo. This gives it the feel of being a separate company rather than one of their products or services."
“When navigating from page to page, there's no consistency in how things are placed and organized. It creates a sense of too much movement”
Content
UXR FINDING
CRC is perceived as a hub for nonprofit resources, collaboration, and networking, with a focus on capacity building and professional development for rural and smaller nonprofits in Colorado.
Prioritize key content or actions on the website, such as popular products/services, essential information, and primary conversion goals, ensuring they are prominently featured.
RECOMMENDATION
“When navigating from page to page, there's no consistency in how things are placed and organized. It creates a sense of too much movement”
"The grants page has a different color scheme than the rest of the site and a different logo. This gives it the feel of being a separate company rather than one of their products or services."