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What is We Help & Care?
Myanmar is facing an escalating humanitarian crisis following a military coup, compounded by ongoing armed conflict and natural disasters. Millions of people are displaced, and access to essential resources such as food, clean water, and healthcare remains severely restricted. We Help and Care, a charity led by Myanmar nationals, works tirelessly to aid those in the greatest need.
More than 7.4 million children in Myanmar are out of school due to the crisis, facing malnutrition and lack of access to education.
Over 3.2 million people have been displaced by the ongoing political violence, with protests continuing against the military coup.
Nearly 1.2 million homes have been destroyed or abandoned, leaving millions without shelter.
TechFleet, a digital agency supporting non-profits, partnered with We Help and Care to improve their website, a key platform for attracting donations and raising awareness. The project followed an agile process, with dedicated teams working in sprints to complete as much as possible within ten weeks. We focused on understanding target audiences, developing strategies to connect with potential donors, and improving the site's usability.
Problem
Lack of Clarity
While We Help and Care provides information on their projects, it is not well-organized or easy to find on the website. This lack of clear structure makes it difficult for potential donors and members to understand the full impact of WHC’s work, discouraging engagement and contributions.
Awareness Gap
Individuals outside Myanmar are often unaware of the ongoing crisis, making it difficult for them to connect with WHC’s cause. This lack of awareness on the website hinders informed support from potential donors.
Commitment Fear
People considering WHC membership are hesitant due to their perceived obligations and responsibilities. The website fails to alleviate concerns about overcommitting, discouraging potential members from joining.
Goals
Increase International Donations: The website is a critical gateway to We Help and Care’s global audience, enabling the charity to secure international donations and expand its support beyond Myanmar. The goal was to improve the website’s usability and design to build trust with global donors and encourage ongoing financial contributions.
Raise Awareness and Engagement: Beyond monetary donations, the website plays a vital role in raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. Our goal was to communicate the gravity of the situation, foster greater engagement, and inspire non-financial contributions, such as sharing information and mobilizing global communities.
My Role
During this project, I served as the UX Research Lead, guiding the team of four researchers. I took on this role to deepen my understanding of UX research and gain insight into researchers' challenges. As a UX designer, I firmly believe that strong user-centric design is built on a foundation of great research, and this opportunity allowed me to enhance my skills in that area. I collaborated closely with the product strategy team, designers and PMs to ensure the research insights were aligned with the broader project goals.
My responsibilities included but were not limited to:
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Primary Research
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Secondary Research
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Proto Persona (w/UXD team)
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Customer Experience Mapping (w/ Product Strategy team)
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Information Architecture (Cross-Functionally)
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Usability Test
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Mentorship & Leadership
Duration: June 2024 - August 2024
User Research
Goal:
Identify key factors that potential donors consider when engaging with charity organizations. This research will help:
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Verify existing obstacles that clients have highlighted,
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Uncover additional unknown barriers to participation,
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Gain insights into how to address these obstacles and motivate people to become more actively involved.
Importance:
User research was a crucial first step in the project, allowing us to gain valuable insights into our potential donors and website visitors. By understanding their needs, motivations, and pain points, we were able to provide essential data that informed other departments. We helped shape key deliverables such as customer engagement funnels for product strategy and personas for design.
Research Methods
Methodology
1:1 semi-structured interviews
Participants
8 people with past involvement with charities (donors and Volunteering)
Analysis
affinity mapping in FigJam
In a series of workshop sessions, we grouped the sticky notes into categories, identified links between them, and ultimately distilled our findings into four key insights.
Insights
Transparency Matters
Donors need transparency about the specific causes their contributions support. This clarity significantly motivates them to donate, especially when these causes align with their personal values.
Recommendation 01
Outline clear mission statement, areas of focus, and long-term goals.
Building Trust
When donors see their funds being used as intended, the organization’s reputation will improve, building trust with prospective donors and motivating more donations.
Recommendation 02
Create informative blog posts on the website with testimonials conveying the direct impact of donations.
Effective Donations (change)
Generally, donors perceive that smaller, more frequent donations are more effective. More research is needed to confirm this perception of WHC's cause.
Recommendation 03
Create an option for donors to set up recurring, smaller donations.
Donation Flexibility
Donors need flexibility in their donation methods and frequencies. More research is needed to confirm this perception of WHC's cause.
Recommendation 04
Provide as many options for people to donate.
Exploratory
Research
Goal:
Understand the donation landscape in Myanmar, including how donations are collected, the obstacles donors face, and how these barriers can be addressed to encourage more effective fundraising for We Help and Care.
Donor target audience findings:
The Burmese diaspora is the most critical funding source for Myanmar’s resistance movement.
Dispersed—millions live in Thailand; hundreds of thousands in Malaysia and Singapore; and sizeable communities are hosted by Japan, Korea, the USA, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.
Some social media influencers abroad have raised significant funds (ex., $2M in 2022 on Facebook)
Activists develop new online platforms dedicated to raising funds for anti-junta activities.
Individuals and small networks abroad shroud themselves in secrecy and use alternative methods to get money into the country and channel it to recipients.
Source: Crisis Group
Customer Journey
We conducted workshops to identify the MVP persona, design their website journey, and map the customer experience funnel. These steps ensured that our design and strategy were grounded in real user needs, leading to a more effective and engaging user experience.
MVP Persona Identification
In our first workshop, we identified the MVP persona by exploring key traits like where they seek information, demographics, goals, and pain points. The research team’s insights guided this process, ensuring the persona reflected real user needs and informed our design decisions.
Designing for Persona
The second workshop focused on how the MVP persona would interact with the website. We answered questions about what they expect to see, their ideal journey, and how to solve their pain points. Research insights ensured each design decision aligned with user needs and goals.
Customer Experience Funnel
In the third workshop, we mapped the customer experience funnel, outlining stages like awareness, engagement, and conversion. Research insights grounded each stage, helping us understand how users move through the website and engage with the charity effectively.
Awareness
For the awareness stage, we identified strategies to boost visibility. Social media offers impactful options, like volunteer videos, before-and-after images, and shareable donation prompts. We also noted the value of third-party ads and strong SEO. Additionally, through intermediaries and word-of-mouth in Myanmar, community involvement can further broaden its reach.
Engagement
To effectively engage visitors, we outlined strategies that used strong visuals and impactful content to resonate emotionally. High-quality imagery, compelling videos showcasing the charity’s impact, and cohesive branding were identified as key elements to capture attention and foster a lasting connection with users, setting the foundation for future engagement efforts.
Consideration
We explored ways to align donation options with donor values, such as allowing donations to specific programs, and providing flexibility in donation amounts. Emphasizing security and transparency is key, with options like visual breakdowns of fund allocation. Regular updates on impact, through a high-quality blog, stories, and testimonials, help build trust.
Conversion
To foster long-term support, we emphasized flexible donation options, allowing users to choose from various third-party or direct payment methods to suit their needs. Personalized updates keep donors engaged and connected, reinforcing their ongoing commitment.
Retention
Retention strategies include automatic recurring donations, regular updates on how funds are spent, and personalized thank-you from beneficiaries. Responsive customer service allows donors to customize their communication preferences, ensuring they stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
Loyalty
The loyalty stage rewards consistent donors and offers exclusive gifts and perks for recurring contributions. Referral programs encourage supporters to bring in new donors, potentially doubling their impact. These incentives foster a deeper sense of commitment and long-term support.
User
Personas
Deepening Audience Understanding:
Our user and exploratory research provided key insights, revealing two distinct target audiences: the international Burmese community and the broader international audience. The previous workshops paved the way for shaping comprehensive personas, which guided the design process, ensuring user needs remained central.
While the design team led the persona workshop, the research team played a vital role by providing key insights. This cross-functional collaboration ensured the personas accurately reflected the real audience, preventing any misalignment and supporting user-centered, effective design decisions.
Direct Competitors
Goal:
The competitive analysis aimed to evaluate how effectively charities communicate transparency and convey the situation in Myanmar. We focused on direct competitors to uncover insights into how they build credibility with donors and the storytelling techniques they use to engage users effectively.
Workflow
My team analysed 4 small charities operating in Myanmar and 2 that are part of larger organisations, with a focus on the situation in Myanmar.
Scope:
To conduct our competitive analysis efficiently, we began by analyzing one website together in a workshop, using sticky notes to leave feedback and share observations on specific elements. Each participant then reviewed an additional website asynchronously, bringing their insights back to the group in a follow-up presentation. This approach enabled us to quickly review six websites, identifying shared key insights and deepening our understanding of effective practices.
To conduct our competitive analysis efficiently, we began by analyzing one website together in a workshop, using sticky notes to leave feedback and share observations on specific elements. Each participant then reviewed an additional website asynchronously, bringing their insights back to the group in a follow-up presentation.
Key Insights
Transparency & Trust
Clarity around the organization’s mission, impact, and team accessibility is vital for building donor trust. Emphasizing transparency with detailed breakdowns of donation allocations and overhead costs alongside specific donation metrics (e.g., “Your donation of X will provide Y”) enhances confidence and fosters a sense of direct impact.
User Empowerment & Choice
Offering options to donate to specific causes helps users align contributions with their values. Providing multiple donation methods—bank transfer, check, third-party platforms, and one-time and recurring options—caters to diverse preferences and reduces task abandonment. Additionally, a pressure-free environment with non-monetary support options allows users to engage at their chosen level of involvement.
Commitment Fear
Impact-focused, quantitative storytelling with a cohesive tone and historical context enhances credibility and builds trust. Visual aids—maps, infographics, and charts—deepen engagement, while stories and testimonials, especially paired with powerful imagery and videos, evoke empathy and connection.
Here’s my analysis of the World Relief homepage. I also highlighted three key features showcasing their trust-building approach, user engagement, and effective branding.
Sitemap
The sitemap was shaped collaboratively, with a proposed structure from the product strategy team. As researchers, we initially considered a quick card-sorting exercise, but due to time constraints, we prioritized preparing for the usability test, trusting it would reveal any navigation issues without the need for additional testing.
Design
Although I was a researcher on this project and didn’t directly handle the design work, our design team did an outstanding job. They skillfully integrated the research insights into a user-centric design, making the website modern, clean, and engaging. The improved design features a more straightforward, accessible menu, with a safe exit option to protect user privacy—especially crucial for those in Myanmar. The donation button, as our primary call-to-action, is now prominently placed and repeated throughout the home page, supporting business goals by making it easy to find. The enhanced grouping, prominent infographics, and eye-catching imagery enhance storytelling, while the refined content clarifies key messages. Below, you’ll see before-and-after visuals that highlight these impactful changes.
User Testing
Goal:
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Determine any navigation issues when navigating to/within the donation page
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Determine if users can identify the purpose and impact of the org
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Determine if users think the org is trustworthy based on the site’s content
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Determine if the users can get an idea of the situation in Myanmar
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Determine if there is any information missing from the website that users need in order to make a decision to donate
Method
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45-minute remote moderated usability test to gather in-depth qualitative data
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The researcher will use the interview script as a guide and ask follow-up questions based
Research Questions
Tasks
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You are trying to decide whether or not to contribute to We Help and Care’s cause. What would you do first?
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Where would you go to learn more about We Help and Care?
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Follow-up Questions:
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Based on the information on this site, can you tell me what We Help and Care’s purpose is in your own words?
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How do you feel about this information?
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Where would you go to learn more about what is happening in Myanmar?
Follow-up Questions
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Based on the information on this site, can you name some issues the people in Myanmar are facing in your own words?
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How do you feel about this information?
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Let’s say you decide to support We Help and Care. How would you go about it?
Discussion
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Based on what you have seen on this site so far, how do you feel about We Help and Care as an organization?
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Do you feel like there is anything lacking or missing on this website that would help you decide whether or not to donate to We Help and Care?
Wrap Up &
Handoff
Given the tight timeline, we anticipated that conducting the usability test might not be feasible during our sprints. However, knowing that the high-fidelity designs would soon be complete, we prioritized preparing all necessary materials to ensure the project was set up for future success.
To ensure continuity, we created a comprehensive handoff package for future work. This included bullet-point recaps of meetings, completed and pending tasks, organized FigJam, Figma, and departmental files, and a central Google Doc folder compiling all reports and insights. This setup allows any future team to continue the project seamlessly.
Next steps
Usability Test
With preparation complete, the next step is to finalize participant recruitment, conduct the usability test, and analyze the data. Insights will then be shared with the design team to further refine the user experience.
Iteration & Research
As new user insights emerge from usability testing, the design will undergo further iterations to enhance usability. Additionally, the research team will conduct ongoing exploratory research to keep the website aligned with evolving situation on the ground.
B2B Users
Given time constraints, we prioritized global B2C donors but acknowledged the importance of B2B intermediaries who may collaborate with We Help and Care. While the design includes a contact page for outreach, future efforts will delve deeper into intermediaries’ specific needs.
Recruitment
Participants
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5-7 participants
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Inclusion Criteria: Defines essential characteristics for participant eligibility.
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Priority Criteria: Highlights preferred traits to refine the participant selection.
Inclusion Criteria
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Has donation experience to ANY non-profit organization or charities
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Discovers charitable causes online
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Lives in the North America and Europe
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Ages 20-65+
Priority Criteria
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Has experience working for ANY non-profit organization
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Has experience making donations specifically to Myanmar, or has used any sites for those causes
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Identifies oneself as Burmese and/or has family in Myanmar
Thank you!
I’d like to hear your feedback!
Feel free to drop me an email to:
pauline@paulinegefin.net
Thank you!
Thank you!
Lessons
Agile Product Development
Although I had prior experience as a UX designer, this was my first project working in an Agile, cross-functional environment. Collaborating in sprints with multiple teams was a valuable learning experience, and I’m now embracing Agile principles, hoping to carry this approach into future projects.
Navigating Ambiguity
This project taught me to handle uncertainty, especially since the client was initially unavailable due to circumstances on the ground. In the second sprint, a client representative provided some clarity, but learning to stay calm and work with high-level user and business goals proved essential.
Research Expertice
As a designer, I took on the role of researcher for this project to deepen my understanding of UX research. Working closely with an experienced team highlighted the importance and complexity of the research process, enhancing my ability to collaborate with researchers in future design work.
Indirect Competitors
Goal:
The goal of the indirect competitor analysis was to identify best practices in the nonprofit sector to enhance trust, refine branding, improve UI design, and effectively engage users. By analyzing global charities, we aimed to uncover strategies that could elevate We Help and Care’s website to the level of well-established nonprofits.
Workflow
While the design team led this competitive analysis with a focus on UI design and branding, the findings were invaluable for the research team as well. This effort was a cross-collaborative process, ensuring insights benefited both teams. As part of this collaboration, I analyzed World Relief, a globally renowned charity, contributing to a shared understanding of best practices in the nonprofit sector.
Outcomes
In just 10 weeks, our research provided critical insights into the market and user needs, forming the foundation for the website redesign. Below are the key deliverables we produced or contributed to:
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Four high-level insights based on user interviews.
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High-fidelity wireframes were created by the design team using insights from the research team to ensure a user-centered approach.
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Two competitive analyses: direct and indirect competitors.
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Usability test preparation: including a test plan, discussion guide, and screener survey.
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Exploratory research insights into the Myanmar crisis to inform design and content decisions.
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Key artifacts contribution: including the MVP persona and customer journey map.
This work equipped the charity with actionable research, a structured process, and a clear roadmap for continued success.
Below, you can see the process that led to these outcomes.
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