GIVE INKIND
Give InKind helps people support their loved ones through a difficult times or times of transition.
Since the company’s launch in 2016, the company has grown at a fast pace and in an organic manner. The Give InKind’s website has also grown organically to meet the needs of its users.
MY ROLE
This project took place between March and April 2020. I worked on this project as a UX researcher and project manager during the User Experience Design Immersive program at General Assembly.
I was part of a small team alongside Deborah Yates and Jayne Casper, the information architect and visual designer, respectively.
THE CHALLENGE
DESIGN BY ACCRETION
In 4 years, Give InKind grew from a local website helping people support their loved ones during difficult times to a national organization supporting more than 100,000 people and growing.
Like the company, its website has grown organically, adding on features as the needs of its users change. Fundamental usability was a concern. Disparate features and services competed for focus. The gift webpages had become a catch-all; so had the ‘Give’ menu.
the approach
Focusing on the user
Our lack of domain knowledge meant that we needed to understand people’s attitudes and behaviors around giving, as well as the domain. We approached the project collaboratively and made the most out of the opportunities to work with the client.
We focused our research on the people buying the gift instead of the recipients, because we hypothesized that their needs would be directly linked to the purchasing options the site provides.
research rationale
Because we only had 3 weeks to complete the project, we focused on utilizing tools that would maximize our contribution to the client while also being time efficient.
- Market research to understand how Give InKind differentiates from its competitors.
- User research to understand the best ways to help users find what they are looking for and how they make decisions.
- Usability tests to evaluate Give InKind’s current website performance and identify aspects that needs to be improved for user satisfaction.
the audience
To access prospective users, we looked at our personal and professional networks, and posted screener surveys on social media. This allowed us to find people who had different comfort levels and expertise, as well as run baseline usability tests.
the discovery
how do you 'gift'?
To get a sense of how people choose gifts, I reviewed academic articles, as well as other sources. We interviewed experts and users, and conducted usability tests. We also performed a comparative analysis of the domain.
Market research
We conducted comparative analysis to understand Give InKind’s direct and indirect competitors. This allowed us to have more comprehensive data about the marketplace in which it operates.
comparative analysis
We conducted comparative analysis to understand Give InKinds direct and indirect competitors. This allowed us to have more comprehensive data about the marketplace.
Look at the literature
For an integral understanding of how people buy gifts, I spent a lot of time reviewing academic research and literature related to:
- The economics of giving
- The psychology behind choosing a gift
- Expectations of non-profits
User Research
We conducted user research to understand people’s attitudes and behaviors utilizing similar support services during difficult times. As mentioned above, our focus was on the people who buy the gifts, not on who receives the gifts.
Talk to users
Finding users was difficult since Give InKind had no way of tracking how was using their site. As a result, we looked for people who demonstrated a variety of comfort levels giving gifts. This way, we would still be able to identify what they would look for on the site and how they would decide what to get for their loved ones.
Talk to experts
We spoke with a social worker who had experience with giving organizations. She shared her experiences and insights about needs and expectations. We learned valuable lessons about the dynamics of giving and receiving gifts.
Usability testing
We conducted 8 usability tests to identify the areas that worked well and that needed improvement on the Give InKind website. We also wanted to determine what was users’ preferred flow and satisfaction with the site.
the synthesis
uncovering insights
Insights from our research indicated the areas where we could make changes to improve user experiences. To uncover these insights, we created affinity maps, reviewed the comparative analysis that we had conducted, and created personas.
We discovered that although completing the purchase was essential, it was only one dimension in providing a satisfactory experience. Also, users’ motivations and expectations from their gift buying experience varied.
Giving as connection
Buying a gift for someone is about connecting with them. Whether it is to delight or fulfill a need, the point is to let them to know you care.
Not everyone buys gifts the same way
People have different ways of choosing a gift. As a result, they select and purchase gifts differently.
transparency is an expectation
Because Give InKind is a non-profit, people expect transparency as well as the convenience of e-commerce sites.
being sensitive is key
People’s biggest fear was that they could seem insensitive by giving or saying the wrong thing. They needed basic information.
Our solution was a section redesign that empowered users to support their loved ones when it was needed. To do this, the design needed to reflect users’ mental models, needs and expectations, which we learned through user research, usability tests, surveys, expert interviews and other research methods.
personas
We identified two personas: Amber and Julie. We planned for our prototype to support Amber, our primary persona. Later prototypes would focus on Julie, our secondary persona.
The personas we developed have very different needs and expectations when purchasing a gift:
- Amber, the utilitarian giver, approaches gift shopping as a ‘problem solver.’ She focuses on identifying the needs and selects a gift from there.
- Julie wants to make the other person feel good and communicated that she cares. She looks for gifts that are personal and custom.
We used these personas constantly to ground our design, guide our decisions and prioritize. They also created empathy amongst the client team and our team.
reframing the problem
adaptive and simple design
The website’s organic growth led to a site that seeks to meet the needs of many types of users.
To cater to diverse audiences, the site continued to expand by adding on content categories. This led to confusing user flows and eventually to user frustration.
To meet client needs, we focused on the e-commerce experience. Although other aspects would need to change as well, we made this section our priority without losing sight of how it fits within a larger whole.
How might we improve the site's e-commerce experience so
that users feel more empowered to support their loved ones?
More specifically, our focus became the purchasing experience for gifts not included in the wishlist that require people to look for gifts elsewhere on the site.
Our proposal was an improved flow created on behalf of users who are new to the site and need gift suggestions.
the vision
A site that humanizes the issue
Even though Give InKind faces no direct competition, our vision was to create an experience that is even easier to navigate and that allows people to focus on and empathize with their loved ones so that they are able to get the maximum benefit from the site.
focus on the recipient
Our key priority was to focus on primary user goals. We needed to focus on usability and flow to provide a positive experience.
educate & Connect
Take advantage of the opportunity to build an emotional connection between the gift buyer and the recipient through education.
align mission & value
Give InKind has a great mission -connecting people- and we wanted to highlight and celebrate that in a consistent manner.
the architecture
structuring content first
Before starting any design, we wanted to assess the existing content and design choices. We spent a great deal of time doing task analysis, evaluating the site’s taxonomy and understanding how the pieces fit together.
We faced challenges around the affiliate business model, which confused users. They expected to complete their purchase on site, but were surprised when they were sent to affiliate sites to order the items.
User journey
We analyzed the journey users went through when completing a specific use case and took note of the moments in the journey that caused confusion. This helped us conceptualize and structure our proposed changes to improve functionality.
conceptualizing the experience
We created a concept map to visualize the relationships between different web pages and features within Give InKind. The map gave us an idea of how education and the gifting experience were structured in the site.
We also noticed that pieces of information that needed to be linked became endpoints, instead of flowing together. We realized that we needed to be intentional about integrating the different areas of the site.
Evaluating the user flow
The user flow for purchasing a gift provided information about how people move from one step to the next. Upon review, we noticed that there were categories that were not used as much, and that were ambiguous.
We also confirmed that the user experience of the site is significantly affected by the affiliate business model. Because of this, we needed to be very intentional about how and at which points the business mission and system updates were presented.
restructuring the experience
After identifying the main points where users got stuck, we designed solutions for them. The goal of the redesigned user journey would allow people to navigate the website easily and provide pertinent products and information to fit the situation.
There are some aspects of the user journey that the design cannot solve, such as the concern and anxiety that people can experience when they learn that someone they care about is in the middle of a difficult situation.
However, we tried to resolve as many issues as possible within the framework of the user experience related to the usability of the website.
DETailed design
A clearer & more sensitive design
The redesign reflects the lessons learned about what is important to users, as well as the appropriate ways to reflect information. Users can access product categories easier as well as receive other related information for which they are shopping.
simplified navigation
We updated the site’s ‘Explore by Situation’ menu, so that people could access products through an alternative path. The updated menu allows the user to find items quicker and the categories are easier to understand for a larger number of people. e.g. ‘NICU’ became ‘premature baby,’ since some users did not understand what the acronym stood for.
The language used on the menu matches the drop down menu on the main navigation.
empathetic language
We changed the taxonomy to focus on words that were more empathetic, inclusive and empowering, so that people could know what to do and where to go easier.
Instances of this are:
- ‘Give’ became ‘Find a gift’
- ‘Baby’ became ‘Babies & Children’
- ‘Grief/Loss’ became ‘Losing a Loved One’
These changes allow users to focus on the person whom they are shopping for and it also includes the categories more accurately.
Provide relevant information
We added relevant articles on product category pages to connect Give InKind’s goal of educating its audience with users’ need of having enough information to make an informed decision.
The articles aim to reduce the uncertainty around what to get someone who is going through a similar situation and how to be sensitive, a fear that multiple users shared during the interviews.
connect visit with mission
During the initial usability tests, we heard users ask themselves “if this site is going to send me to another site, then why wouldn’t I just go there in the first place?” when they were completing a purchase.
"If this site is going to send me to another site,
then why wouldn't I just go there in the first place?"
We recognized this as an opportunity to connect Give InKind’s website usage to its mission mission, by communicating to the user that the site uses affiliate links.
Providing system status updates and enough information so that the user knows what is going on and what is coming also allows the user to retain control of their experience and not get any unpleasant surprises.
THE IMpact
A STREAMLINED EXPERIENCE
The focus of our redesign was to meet user needs and to also meet the needs of the client. Our redesign led to:
3% Improved usability
The redesign met the client’ts expectations and validated some lessons they had already learned.
Because of COVID-19, Give InKind has pivoted to meet current needs. We hope to see some of our changes brought to life once the pandemic has passed and they are able to focus on these tasks.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
taxonomy can make a huge difference
Contributing to the user experience of a website was very interesting and educational. I gained new respect for copywriting and UX writing. Learning about how important it is to speak to someone’s priorities in relevant and strategic ways was a welcome lesson.
PROVIDING CONGRUENCY BETWEEN A BUSINESS MODEL AND USER EXPERIENCE
This project gave me the opportunity to work with an affiliate business model, where the website sits at the intersection of the user and the product site. Helping users understand why they had to leave the site to purchase something for their loved ones was challenging.
If I had more time...
- Develop method to catch unmet needs that could inform how the organization continues to grow.
- Redesign individual pages to match user expectations of hierarchy and information.
- Evaluate site accessibility in terms of language.
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