Design Options for Differing Goals: Charity Website ‘CareShare’
Project Overview:
In this interaction design challenge, I created two strategically distinct versions of a nonprofit detail page for a fictional platform called CareShare, which connects users with charitable causes. The task was to design one version focused on maximizing donations, and another centered around encouraging users to follow the organization for future engagement.
Objective
While both donation and follower engagement are essential actions for nonprofits, organizations may want to emphasize one over the other based on campaign goals. This project explored how thoughtful design — through layout, copywriting, visual hierarchy, and persuasive techniques — can effectively guide users toward a specific action, without removing access to the other.
My Role & Approach
I worked independently as both UX strategist and UI designer. My goal was to keep both versions structurally consistent so that the differences in user behavior would be driven by intentional shifts in design focus rather than overall layout. I relied on principles from behavioral psychology and persuasive UX to shape the user journey toward the desired action.
In the Follow-focused version, I made the “Follow” button highly prominent and placed it near the top of the page, giving it more visual weight than the donation button, which appeared lower down. I displayed a follower count of over 8,000 to build social proof, reinforcing the idea that many others are already part of this cause. Phrases like “Don’t miss out” were used to create loss aversion, nudging users to follow so they wouldn’t miss updates or opportunities. I also framed following as a way to become part of the organization’s story, emphasizing community and belonging.
Design Strategy
In the Donation-focused version, I applied similar behavioral cues with a different emphasis. The donation section was moved higher on the page, and the donation button was larger and more visually distinct. I included a progress bar showing how much had already been raised toward a $10,000 goal, tapping into the goal gradient effect, which motivates people to contribute when they see momentum. Suggested donation amounts ($20, $50, $100, etc.) used the anchoring effect, gently guiding users toward meaningful contribution amounts. To reinforce social validation, I included a note about over 4,000 people already supporting the cause.
Outcome
The final result was two visually similar pages with distinct user goals and emotional triggers. The Follow version invited community engagement, while the Donate version created a sense of urgency and impact. This exercise demonstrated the power of small shifts in design emphasis to shape user behavior while maintaining a cohesive brand experience.
What I Learned
This project sharpened my ability to design with intentional persuasion, using techniques like social proof, anchoring, and loss aversion in ways that align with user needs and ethical UX practices. It also reinforced the importance of balancing user motivation with business priorities, and how subtle visual and content choices can align both.