Research Methodologies

We gathered insights from user interviews, usability tests, and surveys, integrating feedback to enhance the user experience. We prioritized improvements based on issue severity and impact. By comparing System Usability Scale (SUS) scores before and after the redesign, we quantified the effectiveness of our efforts in significantly improving overall usability.

‍

Stakeholder Interviews:

• Conducted interviews with stakeholders within the Heart of Taiwan Animal Care Association to gain insights into their goals, challenges, and expectations for the redesigned website.

Target Audience Interviews:

• Conducted in-depth user interviews with potential donors with donation experience to understand their needs, concerns, and expectations

User Interviews and Usability Testing:

• Organized usability testing sessions involving users unfamiliar with the existing Taiwan Heart website to evaluate the current donation process and identify pain points.
• Analyzed the existing donation process by breaking it down into tasks such as navigating the website, initiating a donation, and completing the transaction. To identify pain points and areas of confusion in the current user journey.

Prototyping and Iterative Design:

• Developed prototypes based on insights gathered from user interviews and task analysis.
• Implemented iterative design processes, refining prototypes based on feedback from usability testing sessions.
• Iteratively improved the user interface, navigation, and content hierarchy to enhance the user experience.

System Usability Scale (SUS):

• Utilized the SUS questionnaire to quantitatively measure users' perceptions of the usability of both the existing and redesigned websites.
• Administered SUS surveys after each usability testing session to assess improvements in usability and overall user satisfaction.

The Heart of Taiwan Animal Care (HOTAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of stray dogs and cats, realized that their current website experience was not as smooth as possible. The donation process mainly deters potential supporters due to its complexity. HOTAC decided to redesign its donation process to enhance usability and simplicity. The first step involved thorough interviews and usability testing to understand user needs and identify potential issues in real-world scenarios. Armed with valuable insights, the team conducted a second round of testing after the redesign to ensure the interface was intuitive and appealing to attract more donors.

‍

HOTAC, a small non-profit organization with limited resources, had specific pain points to address. The existing website needed more fluidity, especially in the donation process, causing some users to abandon their contributions. Applying user-centered design principles, the focus shifted towards optimizing the donation process, revamping the visual hierarchy of the homepage, and improving navigation and content.
The redesign goals were clear:

• 😺 Enhance usability: Design a simple and intuitive donation process to make it easy for potential donors to find and complete their contributions, minimizing unnecessary clicks and form-filling.
• 🐶 Increase willingness to donate: Highlight the organization's credibility on the donation page, providing potential donors with a better understanding of HOTAC's mission and ensuring they feel their contributions make a real impact.

The voices of stakeholders and target users were crucial. Through interviews, pain points were identified. The donation process was seen as overly complex, especially for different age groups, potentially leading to donation abandonment, and the overall website design and interaction elements required enhancement. Donors recruited for interviews shared their experiences, motivations, and concerns. Their backgrounds varied, but common themes emerged – social media played a significant role in their donation decisions, and trust in an organization's credibility was paramount. The donors expressed the need for clear and concise donation processes, regular updates, and transparency in fund utilization.

‍

‍

The first round of usability testing provided crucial feedback. Users found locating the annual work reports challenging, an essential element for building trust. The donation page's complexity and incongruent explanations further contributed to user confusion. Armed with these findings, the team set out to redefine the logic of the donation page, aiming to improve the entire donation process.
The System Usability Scale (SUS) was employed for a quantitative evaluation. The first SUS score was 30, indicating room for improvement. Undeterred, the team dove into the redesign, focusing on areas flagged as user pain points. A new process flow was carefully analyzed, considering every step from initiation to completion.

‍

Armed with these insights, the redesign team focused on optimizing specific areas:

• 💰 Streamlining the donation process: Consolidating the current process into a more intuitive order form to provide a better user experience.
• 📊 Enhancing financial report presentation: Displaying income and expenses more clearly in financial reports to help donors understand fund allocation.
• 👆 Improving the overall website design and interaction elements.

‍

‍

‍

We have translated these research findings into design elements. This may involve adding, modifying, or adjusting features in the application interface to meet user expectations better. We utilized these recommended design elements to create the prototype.

‍

With the redesigned prototype ready, the team invited participants for the second round of usability testing. Two participants were unfamiliar with the HOTAC website, and two who had used it before engaged with the redesigned product. The SUS score increased to 85, indicating a significant boost in user satisfaction compared to the initial score of 30.Participants in the second usability test lauded the smoothness of the donation process, emphasizing how tasks could be effortlessly completed. The targeted improvements had paid off.

It concludes with valuable feedback and suggestions from the second round of testing, becoming guiding lights for future enhancements. The journey of the HOTAC website redesign showcased the power of user-centric design, turning challenges into opportunities for a more intuitive and impactful donation experience. And so, the Heart of Taiwan Animal Care continues its mission with a revitalized online presence, ensuring that every click contributes to the well-being of our furry friends.
‍

Finally, this is our final prototype design.‍

‍

The design has now been implemented on the website.

https://hotac.neticrm.tw/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=7

📌Streamlined Donation Process for Enhanced User Experience:

The usability testing revealed that the existing donation process on the Taiwan Heart Animal Care Association's website could have been more straightforward for users, potentially leading to a drop in donations. The redesigned donation flow focused on simplifying the process, making it more intuitive, and reducing unnecessary clicks and form filling. The second usability test confirmed that the streamlined donation process significantly improved the overall user experience, resulting in a higher satisfaction score.

📌Emphasizing Credibility and Trust to Boost Donor Confidence:

Users wanted to understand the impact of their donations and emphasized the importance of trust in the organization. The redesigned donation page aimed to highlight the credibility of the Heart of Taiwan Animal Care Association, providing users with a clearer understanding of the organization's mission and achievements. This emphasis on transparency and credibility proved effective, as reflected in the positive feedback from users in the second usability test.

📌Continuous Iterative Improvement Based on User Feedback:

The iterative design process, involving initial interviews, usability testing, and two rounds of redesigns, demonstrated a commitment to addressing user needs and challenges. The team actively sought user feedback and incorporated it into the redesign, substantially improving the overall usability of the donation process. The positive outcomes from the second usability test underscore the value of continuous iteration based on user insights, and this approach can serve as a model for ongoing improvement in the future.

‍