Enhancing Digital Experiences for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled Families: Website Redesign for the Arc of DFW
Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Lead UX/UI Designer
Lead UX/UI Designer
Client
The Arc of DFW Area
The Arc of DFW Area
The Arc of DFW Area
Duration
8 Weeks
8 Weeks
8 Weeks
Team
2 Developers
2 Developers
PROJECT BRIEF
The Arc of DFW Area is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as well as their families.
The organization helps Intellectually and Developmental disabled (I/DD) individuals live life to their own definitions through various means, including advocacy, awareness, training, and support.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The Arc's original website hindered connection with I/DD individuals and families.
The Arc’s website created barriers for individuals and families with I/DD, making it difficult to access advocacy efforts, events, and resources. A dense, text-heavy layout led to cognitive overload, limiting engagement and forcing users to rely on direct contact.
This misalignment strained operations and reduced The Arc’s ability to serve its community effectively.
OUR APPROACH
Discovery through heuristic analysis:
Shifting focus to storytelling, clarity, and event visibility.
Through our heuristic analysis and UX audits, we discovered:
Large amounts of dead links straining resource clarity and discoverability.
Heavy text causing important information to be overlooked.
Weak call to actions hindering the experience of user intended actions.
Through our heuristic analysis and UX audits, we discovered:
Large amounts of dead links straining resource clarity and discoverability.
Heavy text causing important information to be overlooked.
Weak call to actions hindering the experience of user intended actions.
1
1
Previously, users interested in serving on the board were led through a series of dead links and unnecessary documents, creating confusion and unnecessary barriers to engagement.
2
2
We strengthened The Arc of DFW website's previously weak calls to action by rewriting them with clearer language, a valid button and a more direct focus on user initiative, making it easier for visitors to understand how they could get involved and encouraging more meaningful engagement.
2
2
The original search feature redirected users away from The Arc of DFW’s website to unrelated external resources, likely causing frustration, reducing the likelihood of return visits, and limiting opportunities for donations, volunteer sign-ups, and deeper community engagement.
1
1
Previously, users interested in serving on the board were led through a series of dead links and unnecessary documents, creating confusion and unnecessary barriers to engagement.
2
2
We strengthened The Arc of DFW website's previously weak calls to action by rewriting them with clearer language, a valid button and a more direct focus on user initiative, making it easier for visitors to understand how they could get involved and encouraging more meaningful engagement.
2
2
The original search feature redirected users away from The Arc of DFW’s website to unrelated external resources, likely causing frustration, reducing the likelihood of return visits, and limiting opportunities for donations, volunteer sign-ups, and deeper community engagement.
1
1
Previously, users interested in serving on the board were led through a series of dead links and unnecessary documents, creating confusion and unnecessary barriers to engagement.
2
2
We strengthened The Arc of DFW website's previously weak calls to action by rewriting them with clearer language, a valid button and a more direct focus on user initiative, making it easier for visitors to understand how they could get involved and encouraging more meaningful engagement.
2
2
The original search feature redirected users away from The Arc of DFW’s website to unrelated external resources, likely causing frustration, reducing the likelihood of return visits, and limiting opportunities for donations, volunteer sign-ups, and deeper community engagement.
1
1
Previously, users interested in serving on the board were led through a series of dead links and unnecessary documents, creating confusion and unnecessary barriers to engagement.
2
2
We strengthened The Arc of DFW website's previously weak calls to action by rewriting them with clearer language, a valid button and a more direct focus on user initiative, making it easier for visitors to understand how they could get involved and encouraging more meaningful engagement.
2
2
The original search feature redirected users away from The Arc of DFW’s website to unrelated external resources, likely causing frustration, reducing the likelihood of return visits, and limiting opportunities for donations, volunteer sign-ups, and deeper community engagement.
Shifting focus to storytelling, clarity, and event visibility.
Samples from the Arc of DFW Website Redesign
Shifting focus to storytelling, clarity, and event visibility.
Samples from the Arc of DFW Website Redesign
Shifting focus to storytelling, clarity, and event visibility.
Samples from the Arc of DFW Website Redesign
CMS Story Bank
Simplified Resources
Event Visibility
The website redesign features upgraded event visibility, resource clarity, and a story bank to improve the digital community the organization desired to have.
INSIGHT .01
Website statistic audits revealed limited growth.
Before the redesign, the Arc's website struggled with poor discoverability, relying heavily on word of mouth and local community resulting in low donor and user engagement, traffic, and SEO performance.
Shifting focus to storytelling, clarity, and event visibility.
#7
#7
#7
search result for "intellectual and developmental disabilities" in the DFW Area.
According to similarweb.com
89%
89%
89%
Decrease in new donor acquisition rates.
Internal NeonOne fundraising KPI analytics
~300
~300
~300
Unique Monthly Visitors
According to similarweb.com
INSIGHT .02
"Arc members are flooding our inbox with simple questions."
– Arc of DFW President, James Lunday
Due to cognitive overload and a cluttered, text-heavy layout, users were unable to easily navigate the website for key information. As a result, many members of the Arc community resorted to flooding the organization’s inbox with simple questions that could have been answered through clearer communication in the website design.
CONSTRAINTS
Overcoming platform and budget constraints to stay on track.
We initially built the site on a platform that didn’t support the nonprofit discount we planned to use. To stay within budget, we had to transfer the project to a different platform mid-development. Despite this setback, we adapted quickly and realigned with the original timeline promised to The Arc.
LASTING IMPACT
Saving costs with future friendly design.
We built a custom CMS to support multiple website features for The Arc. Key highlights include:
"Tell Your Story" CMS Collection: We developed a dedicated CMS collection that enables The Arc to easily collect, manage, and showcase community stories without needing developer support.
Streamlined Content Flow: Families are now empowered to share their lived experiences directly, while stakeholders gain meaningful insight into The Arc’s impact.
Reduced Technical Overhead: The Arc can independently update their story bank and other website content, cutting down on ongoing developer costs.
Strengthened Community Voice: With greater control over their content, The Arc can share timely, authentic stories that reflect their community’s experiences.
We built a custom CMS to support multiple website features for The Arc. Key highlights include:
"Tell Your Story" CMS Collection: We developed a dedicated CMS collection that enables The Arc to easily collect, manage, and showcase community stories without needing developer support.
Streamlined Content Flow: Families are now empowered to share their lived experiences directly, while stakeholders gain meaningful insight into The Arc’s impact.
Reduced Technical Overhead: The Arc can independently update their story bank and other website content, cutting down on ongoing developer costs.
Strengthened Community Voice: With greater control over their content, The Arc can share timely, authentic stories that reflect their community’s experiences.
We built a custom CMS to support multiple website features for The Arc. Key highlights include:
"Tell Your Story" CMS Collection: We developed a dedicated CMS collection that enables The Arc to easily collect, manage, and showcase community stories without needing developer support.
Streamlined Content Flow: Families are now empowered to share their lived experiences directly, while stakeholders gain meaningful insight into The Arc’s impact.
Reduced Technical Overhead: The Arc can independently update their story bank and other website content, cutting down on ongoing developer costs.
Strengthened Community Voice: With greater control over their content, The Arc can share timely, authentic stories that reflect their community’s experiences.
Designing for Longevity in a Resource-Constrained Nonprofit:
By prioritizing CMS usability, modular content templates, and staff tutorial training, the website became easier to maintain, reducing reliance on developers and preventing content decay over time.
RESOURCES AND TRAINING KIT:
TUTORIAL TRAINING VIDEOS
RESULTS
From Hidden to Heard:
Strengthening The Arc’s digital presence for I/DD Families with a 216% increase of visitors within the first 30 days of launch through improvement of Search Engine Optimization.
Feb 2025
By transforming the website’s design to feature digestible text, improved navigation, and enhanced responsiveness, we created a more user-friendly experience for families with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This streamlined approach made it easier for users to find important information and engage with the Arc's advocacy efforts.
As a result, the website design aligned with the Arc’s mission, restoring their confidence and reputation as a trusted organization, better supporting the Arc's mission to raise awareness and foster inclusivity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Results:
3x Boosted Monthly visitors through the first month.
Achieved a click through rate of 4.6%.
Increased Arc of DFW account sign-ups and donors in database by 16% through direct website access.
Achieved a 216% increase in organic search traffic, improving the site's SEO ranking and visibility.
