Community Resource Center
UX Research Report
Role: Team Leader / UX Researcher
Project Type: UX Research
Project Date: May 2024
Community Resource Center (CRC) was founded in 1981. The initial mission was to assist organizations that used community organizing to promote social change in Denver’s inner city. By 1984, the mission expanded to encompass the broad range of nonprofit organizations and community groups that provide services throughout Colorado. CRC has responded to the needs of the sector by continually developing new ways to serve Colorado’s nonprofits.
Research Team
Ellie Lindsey
Nicole Stackmann
Pallavitha Halaga
Anjali Shadija
The full project is only available on Desktop.
STUDY BACKGROUND
Analyzing User Experience
CRC Website
Challenge
The Colorado Community Resource Center (CRC) faces the challenge of unclear communication on its website regarding its mission, history, and impact. Some of their external partners, including nonprofit organizations, community groups, and government agencies in Colorado, have reported difficulties in understanding exactly what CRC does and the resources it offers when visiting the site.
This challenge shows the need to improve the usability and clarity of the website to effectively communicate CRC’s focus and the breadth of its programs.
What is UX Research?
UX research focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation and feedback. It helps bridge the gap between a business's assumptions about user needs and the actual user requirements.
UX research helps you create better customer experiences.
It can also give your team invaluable insight into the customer experience, and identify opportunities to improve it. Conducting UX research can teach you: The real-world context in which people use (or could use) your product.
Implementing Research
Study Impact
Improving the usability and communication challenges on CRC's website is crucial to elevate the organization's overall impact and engagement with its partners.
Through clear communication of their mission, program offerings, and impact, CRC can strengthen its relationships with external partners, attract new stakeholders, and facilitate meaningful connections and resources that drive positive change and inclusivity across Colorado's communities.
Community Leaders
Colorado Nonprofit Organizations
Govt. Agencies/Officials in nonprofit funding
Nonprofit Professionals
Volunteers
Target Users
crcamerica.org
Competitors
01
Research Questions
What are the main challenges users face when navigating CRC's website, especially in accessing resources and grant information?
02
What website improvements would users prioritize to enhance their experience and engagement with CRC's programs?
03
How can the CRC website content and design clearly express what CRC does, who they serve and what their impact is?
Research Hypotheses
01
If we understand what information users need, then we will be able to implement proper hierarchy on the website to make the overall user experience better.
02
If we understand what services users are using the most, then the services can be presented with clarity throughout the website to provide an improved user experience.
Research methodology 01
Heuristic Evaluation
Each team member assessed the below pages across nine distinct categories, accompanied by comments clarifying their evaluations. The scores were then averaged to compile the data.
HOME PAGE
WHO WE ARE
GRANTS GUIDE
DONATE
Heuristic Evaluation
Score Card
Scale
1
Poor
2
Needs Improvement
3
Adequate
4
Good
5
Excellent
Clarity
Clear communication and presentation of information facilitate comprehension and usability.
2
Aesthetic Design
A visually appealing design enhances user engagement and perception of the website.
1
Task Completion
Guiding users efficiently through task flows enables them to achieve their goals effectively.
4
Navigation
Intuitive navigation structures help users locate information and features easily.
3
Information Density
3
Balancing the amount of information presented ensures content remains digestible and avoids overwhelming users.
Communication
2.5
Feedback mechanisms enhances engagement and fosters a sense of connection and understanding.
Efficiency
2.5
Streamlining processes and minimizing unnecessary steps allows users to accomplish tasks quickly.
System Status
2
Providing clear system status updates ensures users are informed about the state of the website.
Heuristic Evaluation
Clarity
Is the interface free from ambiguity, providing clear instructions and labels, with error messages and notifications being clear and informative?
The homepage doesn't clearly explain what CRC does or what services it offers. It needs clearer information about its products and services. Also, the descriptions for the information cards are insufficient.
2
Score: Needs Improvement
The homepage does not have a clear statement about what CRC does and its services.
upcoming events under rural philanthropy days
Does not explain what donation is used for, why you should donate. No mission. What is done with donation money?
No arrows to navigate back to CRC
Overwhelming amount of drop downs
Heuristic Evaluation
Navigation
Is the navigation system intuitive and easy to use, with clear and descriptive labels guiding users to relevant content and features?
There are many links and buttons that direct the user to external sites with no clear path back to CRC. The navigation bar has an abundance of drop downs that makes it hard for users to navigate.
3
Score: Adequate
AmeriCorps visa program link does not work
Nonfunctional Button
Heuristic Evaluation
Efficiency
Can users get the information they need in a clear & efficient path?
There are nonfunctioning links and buttons throughout the site. There is confusion about how to access certain resources.
2.5
Score: Needs Improvement
Research methodology 02
Interviews
METHOD
User Interview
Sample Size
5
PLATFORM
Google Meet/Zoom
We recruited 5 users on userinterviews.com that are Nonprofit Organization workers. We studied users demographics prior to recruitment in order to get a broad range of participants. In addition to their personal demographics, we considered their role and type of nonprofit to consider various perspectives.
Interview Participants
Amy
VICE PRESIDENT / DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
Female, 57
Vernon
DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER
Male, 36
Tommy
SENIOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS ASSISTANT
Male, 27
Zachary
NON-PROFIT POLICY DIRECTOR
Male, 57
Alicia
NON-PROFIT PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Female, 47
Mission and background statement at the bottom and does not have strong hierarchy.
Heuristic Evaluation
Communication
Does the interface effectively communicate important information, and are notifications and alerts appropriately prioritized and presented?
The content is not properly prioritized in order for users to know what is the most important information, services, and tasks to complete.
2.5
Score: Needs Improvement
Implementing Research
Study Limitations
The study's limitations encompassed the difficulty in recruiting Colorado-based nonprofit professionals due to their limited numbers, leading to the recruitment of nonprofit professionals nationwide who may find the website relevant to their respective states. Additionally, the study only tested the desktop website and did not include testing for mobile responsiveness.
INTERVIEW FINDINGS
User Journey Map
Actions
(doing)
Mindset
(Thinking)
Emotions
(feeling)
Exploring CRC's Homepage
Go into CRC website and explore the homepage.
The homepage appears straightforward initially, but scrolling down feels chaotic & disorganized.
Navigating to Specific Information
Find the 'Who are we' tab/section and explain what you see and understand from this page.
Finding the 'Who are we' section was easy, but the content seemed a bit overwhelming. There are so many subsections!
Resource Discovery
How would you find information on partnership opportunities on CRC's website?
The lack of a clear pathway or dedicated section made it challenging to explore the options.
Interacting with Interactive Elements
How you would donate to a specific organization on CRC's website.
The donation process was straightforward with clear buttons, but the form's order made it confusing to know who I'm donating to.
Amy
RECOMMENDATION
Users appreciate the clean navigation but suggest improvements for clarity, including clearer calls to action and better prioritization of content.
Navigation/Task Efficiency
UXR FINDING
Users appreciate the clean navigation but suggest improvements for clarity, including clearer calls to action and better prioritization of content.
“On the Colorado grants page, it feels like I'm redirected to a completely different site, with no way to return to the main menu or access the programs section.”
“The 'Subscribe' button could be clearer, as I hesitated to click on certain elements because I wasn't sure of their function.”
Center aligned text is difficult to read
Inconsistent Imagery Style
Inconsistent Button Style
Font size and color contrast is not readable
Inconsistent Text Style
Heuristic Evaluation
Aesthetic Design
Is the visual design and content focused on the essentials, with all distracting, unnecessary elements removed?
There is no clear design system in place with a consistent color palette, style, text sizing, and image layout. A lack of visual style guidelines makes it distracting for users.
1
Score: Poor
“The top menu feels cluttered with too many options that aren't very intuitive. It's overwhelming to navigate through so much information right from the start.”
“The website is a bit overwhelming with all the information scattered around.”
Information Organization
UXR FINDING
There's a consensus among users that the website's content needs better organization to align with CRC's mission and make it easier for visitors to find relevant information.
RECOMMENDATION
Strategically use the homepage to spotlight key resources, upcoming events, success stories, and featured content that align with CRC's mission. This encourages visitors to explore valuable information right away.
“When navigating from page to page, there's no consistency in how things are placed and organized. It creates a sense of too much movement”
"The grants page has a different color scheme than the rest of the site and a different logo. This gives it the feel of being a separate company rather than one of their products or services."
Aesthetics/Visual Design
UXR FINDING
While the website is generally clean, users feel it could be improved aesthetically to enhance engagement and appeal.
RECOMMENDATION
Create visual hierarchy with size, color, and positioning to prioritize critical content, ensuring easy distinction from less important information.
Key Takeaway
"Information overload and disorganized content are creating a challenging user experience, complicating task completion and navigation, and causing confusion about CRC's services and objectives."
Homepage Wireframe
“You're the nonprofit for nonprofits. Your goal is to empower nonprofits, both in building their ecosystems and linking them to other nonprofits.”
”My initial impression is that they prioritize Rural Engagement and Rural AmeriCorps Programs in their content presentation”
Content
UXR FINDING
CRC is perceived as a hub for nonprofit resources, collaboration, and networking, with a focus on capacity building and professional development for rural and smaller nonprofits in Colorado.
RECOMMENDATION
Prioritize key content or actions on the website, such as popular products/services, essential information, and primary conversion goals, ensuring they are prominently featured.
Overwhelming amount of text
Heuristic Evaluation
Information Density
Is there an appropriate balance of information on each page, and is complex information presented in a digestible manner?
There are certain pages with content overload that overwhelms the users and creates confusion.
3
Score: Adequate
AmeriCorps visa program link does not work
Tasks & information are not separated/ distinguished from one another
Heuristic Evaluation
Task Completion
Is there a clear indication of task progress and completion status, and are tasks clearly defined and structured for successful completion?
It is confusing between information/resources and actionable tasks. There is an unclear path on how to complete certain tasks.
4
Score: Good
No breadcrumbs and no back arrows
Heuristic Evaluation
System Status
Does the design clearly communicate its state, and is feedback presented promptly after user actions?