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The Fredrika Bremer Förbundet website redesign highlights the potential of human-centred design to boost engagement
DATE
November 2023 - January 2024
WHAT I DID
User & Design Research, Prototyping, Facilitating Co-creating Workshop, User Testing, Graphic Design
TL;DR Communicating better with user to encourage them to Take an action through website experience
During my collaboration with Fredrika Bremer-Förbundet, I led the research, strategy and design for a website redesign that would better serve their mission of advancing gender equality through education, scholarships, and member engagement. Through user research, card sorting exercises, and stakeholder collaboration, I discovered that users needed more than just information but they sought inspiration and clear pathways to action.
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I was responsible for the complete design process, from initial research through to final implementation. By developing three illustrated user personas and conducting participatory card sorting sessions with both users and clients, I uncovered that unclear website hierarchy and unstructured information were preventing users from achieving their goals. My research revealed that storytelling and inspiration, not just facts, were crucial drivers for membership decisions.
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The resulting design strategy focused on restructuring the information architecture to create intuitive user journeys, integrating compelling narratives alongside practical resources. By transforming how FBF presents their 140-year legacy and ongoing work, we aimed to increase member engagement, streamline access to resources, and strengthen FBF's position as a modern force for gender equality in Swedish society.
The website 2.0
For years, FBF has championed women’s rights and gender equity through education, community initiatives, and scholarships. Their commitment extends beyond these efforts, they continually broaden their reach by sharing vital information and hosting impactful events. The website redesign set out to create a human-centred digital experience that would enhance usability, clarify content for diverse audiences, and motivate visitors to get involved.

Design for who?Despite a redesign in 2021, the FBF website struggled to clearly communicate the organisation’s mission. Usability issues persisted, and as new content and features were added, the site’s design became more focused on ease of maintenance than on the needs of its users. As a result, the experience failed to fully consider the expectations and goals of FBF’s community.

A website often serves as the primary point of contact between an organisation and its audience
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As highlighted in IDEO’s work on human-centred design, this approach is crucial for developing solutions that address social challenges effectively. By centring the needs, experiences, and aspirations of real people, human-centred design enables organisations to create digital experiences that are not only functional but also meaningful and impactful for the communities they serve.

So what goals did we have?In collaboration with HyperIsland, the project set out to redesign FBF’s website with three clear objectives:

1. Ensure intuitive navigation for all users, whether they are new to FBF or already familiar with its mission.
2. Boost the visibility and accessibility of the ‘Hire Us’ page, encouraging potential partners to connect with FBF’s expertise.
3. Build a platform that communicates effectively and inspires meaningful engagement, motivating visitors to take action.
Kick-off!
Before diving into the redesign, I set out to understand what was working and what wasn’t. My process included:

1. Analyzing website performance through Google Analytics and Semrush to uncover user behavior and traffic patterns.
2. Reviewing previous research conducted by the client to build on existing insights.
3. Conducting a targeted survey with current FBF members and site visitors to identify user needs and pinpoint usability challenges.
4. Carrying out in-depth interviews and usability testing with users, non-users, and stakeholders to explore how people interact with the site, why they visit, and what obstacles they encounter.
5. Performing a competitive analysis by examining websites of related organisations, which revealed both common pain points and inspiring solutions worth considering.

Early insights
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1
Hidden informationsUsers were frustrated with finding informations about organisation. Users wanted to reach right information in right place.
2
Trust issuesOften, users were not convinced enough to take an action. Users would need to know transparency information.
3
Unexpected designsUsers were annoyed that confusing navigation, and calls-to-action on the website caused them to miss important information.
Discovery
The research phase revealed insights that, while seemingly obvious, underscored a critical truth: users expect a seamless and intuitive experience. With FBF offering a wide range of resources, users needed clear pathways to efficiently achieve their goals. By repeatedly asking “why,” it became evident that clarity and guidance were essential.

To keep our focus on these needs, I developed three illustrated user personas grounded in our research and data. These personas captured key user motivations, goals, and mindsets, serving as ongoing reference points throughout the project. We also conducted a card sorting exercise, inviting users and the client to participate, to rethink the site’s information architecture. By organising content and topics according to user expectations, we gained valuable feedback that directly informed the restructuring of the website.

Deeper insights!1. Not only information about FBF but also storytelling & inspiration influence the decision to join membership.
2. Unclear website hierarchy and unstructured information make it challenging to achieve a goal.
Findings
The FBF website currently creates confusion for users due to several key issues: poorly designed navigation, an unclear sense of who the site is for, difficulty locating important pages, ambiguous information, and an inefficient layout. These obstacles disrupt the flow of communication between FBF and its users, ultimately causing visitors to lose interest and disengage. We identified three primary audiences for the redesign:

1. Leaders and external partners seeking to hire FBF for educational sessions.
2. Current FBF members looking for event details and news updates.
3. Journalists and outsiders searching for announcements and information about FBF.

To address these different needs, the website was structured around two core experiences. The informative experience delivers comprehensive details about FBF’s mission and activities, aiming to educate visitors and inspire them to get involved. The engaging experience, tailored for members and interested newcomers, makes participation straightforward while clearly showcasing the organisation’s transparency.

How might we help users and the FBF communicate better through the website?
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By reorganising the site’s information flow, we crafted a narrative journey that guides users seamlessly from learning about FBF to actively engaging with its initiatives.

Collaboration with our client was central to the project, ensuring they were actively involved in all major decisions. One pivotal choice was to develop three primary templates to cover the main site levels, along with a few supplementary templates for specific needs. We categorised every page according to these templates, which streamlined the development process and established a clear structure for easier long-term website management.
Opportunity
Our user-centric design process was built on collaboration and ongoing refinement. We held regular feedback sessions and interactive workshops with our client, ensuring their input shaped key decisions throughout the project. Multiple rounds of testing and iteration were conducted, involving both previous interview participants and industry experts, to keep user needs at the heart of our design principles. By engaging real users and experts at different stages, we were able to gather diverse perspectives and continuously improve the website experience.

“It doesn't tell me why I should be interested on gender equality. For them, it is obvious..., but not for normal people like me.”
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User interviews revealed a recurring sentiment: “Okay. Now I understand what they are doing… but so what? It didn’t touch my heart.” This feedback exposed a critical gap. The website delivered information, but failed to foster an emotional connection with its audience. Users felt informed, yet remained disengaged.

To address this, we prioritised storytelling as a core design strategy. We shifted to a first-person narrative tone to make the organisation’s mission feel more personal and relatable. We also visualised key data and statistics, and highlighted authentic experiences from current users, all of which are proven techniques for building emotional engagement and long-term loyalty. Additionally, we reorganized the information architecture and menu hierarchy around our core audiences, ensuring a clear and purposeful user journey. This approach helped transform dry facts into meaningful stories, guiding users from understanding FBF’s work to feeling inspired to take action.
Outcomes
To ensure brand consistency, we utilised existing assets from FBF’s brand book, originally developed by their previous design agency. However, when we discovered a lack of suitable photographs and illustrations for the website, our team stepped in to fill this gap by creating custom illustrations. These tailored visuals not only maintained a cohesive brand identity but also enhanced the site’s visual appeal and user engagement.
That's a wrap!
Designing for social impact requires a deep understanding of the complex challenges organization face and a commitment to putting the needs of users at the heart of the design process. As designers, we have a responsibility to consider the broader impact of our work and use our skills and expertise to create solutions that make a positive difference in the world. The FBF website redesign project shows as a powerful reminder of the role that human-centered design can play in advancing important social causes and driving progress toward a more just and equitable future.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Just like every project, it was such a journey. Among the many things, I want to recap few key takeaways. First, interview matters. It is always great opportunity to hear from users about their expectations, needs and even emotional feelings. User interview was core in our research phase and it helped us to answer our initial hypothesis. Second, don’t overlook classic methods. Often user persona, cart sorting activity are overlooked. Our user personas and information architecture mapping were centre throughout the project, ensuring us focused on addressing our user’s needs and expectations. Third, bringing users and clients into our process. We had several co-creative workshops to understand better and to gather users expectations. It includes ‘sacrificial concepts’, ‘ideations’ and ‘design sprint’. And we had many rounds of quick testing & iteration and feedback sessions while we were designing. This obviously helped us to keep user in centre of our design principle. Lastly, storytelling. I am simply putting what our user said.
“FOR THEM IT IS OBVIOUS… IS GIVEN…, BUT NOT FOR NORMAL PEOPLE LIKE ME. IT IS ALL ABOUT A STORYTELLING!”
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The Fredrika Bremer-Förbundet website redesign highlights the potential of human-centred design to boost engagement for an organisation working towards gender equity and those who want to support them.
user*design-research
prototype*user-testing
user-story*journey
co-creating*workshop
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