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Helping 500K+ People Find a Community to Call Home
Redesigned FIC’s fragmented community-discovery experience into a user-first product — doubling task success rates to 85% and paving the way for its next evolution.
Overview
The Foundation for Intentional Community’s (FIC) directory helps people find and join communities built around shared values, sustainable living, and cooperation — turning the search for connection into an easy, guided experience.
About This Case Study
This case study documents the year-long redesign and evolution of the Foundation for Intentional Community’s (FIC) discovery platform — from a website refresh to a scalable product with expanded functionality and support for multiple directories.
Outcome
The redesign transformed FIC’s Directory into a faster, simpler, and more intuitive experience.
Task success doubled to 85%, with users completing searches 40% faster and reporting a 43% increase in ease of use.
People seeking specific lifestyles—like gluten-free-friendly communities—now find their place 16% faster, turning a once-overwhelming search into a meaningful journey of belonging.
Who is FIC?
Empowering Cooperative Living
The Foundation for Intentional Community is a global nonprofit helping people find and build cooperative communities — neighborhoods where people share resources, values and purpose.
Through its educational programs and searchable directory of 1,000+ communities, FIC helps over 500K people each year discover ways to live more sustainably and intentionally.
Challenges
A World Disconnected
1 in 2 Americans report feeling lonely—a health risk as severe as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. As communities dissolve and living costs rise, people crave shared spaces, mutual support and belonging—yet few know where to begin.
FIC’s Challenge
FIC’s website—the primary bridge for people searching for community—had become outdated and fragmented. The confusing layout and inconsistent terminology made it difficult for newcomers to discover communities that matched their values or know where to begin.
Why It Matters
When newcomers leave, FIC loses both its primary source of revenue and its ability to help people overcome isolation and find community—the very problem it was created to solve.
Scope & Goals
I led UX and product strategy efforts through TechFleet, a nonprofit design agency that partners with mission-driven organizations to deliver impactful digital products.
Phase 1 — Making Sense of Complexity (Oct 2024 – Feb 2025)
Redesign the legacy site using its existing structure, simplify navigation, and modernize the Directory to make discovery intuitive for newcomers.
Scope Redefinition (Client Intake) (Apr — May 2025)
Partnered with FIC leadership and TechFleet’s CEO to realign goals, define MVP boundaries, set new success metrics, and prioritize features for phased development. Moving to a new platform opened the door for new functionality that better supports FIC’s long-term vision.
Phase 2 — Expanding and Scaling the Platform (Jun — Sep 2025)
Expanded functionality into a live multi-directory product, enabling connected user flows and delivering production-ready designs with development. more and better design decisions, fully improving
My Role
As Product Designer, I worked cross-functionally across research, design, content, and development to align the team around shared outcomes.
Work followed Agile two-week sprints with iterative collaboration in Figma, FigJam, and Notion.
My Core Responsibilities
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Design Execution: Delivered prototypes and high-fidelity designs for key flows.
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Vision & Strategy: Defined product vision and scope; authored requirements and epics.
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Information Design: Developed site structure and user flows for complex journeys.
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UX Research: Conducted audits, planned usability tests, and analyzed KPIs to guide iteration.
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Facilitation & Coaching: Led workshops, client interviews and mentored teammates in Agile practices.
Discovery & Alignment
Making Sense of Chaos
Before design began, FIC’s research insights and priorities were fragmented across teams. I led a Customer Experience Workshop, bringing together researchers, developers, marketers and a community resident to align on pain points, business goals, and technical constraints.
Outcome
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Built shared understanding of user goals, pain points, and business objectives.
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Created a complete CX map capturing the newcomer’s whole journey.
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Prioritized focus areas — starting with the Directory
Why We Prioritized the Directory
FIC's usability data and post-workshop analysis revealed that over 50% of user pain points stemmed from the Directory—their core, revenue-generating feature. Prioritizing the Directory redesign delivered the greatest immediate gains in clarity and usability while establishing a scalable foundation for all future content discovery (e.g., resources) across the site.
Results from FIC’s internal usability study: Over 50% of user pain points tied to the Directory.
Empathy Mapping
The Seeker of Belonging
A newcomer arrives at FIC curious about community-based living — sharing space and values with like-minded people — but unsure where to begin or how to find the right fit.
Deep Goals
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Find a place to call home and live with people who share their values, rhythm, and purpose.
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Make informed decisions about a path toward a more intentional way of living.
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Build a lifestyle rooted in cooperation, sustainability, and personal growth.
Core Needs
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Clarity — reliable, easy-to-understand information about communities and how to join one.
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Transparency — see communities as they truly are, with real people and authentic stories.
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Guidance — know what to learn, where to start, and how to connect with the right people.
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Representation — see relatable stories and examples that help them imagine belonging.
Frustrations & Pain Points
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Isolation & Burnout — realizing their current life feels unsustainable and disconnected from purpose or genuine connection.
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Fear of Change — community life feels like starting over, which is intimidating.
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Overwhelm — scattered information, no clear path to begin, and no trusted source to guide.
Newcomer’s Journey
To ground our work in empathy, I mapped the full experience — from awareness through loyalty — using insights from research and workshops. This journey captures how newcomers move from first discovering FIC to deciding whether to join a community.
For this case study, I focus on the first four stages: the newcomer’s path from awareness to conversion, where we identified the most critical drop-offs and design opportunities.
Ideation
Designs were developed cross-functionally and refined via client review. Collaborative input from FIC's IT, Marketing and other teams ensured balance between usability and business goals.
Optimizing the Filter Experience (Phase 1)
Users faced 60+ scattered filters, unclear labels, and high cognitive load, making discovery slow and frustrating. We focused on filters because they’re the tool that connects people — their needs and values — with the right community.
Approach & Solution
I led a collaborative working session with researchers and FIC stakeholders to align insights across teams. Together, we designed a goal-oriented filter system organized by user intent and written in clear, plain language.
As a result, the design team:
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Reduced 60+ filters to ~40 meaningful options.
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Grouped filters into intuitive categories (Lifestyle, Structure, Economics).
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Prioritized high-use filters for faster discovery.
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Applied progressive disclosure for clean, mobile-friendly scanning.
Refining Decision Points on the Directory Flow (Phase 1)
The original community cards were cluttered and lacked a clear hierarchy, making key details difficult to scan and decisions challenging.
Version 3
Moved labels below titles, but created responsiveness issues with longer text combinations.
Solution
The final design balanced clarity and hierarchy — keeping only essential details, improving scannability, and enabling faster, more confident decisions.
Version 1
Included client-preferred details but compromised visual hierarchy.
Version 2
Improved grouping by removing non-essential details, but label placement above titles reduced clarity.
Redesigning the Community Listing Page for Clarity (Phase 1)
Users found the listing page overwhelming — too much text, poor structure, and endless scrolling made it difficult to scan, especially on mobile.
Version 1
Used a two-column layout that hurt readability and accessibility due to small titles and dense text.
Version 2
Introduced collapsible sections to reduce scrolling, but long content still created clutter. Even with auto-collapse logic, the layout felt heavy and inconsistent with the filtering system’s structure.
Solution
The final design mirrored the filter system’s intent-based grouping for consistency. A tabbed layout replaced endless scrolling, with sections capped at ~300 characters for quick reading.
Making Contact Effortless (Phase 1)
Users struggled to find the contact button, often losing it when scrolling.
Solution
Key CTAs were fixed in a persistent bottom bar for constant visibility. Contact details moved to a dedicated page, decluttering listings while keeping essential info accessible.
Scope Shift &
Revised Goals
After Phase 1, FIC redefined its vision — expanding from a single directory into a multi-directory platform and migrating to a new technical framework with a dedicated development team. Our focus evolved from simplifying experiences to enabling human connection.
To adapt, we:
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Re-scoped designs for new directories within the new platform’s technical framework.
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Introduced people search and community networking features.
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Maintained visual and structural consistency across all directories.
Key Constraints
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Tight, milestone-driven deadlines left little room for iteration.
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New components had to align with an inherited design system.
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Requirements evolved mid-sprint, demanding rapid adaptation.
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Limited discovery time required async collaboration and quick alignment.
Iteration
Adapting the Filter System for New Platform
When migrating to a new platform, our original filter design proved technically unfeasible. We needed to preserve the logic and hierarchy we’d spent weeks refining — while adapting to new technical constraints, adding functionality, and meeting tight timelines.
Solution 1 — Rebuilding the Filter Experience
Previously, filters opened in dense vertical tabs. The new horizontal modal still organizes filters by intent and category, allowing quick navigation or an “all-at-once” view. This structure preserves our original logic while enhancing the system's speed, reducing its weight, and making it technically feasible on a new platform.
Solution 2 — Evolving Search for a Multi-Directory Platform
Previously, users could only search within communities using a fixed bar. The new unified search lets them switch between Communities and People, while a floating map button keeps the most important filter, such as location, always within thumb reach.
Listing Page Redesign — Turning Information Into Connection
The design was text-heavy and needed a complete rethink to integrate new features that help users feel confident taking the next step toward joining a community.
Approach & Solution
I began the redesign in FigJam, creating low-fidelity wireframes that developers could reference early. This accelerated implementation and established the rhythm for swift phased development.
The tab-based layout organizes large content sets into intuitive, scannable sections featuring:
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At-a-glance highlights that surface key details in compact pills.
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Progressive disclosure that reveals information only when needed.
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Clear visual hierarchy that keeps users focused and confident.
Usability Testing
We ran focused usability testing to validate the redesigned Directory before MVP implementation, using a 2-week window to confirm that our updates resolved major usability pain points.
How we tested
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Method: Unmoderated A/B usability test (legacy vs. redesigned prototype, between-subjects)
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Participants: 10 per version on desktop; varied in age and technical literacy
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Scope: Three core discovery tasks across filtering and community listings
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Metrics: Task success, ease of use, confidence; light follow-ups for clarification
Task 1 — Narrow the Search
Task: Find where you would narrow the list of communities to match your preferences.
Key Questions
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Can users quickly locate and use the filtering tools?
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Does the new layout make filtering feel easier and more intuitive?
Results & Interpretation
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Full success jumped from 62.5% → 100%.
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Failures dropped to 0%.
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The time to success decreased by 39% (18.6s → 11.4s).
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Ease ratings rose slightly (+0.15).
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“False confidence” disappeared — no users felt confident when they were wrong.
Legacy Design: Scattered clicks → unclear interaction.
Redesigned Prototype: Focused clicks → improved clarity.
Task 2 — Find Vegan Communities
Task: Find where you’d look to see only vegan-supporting communities.
Key Questions
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Can users easily identify and apply a specific filter (e.g., “Dietary preferences”)?
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Does the new filter grouping make intent clearer?
Results & Interpretation
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Success rates rose from 50% to 87.5%; failures decreased by 25%.
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Completion time improved 17% (12.6 s → 10.5 s).
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Some users described the interface as “busier,” and average ease decreased 1.2 points.
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False confidence disappeared — users who struggled recognized it.
Redesigned Prototype: Clicks show users successfully located the dietary preferences filter. Some preferred using the integrated search bar—both valid paths supported by design.
Task 3 — Find Gluten-Free Information
Task: Find where you’d look to see if a community is gluten-free friendly.
Key Questions
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Can users easily locate dietary details within a community listing?
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Does the new layout make this information more visible and intuitive?
Results & Interpretation
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Full success remained at 50%, unchanged from the legacy version.
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Ease dropped from 7 to 4, showing users recognized the difficulty rather than assuming success.
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Two behaviors emerged:
– Users who scrolled found the information every time.
– Users who stayed near the top consistently failed.
The redesign improved speed and reduced false confidence, but didn’t solve the underlying issue. Many users were misled by unclear naming conventions, and even scrollers struggled to visually locate dietary details.
Legacy Design: Users didn’t scroll—clicked top elements like Contact or side links, designs to help users, diverting attention from key info.
Redesigned Prototype: Users again stayed above the fold—clicked visible elements like Needs & Offers instead of scrolling for details.
Overall Testing Insights & Next Steps
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Validated the redesign — the Directory flow felt intuitive and error-free.
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Exposed labeling and hierarchy issues persist, causing friction on listing pages.
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Observed higher user confidence and awareness, though some misclicks remained due to unclear cues.
Next Step: Conduct a UX audit that applies behavioral psychology principles to improve information scanning and reduce cognitive load on the Community Listing page.
UX Audit
Listing Page
After testing exposed friction on the Listing Page, I conducted a quick UX audit grounded in behavioral psychology principles.
Goals:
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Uncover root causes behind user errors rather than patching them.
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Reduce cognitive load and clarify hierarchy.
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Establish a scalable blueprint for future pages to follow consistent mental models.
Problem #1 — Cluttered Hero
The hero area was overloaded — the contact button competed with core information, while pills, tags, and tabs lacked visual hierarchy and consistent sizing.
Solution
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Introduced three key pills at the top for quick, deal-breaker clarity.
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Unified Contact, Save, and Share buttons to reduce clutter.
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Removed intro text under the title and placed Location beneath it for natural scanning.
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Moved anchor tabs below hero images to strengthen scroll affordance.
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Enlarged tabs and added clear state indicators for easier orientation.
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Implemented a floating-menu concept — inspired by Coursera — to improve long-page navigation.
Problem #2 — Unclear Structure
“What We Do” label is vague; missing section titles; pills are too far from category headers; media are scattered.
Solution
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Renamed “What We Do” to Community Overview for instant clarity.
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Added a Highlights section title and tightened spacing between category names and pills.
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Consolidated media (images and videos) into one dedicated block.
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Capped highlights to seven key categories with an optional expansion without overload.
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Added a Contact button to the floating location widget for contextual access.
Final testing
Following the redesign and UX audit improvements, we conducted a second unmoderated usability test to validate the updated Listing Page.
How we tested
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Method: Unmoderated usability test
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Participants: 10 new users
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Setup: Same tasks and metrics as Round 1 for direct comparison
Task 3 — Find Gluten-Free Information
Task: Find where you’d look to see if a community is gluten-free friendly.
Questions
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Can users easily locate dietary details within a community listing?
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Does the new layout make this information more visible and accessible?
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How do users feel about the updated design?
Results & Interpretation
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Full success jumped from 37.5% to 87.5% — users could now locate dietary details.
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Failures dropped to 0%, confirming that structural and visual clarity issues were resolved.
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Ease of use rose by +1.5 points (3.5 → 5.0), with half of participants rating the task “very easy.”
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“False confidence” disappeared — every confident user was correct.
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Completion time rose slightly (22.7s → 26.2s), suggesting more deliberate, comfortable exploration.
User Feedback
Below are excerpts from participants’ open-ended feedback in the final test. These insights complement the quantitative results, illustrating how users experienced clarity, confidence, and trust in the new design.
Final Designs
Search & Filters
Users can start their search with an interactive map or apply the most popular filters in one swipe. For deeper discovery, filters are grouped by intent and easily accessible through All Filters for quick, flexible browsing.
Community Listing Page
The mobile layout keeps everything within reach — from the community overview above the fold to detailed sections below. A persistent Contact Community button stays visible while scrolling, opening a simple modal when users are ready to reach out.
Next Steps
Track and analyze user behavior post-launch
As part of our responsibilities, we researched and recommended analytical tools to support ongoing evaluation. Once the MVP launches in early 2026, these tools will help track engagement, uncover friction points, and guide future iterations of the product.
Scale the framework across new directories
With the Directory now validated and tested, its structure serves as a scalable foundation for future expansions — including new directories for Resources and People — extending the same clarity and usability across the platform.
Lessons Learned
Lesson 1 — Design Starts With Clarity and Human Goals
I learned that design doesn’t begin with wireframes — it starts with clarity. Writing clear product requirements and acceptance criteria helped align the team around user goals, not assumptions. But true clarity comes from empathy: understanding the real motivation behind those goals — people don’t just want to find a community; they want to ease loneliness and feel belonging. Reading Don’t Make Me Think reinforced this approach — reminding me to design for how people actually think, focus, and feel, not just what they click.
Lesson 2 — Testing Is About Learning, Not Validation
Even after years of doing interviews and usability tests, running our first unmoderated test was eye-opening. I learned how critical, clear, unbiased copy is when you can’t guide users — and how humbling it is to see assumptions challenged in real time. Despite our confidence in the redesign, results showed no improvement, revealing gaps we hadn’t anticipated. But that “failure” turned into a valuable lesson: testing isn’t about proving we’re right — it’s about discovering what’s real. Most importantly, I realized testing doesn’t need to be big or slow; one focused task can surface deep insights and accelerate iteration.
Lesson 3 — Clients Are Users Too
Effective client communication isn’t about persuasion — it’s about empathy. Working closely with our project lead, Morgan Denner, I learned to treat clients like users: understanding their motivations, speaking their language, and reframing conversations to shift doubt into discovery — a crucial lesson in building trust and clarity.
Brenda Whetstone
UX Research Lead
“Pauline embodies servant leadership—supporting others, sharing constructive feedback, and empowering those around her. She’s not just a great designer; she’s a force for positive, effective teamwork.
Crystal Farmer
Project Manager / FIC Client
“As both a coworker and client, I valued Pauline’s drive, design insight, and ability to keep her team engaged and motivated.”
Cho Huang, PhD
UX Designer
Pauline is a thoughtful decision-maker who values diverse input and leads with clarity, fostering open, productive collaboration.”
Recognition
For more feedback from colleagues, check out my LinkedIn recommendations.
Thank you!
I’d like to hear your feedback!
Feel free to drop me an email at:
pauline@paulinegefin.net
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