User Research

At the beginning of my journey with Only One, I suggested conducting an in-depth user research study to understand our members' needs and identify how we could address them. I started by defining clear goals and outcomes for this research phase and collaborated with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with business objectives. To recruit participants, I invited members to opt into a field study via email, aiming for a diverse selection to capture a wide range of perspectives.

I conducted 10-15 interviews to explore the current experience and engagement levels. While there were positive insights about the ease of sign-up and the detailed information provided for each petition, I identified significant gaps in members' understanding of how their donations contributed to ocean projects. Many expressed anxiety about the climate crisis, highlighting the need for our solution to alleviate these concerns and empower them with tools to feel hopeful and reassured. After the interviews, I synthesized the findings and created a presentation that outlined key segments and opportunities for enhancing the next iteration of the experience.

Branding

I worked closely with the Head of Design to reimagine the overall experience and shift the visual design from version 1.0. The previous UI was dark and reminiscent of platforms like Netflix and Masterclass. During this phase, we conducted extensive comparative research to identify ways to adjust our branding and reduce user anxiety. Our Head of Design developed a lighter color palette to create a more airy and optimistic feel. After surveying the team and experimenting with different color schemes, we reached a consensus to transform our brand identity.

Wireframes & Concepts

I then collaborated with the Head of Design on concepts to help members better understand where their donations were going. We conducted market research to inform our approach and developed a new plan structure that detailed each member's monthly contributions. This included four tiers: the Starter, the Steward, the Hero, and the Legend, allowing members to log in each month and see the impact of their contributions.

I conducted several usability tests during this phase, starting with a core mobile flow. Many users reported feeling overwhelmed by the information presented, so I documented these findings and suggested design adjustments to improve the experience for first-time visitors. After a second round of usability testing and several iterations, we finalized the designs.

Recognizing from our quantitative data that our members primarily used mobile devices, we focused on optimizing all designs for mobile while ensuring a seamless transition to the desktop experience.

Launch

We launched the new version in June 2022, collaborating closely with the development team for the design implementation. It was a significant launch, and some aspects of the experience were simplified for technical feasibility. We prioritized design QA on the core pages, dedicating extra attention to the Profile section to ensure each member's achievements were effectively captured and displayed.

After the launch, we developed a product roadmap to implement new features over time and used Notion to track our ideas. We also employed monitoring tools like Hotjar and Mixpanel to analyze member interactions, including what they visited and clicked on. Following the launch, we observed an increase in conversion rates, with both new and existing members engaging with the updated experience. This success allowed us to evolve the product further and add features based on business and user needs.