I made some initial notes and sketches at the beginning stages of the project in June 2016:
- Using Google Analytics, Heather and I discovered that most of the visitors to UDS came from the US, so we proceeded to redesign the site to be responsive so that visitors can easily get info and enjoy media on various devices
- Heather was aiming that the redesign would allow her to also post her latest blogs to the homepage, gaining more traction to the latest news and events
- Heather was inspired by other nonprofit websites such as True Sanctuary and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum
- Kinds of feelings and responses we wanted to the new UDS site we wanted to impart users included: Fun, Inspirational, Sharing Positivity, Finding news affecting Youth, Gratitude, and “Be (young people’s) Shining Self!”
My sketches were inspired by existing blog themes and include some common UI elements (grid galleries, headlines with text, sidebar archive, etc).
It was from these sketches that Heather wanted me to find a similar Wordpress theme to help bring the sketches to life!
- Be Responsive (be viewed beautifully on all devices)
- Post Heather’s blog posts onto the front page for optimal readership
- Have page layouts and widgets that highlight UDS’s news, photos, media and new user engagement/social media campaigns
- Highlight a visual style that reflects the vibrant blue and yellow of the UDS school colors. I made it a priority to keep the text readable and contrast high
- Put Newsletter Signup and Donate buttons higher up front and center ensuring greater user engagement and support for the UDS mission
"Thank you for all your (continued) hard work!"
- Heather Cannon and other UDS Board Members