The Girls Refuge
The Girls Refuge is a Sydney based organisation dedicated to the housing & support of young women in crisis.
the project
The existing website served as intermediary between clients and caseworkers, the website was difficult to navigate and needed to be optimised for clients to efficiently find key information.
Timeline
The project was completed over a six week sprint.
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- Figma
- Miro
- zoom
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Platforms
Deliverables
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Foundational research
Personas
customer journey maps
Lo-fi wireframes
Hi-fi prototype
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objectives
1
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Analyse the current website and optimise design/layout for the client demographic.
2
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Enhance the user journey and navigation to key support channels
3
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Enhance provision of information and communication channels for referring agencies and donors.
research
Heuristic analysis
NN 10 usability heuristics
Recommendations for design
Competitor analysis
6 competitors
Online education
crisis support
6 competitors
Online education
crisis support
Heuristic analysis
As there was already an exisiting website we chose to complete a heuristic analysis. Through this process we were able to identify key areas of improvement which allowed us to allocate our efforts effectively but also enhance the website based on Jakob Neilson 10 usability principles.
Competitor analysis
CTA'S
Used effectively in competitors websites
5/6
Offered links to support services
Half
Included a donate page
80%
of competitors offered educational resources
how did the results influence design ?
The heuristic gave us a targeted approach for our design choices, through this process we were able reflect on the major pitfalls of the existing website and specifically target areas that aligned with the clients objectives.
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Competitor analysis gave me a better understanding of industry standards, specifically similar NGO's featured a resource page and clear links to outside services. This gave us a direction for our own designs,
Synthesis
Due to the challenges of Covid-19 & the sensitive situations of the clients, user interviews were not possible.
We pivoted our research to create this persona based on surveys, client testimonials & case worker interviews.
This guided us throughout the design process as it ensured that we focused our efforts around the access of key support information for the client.
MVP
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Through dot voting we were able to select the most valuable aspects of the website to focus our efforts.
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Majority of viable designs came from the heuristics and competitor analysis. As we were limited with data from interviews and surveys.
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This process allowed us to target our efforts effectively and align them with the clients needs.
Site map
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Wireframes
INterface design
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The look & feel was inspired by earthy tones, minimalist illustrations & clean typography. We built on this idea within our design system, these choices were made with the Persona's & research in mind as we sought to create an experience that did not overwhelm the user & created a sense of calm and trust.
Headings - DM Sans
Body - DM Sans
#FCF7EC
#9FD0C2
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Design Features
The objectives of the design was to provide users with stories of other TGR clients and how they have overcome challenges.
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This was displayed in the UI through "client cards" it showed information on key topics and was designed to make users feel welcomed and understood.
Design Features
A key aspect of the TGR is providing information on related services related to domestic violence, abuse and homelessness.
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The " support links" page gave the user quick access to a range of related services. This was created with speed and accuracy in mind as the user needs to locate services quickly and easily in crisis situations
