RMHCNC Website Redesign
Addressing core usability and accessibility issues within the donate and volunteer sign-up processes
My Role
Sole UX/UI Designer & Researcher
Duration
Aug - Dec 2024
Tools & Software
Figma, Adobe CC, Google Suite & Zoom
ABOUT RMHCNC
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern California (RMHCNC) supports families with critically ill children by providing a "home away from home" with easier commutes to local hospitals
MY PROCESS
I combined research, empathy, and accessibility to uncover user frustrations and create solutions that empower action and build trust.
Project Milestones:
Start
End
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Heuristic Evaluation
Revealed critical navigation barriers, inconsistent clickable elements, and missing features that undermined user control and freedom
Prototyping Solutions
The recommendations streamline core user flows, clarify navigation, and improve site consistency to enhance user engagement and task success
Usability Testing
Testing uncovered major usability blockers, including a cluttered and confusing volunteer page, a donation process lacking transparency, and non-functional navigation elements.
Persona Creation
Personas identified two primary user types—prospective volunteers and donors—each with distinct motivations and pain points in navigating the website
User Research
Results highlighted user frustrations with the unclear volunteer sign-up process and a desire for greater transparency in donation impact
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
Feeling stranded... unsure of what to click... confused......
Opportunities for improvement:
Navigation & User Control
The donation page lacks consistent navigation, with a non-clickable logo and missing breadcrumbs, leaving users stranded
Interactive Feedback
Some buttons and links don’t provide visual cues (like hover effects), leaving users unsure of what’s clickable.
Consistency in Design
Inconsistent use of buttons and links disrupts user expectations and creates confusion
ACCESSIBILITY AUDIT
RMHCNC advocates for inclusion, yet their website falls short in 3 key areas
Opportunities for improvement:
1. Inadequate Alt Text
Several images lacked descriptive alt text, leaving users reliant on screen readers with no context for critical visual content
2. PDF overuse
Frequent use of PDFs create barriers for users relying on assistive technologies, making it harder to access essential information
3. Low color contrast
Insufficient color contrast between text and background make reading difficult, especially for users with visual impairments
THE USERS
To truly grasp what users go through, I focused on their direct feedback and stories
Key Findings:
AGE
GENDER
VOLUNTEERS
DONORS
Predominantly adults aged 25-34 (37.5%) & 55-64 (37.5%)
62.5% female & 37.5% male
100% want a simpler volunteer sign-up process
80% want more transparency on how donations are used
EMPATHY BUILDING
USABILITY TESTING
To inform my design decisions, I started by watching how users navigated the current site, uncovering pain points and opportunities for enhancement
Volunteer Page
Issue #1
100% of participants
Users are confused on how to sign-up for volunteer opportunities
Issue #2
80% of participants
Users felt overwhelmed by the lack of organization and consistent hierarchy
Issue #3
80% of participants
Users were confused by the inconsistent use of buttons vs links on 'Become a Volunteer' pg
Before
After
Created an online sign-up process for volunteer opportunities
Improved hierarchy and consistency
New Volunteer Sign-Up
Donation Page
Before
Issue #4
100% of participants
Lack of global navigation & functioning site ID left users stranded
Issue #5
60% of participants
Users desired more specific information on how their donations would be used / greater transparency
Issue #6
20% of participants
Users wanted clear statement regarding protecting personal information & more payment options
Issue #7
40% of participants
Users had difficulty finding support/help information & found the FAQs to be "unhelpful"
After
Added global navigation
Additional information about the impact of donations
• Additional FAQs with more robust answers
• Support modal that allows users to send message on donation page
• Links to more ways to help
Statement regarding protecting personal information & more payment options
PROTOTYPING SOLUTIONS:
NEXT STEPS
If I were to continue this project...
