Designing a Community-Driven Donation Experience
Designing a Community-Driven Donation Experience
A 0–1 donation experience for a nonprofit design community
A 0–1 donation experience for a nonprofit design community
Triangle UXPA is a membership-based community based in North Carolina that empowers design professionals in the RTP area through various events and design conferences.
Triangle UXPA is a membership-based community based in North Carolina that empowers design professionals in the RTP area through various events and design conferences.
In March 2024, I joined the web design team as a Product Designer to help build a trustworthy donation experience that motivates people to donate.
In March 2024, I joined the web design team as a Product Designer to help build a trustworthy donation experience that motivates people to donate.
Timeline
Timeline
March – June 2024
March – June 2024
Team
Team
2 Designers
2 Designers
1 UX Researcher
1 UX Researcher
1 Project Manager
1 Project Manager
Tools
Tools
Figma
Figma
Notion
Notion
Slack
Slack
Disciplines
Discipline
User Research
User Research
User Testing
User Testing
Prototype
Prototype
BACKGROUND
Triangle UXPA needed a scalable way to fund ongoing programs beyond sponsor revenue.
Triangle UXPA needed a scalable way to fund ongoing programs beyond sponsor revenue.
To support this, the team needed a dedicated donation page that could quickly go live, build credibility, and convert supporters into donors. I joined as a Product Designer and partnered with the design lead and UX researcher to define the experience, validate assumptions, and ship the end-to-end donation flow.
To support this, the team needed a dedicated donation page that could quickly go live, build credibility, and convert supporters into donors. I joined as a Product Designer and partnered with the design lead and UX researcher to define the experience, validate assumptions, and ship the end-to-end donation flow.
PROBLEM
How might we create a donation experience that enables quick giving while building trust and motivating repeat support?
How might we create a donation experience that enables quick giving while building trust and motivating repeat support?
The organization didn't have a donation page for supporters, so creating one was super urgent to keep their work going. I jumped in as a Product Designer and teamed up with the design lead and UX researcher to build a donation page that feels trustworthy and motivates people to donate.
The organization didn't have a donation page for supporters, so creating one was super urgent to keep their work going. I jumped in as a Product Designer and teamed up with the design lead and UX researcher to build a donation page that feels trustworthy and motivates people to donate.
SOLUTION
Designing a low-friction, high-engagement donation experience.
Designing a low-friction, high-engagement donation experience.
I designed a donation experience optimized for speed, clarity, and engagement. By reducing unnecessary steps and embedding trust signals and impact messaging throughout the flow, the solution supports quick contributions while encouraging repeat support.
I designed a donation experience optimized for speed, clarity, and engagement. By reducing unnecessary steps and embedding trust signals and impact messaging throughout the flow, the solution supports quick contributions while encouraging repeat support.
DEFINE & DISCOVERY
Defining donor motivations to guide the donation experience
Defining donor motivations to guide the donation experience
We conducted an online survey with 20+ individuals who had prior donation experience, which helped us narrow our focus to three core priorities: building trust, making impact transparent, and creating a sense of meaningful participation.
We conducted an online survey with 20+ individuals who had prior donation experience, which helped us narrow our focus to three core priorities: building trust, making impact transparent, and creating a sense of meaningful participation.
Translating Insights into Design Decisions
Translating Insights into Design Decisions
Based on these insights, we translated donor motivations into clear design implications to guide the donation experience. These principles helped us prioritize what to emphasize in the experience and informed decisions across layout, content, and interaction design.
Based on these insights, we translated donor motivations into clear design implications to guide the donation experience. These principles helped us prioritize what to emphasize in the experience and informed decisions across layout, content, and interaction design.
Make trust visible early
Make trust visible early
Donors want reassurance before committing, so credibility signals and clear information should appear early in the flow.
Donors want reassurance before committing, so credibility signals and clear information should appear early in the flow.
Communicate impact with clarity
Communicate impact with clarity
Transparency around how donations are used should reduce hesitation without overwhelming users.
Transparency around how donations are used should reduce hesitation without overwhelming users.
Enable Social Participation
Enable Social Participation
Enabling sharing and highlighting collective impact helps donors feel emotionally connected to their contribution.
Enabling sharing and highlighting collective impact helps donors feel emotionally connected to their contribution.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
We reviewed donation experiences from similar organizations to understand how trust and transparency are established throughout the giving flow.
By comparing different approaches, we identified strengths, limitations, and opportunities that informed our design direction.
We reviewed donation experiences from similar organizations to understand how trust and transparency are established throughout the giving flow.
By comparing different approaches, we identified strengths, limitations, and opportunities that informed our design direction.
We reviewed donation experiences from similar organizations to understand how trust and transparency are established throughout the giving flow.
By comparing different approaches, we identified strengths, limitations, and opportunities that informed our design direction.
What We Learned from Similar Donation Experiences
What We Learned from Similar Donation Experiences
Clear impact framing helps donors quickly understand the value of their contribution.
Familiar payment methods reduce friction and increase confidence.
Flexible amount options balance guidance with donor autonomy.
Clear impact framing helps donors quickly understand the value of their contribution.
Familiar payment methods reduce friction and increase confidence.
Flexible amount options balance guidance with donor autonomy.
DESIGN & TESTING
Donation Interface explorations
Donation Interface explorations
With our insights in hand, I collaborated with Silvia to explore donation interface concepts through low-fidelity sketches.
We then translated the most promising directions into high-fidelity wireframes for usability testing and validation.
With our insights in hand, I collaborated with Silvia to explore donation interface concepts through low-fidelity sketches.
We then translated the most promising directions into high-fidelity wireframes for usability testing and validation.
Sharing feels generic and lacks meaningful incentives
Sharing feels generic and lacks meaningful incentives
We conducted usability tests with five members to evaluate the donation experience. While participants found the donation flow easy to use, 4 out of 5 were not motivated to share their donation on social media—revealing a gap between usability and engagement.
We conducted usability tests with five members to evaluate the donation experience. While participants found the donation flow easy to use, 4 out of 5 were not motivated to share their donation on social media—revealing a gap between usability and engagement.
We conducted usability tests with five members to evaluate the donation experience. While participants found the donation flow easy to use, 4 out of 5 were not motivated to share their donation on social media—revealing a gap between usability and engagement.
Ideation & validation with community members
Ideation & validation with community members
Based on this direction, I brainstormed five reward-based concepts and translated them into simple storyboards to explore how each might motivate sharing.
During testing, participants responded differently to each idea, making it difficult to identify a clear favorite. To better surface patterns, I adjusted the study approach and asked participants to rank the concepts instead.
Based on this direction, I brainstormed five reward-based concepts and translated them into simple storyboards to explore how each might motivate sharing.
During testing, participants responded differently to each idea, making it difficult to identify a clear favorite. To better surface patterns, I adjusted the study approach and asked participants to rank the concepts instead.
Based on this direction, I brainstormed five reward-based concepts and translated them into simple storyboards to explore how each might motivate sharing.
During testing, participants responded differently to each idea, making it difficult to identify a clear favorite. To better surface patterns, I adjusted the study approach and asked participants to rank the concepts instead.
1-on-1 mentorship sessions
chance to win a $375 annual design conference ticket
Free tickets to the workshop
A $10 discount on TriUXPA membership
An official badge to share on social channels
Feature Prioritization: Official Badge
Feature Prioritization: Official Badge
Using participant rankings as input, I evaluated the concepts through a prioritization matrix while considering feasibility for the organization.
After reviewing the results with the team, we aligned on the official badge as the strongest solution—balancing user motivation, implementation effort, and long-term community value.
Using participant rankings as input, I evaluated the concepts through a prioritization matrix while considering feasibility for the organization.
After reviewing the results with the team, we aligned on the official badge as the strongest solution—balancing user motivation, implementation effort, and long-term community value.
Reframed sharing from promotion to recognition
Reframed sharing from promotion to recognition
Based on user feedback, we added the badge feature to our social sharing function. This way, we can really motivate our active members and spread the word about TriUXPA at the same time.
Based on user feedback, we added the badge feature to our social sharing function. This way, we can really motivate our active members and spread the word about TriUXPA at the same time.
FINAL SOLUTION
IMPACT
Validating Design Effectiveness
Validating Design Effectiveness
Rather than measuring long-term behavioral outcomes, our goal at this stage was to validate whether the proposed donation experience felt clear, trustworthy, and easy to use.
We conducted usability testing with five TriUXPA members and used the System Usability Scale (SUS) to capture a quantitative signal of overall usability and confidence.
Rather than measuring long-term behavioral outcomes, our goal at this stage was to validate whether the proposed donation experience felt clear, trustworthy, and easy to use.
We conducted usability testing with five TriUXPA members and used the System Usability Scale (SUS) to capture a quantitative signal of overall usability and confidence.
NEXT STEPS
What We Would Measure Post-Launch
What We Would Measure Post-Launch
01
01
Payment Button Click-Through Rate & Donation Convestion Rate
Payment Button Click-Through Rate & Donation Convestion Rate
Payment Button Click-Through Rate & Donation Convestion Rate
These metrics will help us understand how effectively our design encourages users to initiate and complete donations.
These metrics will help us understand how effectively our design encourages users to initiate and complete donations.
These metrics will help us understand how effectively our design encourages users to initiate and complete donations.
02
02
Badge-Sharing Conversion Rate
Badge-Sharing Conversion Rate
Badge-Sharing Conversion Rate
This will help us determine if this strategy effectively engages donors and encourages additional contributions.
This will help us determine if this strategy effectively engages donors and encourages additional contributions.
This will help us determine if this strategy effectively engages donors and encourages additional contributions.
If We Had More Time...
If We Had More Time...
Here are a few design questions worth revisiting if the product continues to grow over time:
• As donor participation grows, explore ways to better support returning users
• If monthly donations stabilize at a higher level, consider how to sustain long-term motivation
• As repeat donations increase, identify opportunities to help donors understand their cumulative impact
Here are a few design questions worth revisiting if the product continues to grow over time:
• As donor participation grows, explore ways to better support returning users
• If monthly donations stabilize at a higher level, consider how to sustain long-term motivation
• As repeat donations increase, identify opportunities to help donors understand their cumulative impact
REFLECTION
My Takeaways...
My Takeaways...
There is no single “right” way to conduct user testing
Refining questions and methods throughout the process leads to more actionable insights.
Risk isn’t the problem—lack of reasoning is
This project pushed me to explore bolder solutions, while ensuring each decision was grounded in a clear reason.
There is no single “right” way to conduct user testing
Refining questions and methods throughout the process leads to more actionable insights.
Risk isn’t the problem—lack of reasoning is
This project pushed me to explore bolder solutions, while ensuring each decision was grounded in a clear reason.
© 2026 Claudia Wei · Made with lots of dark roast coffee
© 2026 Claudia Wei · Made with lots of dark roast coffee
© 2026 Claudia Wei · Made with lots of dark roast coffee