While leading the Digital offering at john st., I worked with War Child to take on the complex issue of a disconnected brand strategy and confusing digital & donation experience. I worked to re-define the CX of the donation process and better understand how donors become aware of new charitable organizations and what drives them to donate. Partnered with a new brand strategy, we then extended the brand experience through a completely reimagined UX and design system.

EXTENDING THE BRAND

At project kick-off, the War Child brand consisted of a logo, a typeface, and the colour red. I worked to extend the brand for use across the new digital experience, which included creating a new, accessible colour palette and refining the brand typography. The square found in the logo was also used as a dynamic framing device throughout the visual system. 

AN ATYPICAL EXPERIENCE

Research revealed that brand design was directly linked to a user’s willingness to donate. Charities that had too much of a focus on design were often perceived as being “too slick” and left potential donors with questions around where their money was actually going (marketing vs. the cause at hand). I worked to create a visual experience, that told brand narrative effectively without relying too heavily on graphic devices and/or over-the-top immersive experiences.

THE PATH TO DONATION

Through the discovery process we uncovered that the vast majority of donors typically fell into two buckets: 

1. they either navigated to the site with the direct intent of making a donation, or; 

2. they are looking for information about War Child as reassurance that their donation will be put to good use. 

By reducing the barrier to entry for those simply looking to make a donation we saw a significant increase in donation conversion.