Maine Needs
Reimagined Maine Needs’ donation experience to simplify giving, highlight urgent needs, and improve user engagement across devices.
Role
Designer
Duration
3 months
Team
Personal Project
Platform
Web
Project Overview
The Challenge
Maine Needs, a grassroots non-profit, relies on a website where users can learn how to donate goods, funds, or shop from a third-party wishlist of current needs. Some users found the website’s donation flows were unclear, and others expressed uncertainty about the impact of their donations.
The Goal
Introduce a new “Shop to Give” feature — an integrated experience replacing the existing third-party wishlist. The goal was to make it easier for users to donate items by shopping directly from a curated, always-updated list of high-impact needs. The project also aimed to boost confidence and clarity across all donation flows.
Research & Discovery
User Surveys
Collected feedback from both repeat and first-time donors to understand motivations and barriers. Many users expressed a desire to help but felt overwhelmed by website content or were unaware of the full range of donation options.
User Personas
Developed two user personas based on key themes from survey responses. One representing a returning, impact-oriented donor and another reflecting a first-time visitor who prioritizes clarity and convenience.
Competitive Analysis
Reviewed donation models of similar non-profits (Family Aid, Second Chances, etc.) to understand how they structure their donation flows and communicate impact. Also explored ecommerce-inspired donation experiences like GoFundMe Pro to study how they can increase the perceived impact of donations.
Ideation & Iteration
Brainstorming
Based on research findings, I explored multiple ways to clarify donation paths, increase urgency, and make giving feel more tangible. I sketched early concepts ranging from restructured navigation layouts to entirely new donation flows.
Wireframing
I created low and mid-fidelity mockups to test layout ideas for the homepage, item listings, and “Shop to Give” checkout.
The Solution
I restructured the site’s information architecture to reduce friction and make donation paths clearer. From there, I designed a new donation experience that emphasizes transparency, urgency, and the tangible impact of each contribution.
Simplified Navigation
Restructured the site’s information architecture to better organize donation options and reduce decision friction. Introduced contextual navigation patterns like crosslinks between giving methods to guide users through different ways to donate without overwhelming them.
'Shop to Give'
Introduced a new “Shop to Give” feature that lets users browse and select high-need items in a familiar ecommerce-style interface. Unlike traditional shopping, users make a simple financial donation and Maine Needs staff handle fufillment. This lifts the logistical burden from donors while preserving the sense of agency and emotional connection that comes from choosing specific ways to support families in need.
Urgency & Clarity
Added visual cues like urgency tags to help donors quickly understand which items are most needed. I also incorporated lightweight social proof into the checkout flow (e.g., “You’re joining 8 Mainers who donated today”) to build confidence and reinforce the sense of collective action.
Illustrations provided by Freepik