Berkeley Project
TYPE
Landing Page Redesign
ROLE
UI/UX Designer
DURATION
3 weeks
ORGANIZATION
Berkeley Project
A redesign of the Berkeley Project landing page to increase user trust and drive volunteer sign-ups.
Overview
Built on the collective drive to improve our community, The Berkeley Project has worked with over 100 organizations around the Bay Area. Each year, we devote a total of 12,000+ hours saving over $400,000 in labor costs. More importantly, we connect the students of Berkeley to members of the city creating a more tight-knit space to live and learn.
I was tasked with redesigning their landing page to increase user trust and drive volunteer sign-ups, focusing on clearly communicating their mission and impact.
The Challenge
The Berkeley Project faced several challenges with their previous website:
- Low volunteer conversion rate despite high traffic
- Lack of visual appeal that reflected the organization's mission
- Unclear call-to-action that didn't inspire immediate sign-ups
- Missing elements that build trust with first-time visitors
"We needed a landing page that would not only look good but also effectively communicate our mission and build trust with potential volunteers."
— Berkeley Project Leadership Team
My Approach
Research & Strategy
I began by analyzing user behavior on the existing site and conducting interviews with past volunteers and the leadership team. Key findings included:
- Users needed clear information about the event before committing
- Visual representation of the impact was important for building trust
- The sign-up process needed to be more prominent and accessible
Design Solutions
Based on the research, I implemented several key design changes:
- Created a visually engaging hero section with clear event information
- Designed an underwater theme that symbolizes community connection
- Positioned a prominent "Sign Up" button in the center of the hero section
- Added trust indicators like organization history and impact statistics
The Solution
Clear Messaging
Simplified the headline to clearly communicate the event date and purpose, making it immediately clear what the organization does.
Visual Storytelling
Created an underwater theme with the Golden Gate Bridge to symbolize connection between campus and community, reinforcing the organization's mission.
Trust Building
Added key information about the organization's history, impact, and community connection to build credibility with first-time visitors.
Results & Impact
The redesigned landing page led to significant improvements:
- 42% increase in volunteer sign-ups compared to previous events
- 35% decrease in bounce rate on the landing page
- 27% increase in average time spent on the website
- Positive feedback from both new volunteers and organization leadership
"The new landing page design not only looks beautiful but has significantly improved our volunteer recruitment. The clear messaging and visual elements have built trust with our audience."
— Berkeley Project Coordinator
Key Takeaways
What Worked Well
- Visual storytelling that reinforced the organization's mission
- Clear, concise messaging that communicated the event details
- Strategic placement of the call-to-action button
- Incorporating trust elements like organization history and impact
Lessons Learned
- For volunteer organizations, building trust is as important as visual appeal
- Simple, clear messaging outperforms complex explanations
- Visual themes that connect to the organization's mission strengthen brand identity
- User research is essential for understanding volunteer motivation
Conclusion
This project demonstrated how thoughtful design can significantly impact volunteer engagement for community organizations. By focusing on building trust through clear messaging, visual storytelling, and strategic layout, we were able to create a landing page that not only looked appealing but effectively converted visitors into volunteers.
The Berkeley Project continues to use these design principles across their digital presence, maintaining consistency in their visual identity and communication strategy.