Clarifying the Message: UX Redesign for a Nonprofit Website

Foundation's website was drowning in messages and missing the point. I led a UX redesign to bring focus, structure, and clarity.

The biggest challenge wasn’t visual—it was clarity. FIHF needed to show why their work matters to funders, scientists, and everyday people alike. I led a research-first process to refocus messaging, segment navigation, and turn vague CTAs into real pathways for action.

Scroll for a research-first story that shaped a complete redesign. Or jump to the solution here.

ROLE

UX Consultant –

Research, Copy & Strategy.

TEAM

1 UX Researcher,

1 UI Designer & Dev Team

TIMELINE

March 2025 – May 2025

(8 weeks)

TOOLS

Figma, Hotjar, Semrush, GA4

OVERVIEW

FIHF (Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food) is a non-profit aiming to improve the nutritional value of food without requiring changes in consumer habits. The foundation collaborates with scientists, farmers, and food industry leaders.

Despite its innovative mission, its website wasn’t effectively communicating the value of the foundation to its highly diverse audience:

  • Unclear mission & vision: Users couldn’t understand what FIHF was or why it mattered.
  • Lack of stakeholder-specific messaging: Scientists, funders, and farmers had no tailored entry points.
  • No data tracking prior to my involvement (GA4 setup started March 9th).
  • Low credibility perception due to poor hierarchy, vague CTAs, and lack of partner visibility.
  • Overemphasis on a single initiative (Coalition for Grain Fiber), limiting perceived scope.

THE PROCESS

What Do You Actually Do? — The UX Research That Rewrote a Mission

RESEARCH

Discovery Phase

To go beyond assumptions and uncover real user needs, I combined:

  • User Interviews: Qualitative sessions with farmers, scientists, nutritionists, board members, and external UX advisors. Insights were mapped and synthesized (see below).
  • Heuristic Evaluation: Full UX audit based on usability, consistency, and conversion cues.
  • Quantitative Analysis:
    • GA4 (implemented from scratch): Acquisition, session flow, bounce rate, key events.
    • Hotjar: Scroll & click maps revealed weak engagement and confusion in nav flows.
    • Semrush: Poor keyword targeting. The only searches performed are direct searches for the name of the organization, so there is no discovery using general interest terms.

HEURISTICS

Visibility of System Status

The website lacks clear indicators of where users are or how far along they are in a process.

Match Between System and the Real World

The language used is overly technical and not easily understood by all target audiences (e.g., farmers, general public).

Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

There are no shortcuts or personalized routes for different users (e.g., scientists, farmers, donors).

User Control and Freedom

Navigation lacks clear ways to go back or undo actions.

Consistency and Standards

Some links and CTAs appear in inconsistent formats, leading to confusion.

Error Prevention

Forms do not provide real-time feedback or mark required fields clearly.

Recognition Over Recall

Main sections of the website aren’t visually highlighted, requiring users to remember where to find info.

Aesthetic Design

The site looks clean, but feels cold and impersonal due to overuse of stock imagery.

Help and Documentation

There is no Help or FAQ section to guide new users.

Research-Backed Patterns

From the interviews, I extracted the main needs across audiences:

FEEDBACK

“You need to show where this is going—not just what exists now.” – Stephen (Chairman)

Over-focus on the present (e.g., CGF) made the foundation appear small or static.

“The structure should guide me depending on who I am.” – Steve (UX Expert)

Recommended a segmented architecture with landing flows and navigation based on persona. Each main stakeholder group should have tailored homepages or sections.

“I want to see faces. Real people. Real stories.” – Marusa (Nutritionist)

Need for human proof: photos, testimonials, named collaborators, and visible impact stories. The current site felt hypothetical and abstract, especially for potential partners.

“Young researchers want to help, but we don’t know how.” – Izuchukwu (Young Researcher)

There’s potential to build retention here through clearer paths for early-career collaborators.

“You should make it easier for farmers to see how they benefit.” – Nathan (Farmer)

Requested a dedicated “For Farmers” page showing profitability, success stories, and how their work contributes.

“There’s no clear way to contact the right person.” – Nathan (Farmer-Scientist)

A more personal and transparent contact method, with photos and names of FIHF staff. This would build credibility.

Benchmark & Competitor Review

Compared FIHF to FAO, WFP, Feeding America, Better Food Foundation, etc., uncovering gaps in storytelling, navigation structure, and donation flow.

Here you can visualize the foundations I reviewed and some screenshots that I found interesting:

THE OUTCOME

How UX Research Shaped a Website That Finally Speaks to Everyone

FINDINGS

Mission was unclear, so...

Explained what FIHF does, who it serves, and why it matters — all above the fold.

Navigation didn’t guide by audience, so…

Segmented navigation by role (e.g., Researchers, Farmers, Donors) to help users self-identify and find relevant content faster.

The CGF overshadowed FIHF’s broader mission, so…

Reframed CGF as “the first of many initiatives” and introduced space to showcase other projects and future plans.

Pages lacked credibility and trust, so…

Elevated scientific partners, real results, and visual credibility markers to boost user confidence.

Content felt cold, so…

Swapped stock visuals for real people, real quotes, and real stories — making the foundation feel human and relatable.

Users missed key CTAs, so…

Redesigned calls to action with specific outcomes and made them visible in menu, body and footer.

No data or impact metrics were visible, so…

Planned to highlight key numbers, outcomes, and impact KPIs across pages.

Users had nowhere to land based on who they are, so…

Created “Join as a…” flows to give each user group a role, a benefit, and a reason to act.

The design felt elegant but distant, so…

Balanced visual clarity with emotional storytelling and made information scannable.

BEFORE

AFTER

NAVIGATE THE REDESIGN

Do you want to see the whole redesign? Check it here

NEXT STEPS

  • Monitor new GA4 events to validate improvements in conversion and page engagement.
  • Explore progressive disclosure models (e.g., FAQ expanders) to manage depth without cluttering pages.
  • Run A/B testing on donation flows to optimize copy and placement further.
  • Begin drafting onboarding email flows tailored to each stakeholder type.

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Get in touch

Do you have a product idea, want to discuss a project, or need a designer? Drop me an email at

hi@designbysofi.com

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