7 MIN READ
Heart of
the Valley
THE PURPOSE
CONTEXT
Heart of the Valley is a Santa Clara-based volunteer service incorporated in 1987, dedicated to supporting seniors’ living independently by connecting them with volunteer services, ranging from appointment transportation to reading services to check-ins.
OBJECTIVE
Revamp the Heart of the Valley website and navigation to enhance accessibility and usability for its users. Furthermore, our team developed an interactive quiz aimed at clarifying Heart of the Valley's eligibility criteria and linking seniors to additional resources
DURATION
2 weeks
MY ROLE
Product design, style guide, design systems, content organization
TOOLS USED
Figma, Google Workspace, Trello, Indesign, FigJam
THE TEAM
Worked alongside 2 UX/UI designers.
STAKEHOLDER INSIGHTS
The stakeholders of the non-profit organization identified the primary challenges they faced in the service limitations and accessibility aspects of their existing website. Seniors frequently bypassed the website altogether, opting to call instead with extensive lists of inquiries. This presented challenges for the limited staff and volunteers to manage effectively.
METHODOLOGIES
We opted to streamline our user pathway specifically for individuals interested in verifying their eligibility status effortlessly. Our primary objective was to create a brief quiz that users could complete to determine their eligibility for services.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
In order for seniors to be confident about their eligibility status, they must confirm they qualify for Heart of the Valley’s services in order to receive volunteer assistance to address their needs. How might we make this experience accessible and seamless for users?
EVALUATION OF THE MARKETPLACE
EARLY DESIGN PROCESS
I tackled the early stages of the design process. I enjoy creating organizational patterns that would act as a template for our future design palette. Transitioning from my preliminary sketches, I proceeded to develop mid-fidelity prototypes in Figma, drawing inspiration from both competitor analyses and our hierarchy of needs.
Our primary emphasis during the initial phases was on our eligibility quiz. I dedicated particular attention to ensuring its design was straightforward and user-friendly. This phase provided valuable insights into accessibility considerations, highlighting the importance of breaking down information into easily digestible segments to minimize questions regarding senior eligibility status.
INFORMATION
ARCHITECTURE
While the current navigation was relatively intuitive and user-friendly, we aimed to streamline certain elements within the headings to minimize any potential confusion. Fortunately, this aspect of the design process was straightforward, as it did not necessitate a complete overhaul.
PROTOTYPING & TESTING
Our subsequent action involved testing our established user journey: the anticipated experience for a new visitor seeking to verify their eligibility and choose their desired services.
USABILITY TESTING RESULTS
Throughout our tests, we found three common themes where users wanted to see improvement. Our final prototype reflects these changes.
01
Change the navigation flow of our eligibility tests so every button takes user to a different page. Delete our “Next” buttons
02
Minimize font to generate better spacing throughout each page.
03
Add “hover” and “selected” states for all buttons throughout site.
STYLE GUIDE & DESIGN SYSTEMS
Stakeholders were firm in their decision to retain the existing color palette. We revitalized the colors by incorporating them into logo rebranding and updating various components.
OTHER PROJECTS
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A complete website redesign which aims to focus on the companies multiple sectors in hope to retain existing customers and attract new ones.
