21 Roots Farm

Responsibilities:

Tools Used:

Overview

Our team was tasked with selecting a nonprofit's website and delivering a high-fidelity, responsive redesign. We chose 21 Roots Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to providing children and adults with developmental disabilities a connection to nature and the community through farming. Our goal was to improve user experience (UX), enhance accessibility, and communicate the farm's mission more effectively. Through UX research and design, we delivered a comprehensive redesign to address user needs.

We began by defining our research approach. We collaborated on creating interview questions for two primary audiences: the farm owners and potential customers, mainly caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities. These interviews would help us understand the needs and pain points of caregivers when searching for appropriate activities for their loved ones.

We approached the interviews with two primary objectives:

Understanding the Caregiver's Journey:

"Can you walk us through the process of finding activities for your loved one?"

• This question gave us insight into how users go about researching activities, which specific steps they take, and what information they find most valuable during this process.

"What are the most important factors when deciding whether or not to enroll your loved one in an activity?"

• This question helped us understand the priorities of caregivers, such as safety, inclusion, and hands-on interaction. This allowed us to align the website's content with what mattered most to them.

Addressing Pain Points and Challenges:

"What frustrations or challenges do you face when researching activities online?"

• We needed to know what aspects of websites were discouraging to caregivers—whether it was unclear information, lack of accessibility, or difficulty navigating the site. This would help us eliminate these issues in our redesign.

"What information do you look for when visiting a website like 21 Roots Farm?"

• With this, we aimed to learn which details are most critical to caregivers and should be prominently displayed. This could include session availability, cost, accessibility options, or visual depictions of the farm's activities.

While awaiting interviews, we performed a competitive analysis by researching websites from similar nonprofits, taking screengrabs, and critiquing their usability. This allowed us to identify best practices and areas for improvement, which guided our design decisions later in the project.

After interviews, we used card sorting to categorize insights and determine what users valued in activities like those offered by 21 Roots Farm. The exercise revealed key challenges and highlighted accessibility needs and preferences for hands-on, sensory activities.

We created a proto-persona based on these insights. This persona evolved as we gathered more data, helping us stay user-focused throughout the design process. Our goal was to reflect real user goals, pain points, and demographics, ensuring that our redesign was truly user-centered.

To generate ideas, we conducted an 'I like, I wish, What if' brainstorming exercise, allowing us to think expansively about the farm's potential offerings. This creative session provided inspiration for features and content that could be incorporated into the design, without practical constraints holding us back.

When designing for 21 Roots Farm, our research plan served as the foundation to ensure we were solving the right problems for the target audience. The core of our plan was driven by a prime question: How can we redesign the 21 Roots Farm website to effectively communicate its mission, enhance accessibility, and make it easier for caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities to find and sign up for activities?

To support this, we identified sub-questions that would guide our research, help us explore key challenges, and uncover critical insights:

What are the main barriers caregivers face when searching for programs or activities for those with developmental disabilities?

• This question was designed to identify pain points in the research process. We wanted to understand whether caregivers struggle to find accessible and inclusive programs and what specific frustrations they encounter.

What types of information are caregivers and potential customers seeking when they visit a nonprofit's website?

• We knew that the website needed to provide all the right information upfront to make a good first impression. This question aimed to understand what content would be most important to users when deciding to participate in activities at 21 Roots Farm.

How important is accessibility and ease of navigation when interacting with a website?

• For our users, accessibility is paramount. This sub-question guided us in understanding what specific accessibility features were non-negotiable and how users interacted with websites with similar services.

What makes sensory and hands-on activities appealing to caregivers and their loved ones?

• Since 21 Roots Farm specializes in experiential learning and hands-on activities, this question was key to understanding how to present these features in a way that resonates with users, especially from a sensory perspective.

After conducting our interviews, several important takeaways shaped the direction of the redesign:

1. Accessibility and Adaptability: It became clear that accessibility features—such as intuitive navigation, readable text, and adaptable design for different devices—were crucial. Many caregivers are busy and require quick access to essential information without technical barriers.
2. Inclusion: The website had to reflect the farm's welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. Caregivers wanted to feel confident that the farm was a safe space for their loved ones. We needed to ensure the messaging and imagery communicated this inclusiveness.
3. Sensory Activities Are Effective: Sensory engagement was a key part of the farm's appeal. We realized that highlighting these aspects would help caregivers connect the farm's offerings to the specific needs of their loved ones.
4. Hands-On Instruction: Caregivers emphasized the importance of hands-on activities that would engage their loved ones in a meaningful way. We focused on showcasing this element, particularly through photos and descriptions, to highlight the value of these experiences.

In addition, we developed a storyboard to visualize a parent's journey in searching for and signing up for activities at 21 Roots Farm. The storyboard illustrated possible pain points and ideal solutions, guiding our design to better serve users.

Using insights from our research, we redesigned the site's structure, aiming to create a logical, user-friendly flow that showcased the farm's offerings clearly. We prioritized key information on the homepage to give visitors immediate context about the farm's mission and activities.

The mid-fidelity prototyping phase of our 21 Roots Farm website redesign was critical for translating our user research into tangible design solutions. These prototypes were a bridge between our initial concepts and the final high-fidelity designs. We used mid-fidelity wireframes to explore the layout, navigation flow, and overall functionality of the site without the distractions of color, images, or detailed visual elements.

The main goal during this phase was to focus on structure and usability. We used the mid-fidelity prototypes to:

• Test usability and navigation: We concentrated on ensuring that users could easily navigate the site and find key information, such as activity details, registration forms, and the farm's mission. The absence of visual polish allowed us to focus purely on the effectiveness of the site's layout and interaction design.

• Align design with research insights: The structure of the website was informed by our research takeaways, such as the need for clear, accessible information, easy navigation, and calls to action that would guide users to important sections of the site, like program registration and farm details.

• Collaborate and iterate: Mid-fidelity prototypes were an excellent tool for team collaboration. They allowed us to gather feedback from team members and stakeholders without the visual distractions of a high-fidelity design. We could quickly make changes to the layout and structure before adding design elements later.

The mid-fidelity prototypes served as a collaborative tool for team feedback. We conducted several review sessions where team members and stakeholders provided input on the usability and functionality of the design.

The mid-fidelity prototypes for the 21 Roots Farm website redesign were crucial in shaping a user-centered, accessible design. They provided us with a framework to ensure that the structure, navigation, and functionality of the site were aligned with the needs of our users, especially caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities. These prototypes laid the foundation for a final, polished website that communicated the farm's mission effectively while making it easy for users to find and engage with the farm's offerings.

The style guide was a pivotal part of the 21 Roots Farm website redesign, ensuring visual consistency across the site while aligning with the farm's mission and values. As we prepared to transition from mid-fidelity to high-fidelity prototypes, developing a cohesive style guide helped us establish a clear visual direction that reflected warmth, inclusion, and accessibility. It also served as a reference for future iterations and updates, ensuring the website's design would remain consistent over time.

The style guide was created to:

• Unify the visual language
• Communicate the farm's mission
• Ensure accessibility

*For this phase, each member of the team developed thier own high-fidelity prototypes. The images shown here are the prototypes I developed.

The development of high-fidelity prototypes marked a significant turning point in our redesign of the 21 Roots Farm website. After creating mid-fidelity prototypes and finalizing the style guide, we moved on to high-fidelity prototypes, where we applied all the design principles, research insights, and user feedback we had gathered up to that point. This phase was about refining the look and feel of the site, ensuring that it was not only visually appealing but also functional, accessible, and aligned with user needs.

Key Objectives:

Visual Realism and Design Consistency

• The high-fidelity prototypes were designed to closely resemble the final product, with all the visual elements—colors, typography, imagery, and iconography—being fully fleshed out based on the style guide. This allowed us to see exactly how the website would look and feel across different pages and devices. Consistency across the layout, spacing, and interactive elements was critical to ensure a cohesive user experience.

Focus on User Experience and Accessibility

• Accessibility and usability remained central concerns. We paid close attention to making the interface intuitive for users, especially those with developmental disabilities or caregivers searching for information on behalf of their loved ones. This included clear navigation, easy-to-understand calls to action, and thoughtful use of color and contrast to guide users through the site.

Communicating the 21 Roots Farm Mission

• The high-fidelity prototypes were not just about visual design—they were also about communicating the heart of 21 Roots Farm. Through the strategic use of imagery, messaging, and design elements, we wanted to convey the farm's mission of providing a welcoming, safe space for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The photos and content we used in the prototypes showed real people participating in farm activities, giving potential visitors a true sense of what the farm offered.

Challenges Addressed

• Clarifying Information Architecture: One of the key challenges identified in the research phase was the need to simplify the structure of the site to make it easier for users to find information. The high-fidelity prototypes addressed this by refining the sitemap and ensuring that each page's content was clearly organized, with prominent headings, subheadings, and bullet points where necessary.
• Ensuring Accessibility for Diverse Audiences: We made a conscious effort to design for users with varying abilities, especially considering the target audience of caregivers and individuals with developmental disabilities. This involved testing elements like color contrast, font readability, and form usability, ensuring that the prototypes met accessibility standards and guidelines.
• Highlighting the Farm's Inclusive Mission: Through the thoughtful use of photos, testimonials, and messaging, the high-fidelity prototypes highlighted the inclusive nature of the farm. We used imagery that portrayed diverse participants enjoying the farm's programs, creating an emotional connection with users and encouraging them to explore the farm further.

After completing the high-fidelity prototypes, we conducted user testing with potential users to gather feedback on the design and functionality. This allowed us to identify any remaining usability issues, make final adjustments, and further refine the design to ensure it met the needs of the target audience.

The high-fidelity prototypes represented the culmination of our research, user insights, and design principles. They provided a detailed, visually rich, and functional preview of the final website, ensuring that all the key elements—accessibility, usability, and visual consistency—were fully realized. By focusing on user-centered design and creating a welcoming, inclusive digital environment, we were able to deliver a solution that not only met but exceeded the needs of 21 Roots Farm and its community.

The redesign prioritized accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring the website catered to users with various needs.

Photos of the farm in action provided a powerful way to show the farm's impact, allowing potential visitors to visualize themselves in the experience.

The redesign made it easy to sign up for activities, addressing the barriers caregivers face when researching programs for their loved ones.

Through this project, I gained a deeper understanding of the challenges caregivers face when researching inclusive activities. We learned that clear communication and accessible design are crucial in creating websites for nonprofits serving individuals with developmental disabilities. This project reinforced the importance of empathy-driven design in creating meaningful user experiences.