Helping to Build a Bridge Between Shona Culture and Oakland Communities with Solid and Insightful Research and Design

Kumusha Foundation Research and Design

My Role: UX Design and Research, Client Liaison, and Administrator

Timeline: May 24 - June 13 2021

Scope of Work: User Research, User Testing, Client and User Interviews, Heuristic Evaluation, Competitor Analysis, Definition/Ideation/Prioritization, Site Connectivity/Visibility/Functionality, User Flow, User Persona, MVP, and Redesign

Tools: Figma, Miro, Slack, Trello, G-Drive, Canva, Photoshop, Zoom

Team: Kumuasha Founder Julia Chigamba, President: Delisa Branch Kneely, UX Designers: Gillian Hiscox, Sangeeta Pareek

This started out as a project assignment from the UC
Berkeley UX program I completed in August of 2021.

Since I play music and have taught in the Bay Area I knew a WONDERFUL group of Teachers and Performing Artists based out of Oakland and Zimbabwe. As fate would have it, they were in the starting phases of Developing a New Website for their Non Profit Organization, The Kumusha Foundation.

In three weeks they would be getting with another non profit called Flip Cause to Publish a New Site, this was a perfect time to Prototype and Develop a Website for Handoff !

What an awesome and inspiring experience !

After meetings with Kumusha's Founder and Board, Analyzing Research, and Considering a very Limited amount of Time,

The Redesign of The Home Page and Donations Page were made Priorities

Lets take a look

Over              

view

Home Page Design

User Research indicated that in order to get involved with an Organization Users Need Enough Information to get a Sense for what they're about, they can then determine if they are passionate about a cause. Visibility = Engagement + Involvement

We Needed to Create something That Communicated Our Clients Mission, Programs, and Story. Something that Speaks to their Vibrant and High Energy.

A mobile device displaying a web page David worked on for a non-profit. It showcases an image of a female dancer from Zimbabwe praying and a statement about the Non-profits mission.
A mobile device showing an image of dancer in traditional South African regalia and a call to action. David Designed this page and wrote the content copy.

Increases Visibility of the MANY awesome productions, classes, and community events
&     
Addresses Connectivity across Social Media Platforms, Transactions, and Communications

Donations Page

One of the most prevalent and important findings from research was that:
‍
USERS NEED to know where their Donation is going and how it will be used.
The Clearer the Picture
the Better

Another finding from user research and site analysis was that Ensuring Trustability especially when it involves a transaction was essential, this resulted in a MAJOR Update to the Donation Process, Content, and Layout

Analysis

Home Page
Original

Home Page
Redesign

Donations Page

Changing this banner to something that resonates with Kumusha's audience and vibe

Going from one brief loosely defined statement to 3 Clear and Engaging Statements that Inform the User as to How Donations are Used, Testimonials, Visual Content, and Expanded Options for Donating

Adding a More Trustworthy and Professional Donation Checkout by adding a Standard Form, Trusted Payment Options, and Visible Security

Research

Client and Stakeholder Interviews and Research

User Research, Interviews, and Testing

Competitor Analysis and Heuristic Evaluations

Synthesis

User Persona

User Flow

User Insight

Empathy Map

Connection

Increase user awareness by providing the user with clear information, connectivity, and by highlighting donation options and the communities and projects that are supported by donation efforts.

This helps the user feel confident and comfortable about their choice to get involved and helps the foundation by increasing donations and community engagement.

If you would like to know more about this Project or Kumusha Foundation please get in touch!

Kumusha Foundation Research and Design

Helping to Build a Bridge Between Shona Culture and Oakland Communities with Solid and Insightful Research and Design

My Role: UX Design and Research, Client Liaison, and Administrator

Timeline: May 24 - June 13 2021

Scope of Work: User Research, User Testing, Client and User Interviews, Heuristic Evaluation, Competitor Analysis, Definition/Ideation/
Prioritization, Site Connectivity/Visibility/
Functionality, User Flow, User Persona, MVP, and Redesign

Tools: Figma, Miro, Slack, Trello, G-Drive, Canva, Photoshop, Zoom

This started out as a project assignment from the UC
Berkeley UX program I completed in August of 2021.

Since I play music and have taught in the Bay Area I knew a WONDERFUL group of Teachers and Performing Artists based out of Oakland and Zimbabwe. As fate would have it, they were in the starting phases of Developing a New Website for their Non Profit Organization, The Kumusha Foundation.

In three weeks they would be getting with another non profit called Flip Cause to Publish a New Site, this was a perfect time to Prototype and Develop a Website for Handoff !

What an awesome and inspiring
experience !



‍

After meetings with Kumusha's Founder and Board, Analyzing Research, and Considering a very Limited amount of Time,

The Redesign of The Home Page and Donations Page were made Priorities

Lets take a look

Over              

view

Home Page Design

User Research indicated that in order to get involved with an Organization Users Need Enough Information to get a Sense for what they're about, they can then determine if they are passionate about a cause. Visibility = Engagement + Involvement

A mobile device displaying a web page David worked on for a non-profit. It showcases an image of a female dancer from Zimbabwe praying and a statement about the Non-profits mission.

We Needed to Create something That Communicated Our Clients Mission, Programs, and Story. Something that Speaks to their Vibrant and High Energy.

A mobile device showing an image of dancer in traditional South African regalia and a call to action. David Designed this page and wrote the content copy.

Increases Visibility of the MANY awesome productions, classes, and community events
&     
Addresses Connectivity across Social Media Platforms, Transactions, and Communications

Donations Page

One of the most prevalent and important findings from research was that:
‍
USERS NEED to know where their Donation is going and how it will be used.
The Clearer the Picture
the Better

Another finding from user research and site analysis was that Ensuring Trustability, -
-especially when it involves a transaction was essential, this resulted in a MAJOR Update to the Donation Process, Content, and Layout

Analysis

Home Page
Redesign

Make Donate Button Much More Visible
‍
Articulate and Rearrange Events, Programs, Culture

Font Change to Increase Visibility

Remove Redundant Text and Logo, Simplfy, Create Space, Align, Add Lower Border That Speaks to the Vibe and Identity of The NPO.Redesign Navigation Bar Banner Layout, and Interaction
Visual Redesign:
Mission Statements Needs to be Made More Bold and Reflective of The NPO . Font Needs More Visibility.
Visually This Entire Section is Dry and Lacks Energy and Personality.
Solution: Create and Add Visual Content That Fits Our Client, and Conveys Kumusha’s Message and Vibe.
Adding some Color and Texture to Convey the Energy and Vibe
Client Has Tons of Content That is Not in Use or Being Showcased.
This Can be Used To Increase Visibility and Provide The User with Increased Connectivity and Informative Engaging Content.
Solution: Make Video Content Visible,  Sharable, and Accessable.
This does not well visually convey Kumasha’s message or vibe.
Solution: Create and Add Visual Content That Fits Our Client, and Conveys Kumusha’s Message and Vibe.
The Contact Us Section Is Not Well Designed and Could be Made Much More Efficient and Clear.
‍
Connectivity Is a HUGE Priority for Kumusha, This needs to be Impactful, Communicative, and Engaging.
‍
Social Media Connectivity is a Must, So it was made more visible here.
Add Support Section:
Kumusha Relies Heavily on Donations, This Needs to be made Clear, Visible, and Actionable.
Much of the RWD focuses on this feature specifcally.
Redesign Footer:
The content does not align with site’s funcitonality.
Information about Kumusha should be Prioritized and Categorized for Ease of Use and Improved Functionality.

Donations Page

Changing this banner to something that resonates with Kumusha's audience and vibe

Going from one brief loosely defined statement to 3 Clear and Engaging Statements that Inform the User as to How Donations are Used, Testimonials, Visual Content, and Expanded Options for Donating

Adding a More Trustworthy and Professional Donation Checkout by adding a Standard Form, Trusted Payment Options, and Visible Security

Research

Client and Stakeholder Interviews and Research

User Research, Interviews, and Testing

Competitor Analysis and Heuristic Evaluations

Synthesis

User Persona

User Flow

User Insight

Empathy Map

Connection

Increase user awareness by providing the user with clear information, connectivity, and by highlighting donation options and the communities and projects that are supported by donation efforts.

This helps the user feel confident and comfortable about their choice to get involved and helps the foundation by increasing donations and community engagement.

If you would like to know more about this Project or Kumusha Foundation please get in touch!