American Association of Suicidology
American Association of Suicidology
At 40AU, I worked with a dedicated team to revamp the AAS website. We designed and developed a custom WordPress theme with Gutenberg blocks, and I focused on key UX updates for sections
like the homepage, blog, donation page, navigation, and footer.
I also created 8 custom components to keep the design
cohesive and flexible across all pages.
At 40AU, I worked with a dedicated team to revamp the AAS website. We designed and developed a custom WordPress theme with Gutenberg blocks, and I focused
on key UX updates for sections like the homepage, blog, donation page, navigation, and footer. I also created 8 custom components to keep the design cohesive
and flexible across all pages.
At 40AU, I worked with a dedicated team to revamp the AAS website. We designed and developed a custom WordPress theme with Gutenberg blocks, and I focused on key UX updates for sections like the homepage, blog, donation page, navigation, and footer. I also created 8 custom components to keep the design cohesive and flexible across all pages.
Business Need
Business Need
Business Need
AAS needs a redesign that is safer, more accessible, and cohesive platform, ensuring all users can navigate it confidently.
AAS needs a redesign that is safer, more accessible, and cohesive platform, ensuring all users can navigate it confidently.
AAS needs a redesign that is safer, more accessible, and cohesive platform, ensuring all users can navigate
it confidently.
Goal
Goal
Goal
Provide AAS with a website that’s accessible, cohesive, and represents their mission effectively to reach a wider audience.
Provide AAS with a website that’s accessible, cohesive, and represents their mission effectively to reach a wider audience.
Provide AAS with a website that’s accessible, cohesive, and represents
their mission effectively to reach
a wider audience.
Challenge
How can we redesign the American Association of Suicidology’s website to prioritize accessibility and ADA compliance while considering its audience’s needs?
How can we redesign the American Association of Suicidology’s website to prioritize accessibility
and ADA compliance
while considering its
audience’s needs?
Research
Research
I learned that AAS found their website’s user flows clunky, with users often ending up in undesired sections of the site.
I learned that AAS found their website’s user flows clunky, with users often ending up in undesired sections of the site.
We worked closely with AAS during the research process to pinpoint their key user destinations. Once aligned, we focused on designing a user experience that would guide users to those areas.
We worked closely with AAS during the research process to pinpoint their key user destinations. Once aligned, we focused on designing a user experience that would guide users to those areas.
Our Users
Support Seekers and Survivors
survivors and those seeking help look for resources, connection, and guidance.
survivors and those seeking help look for resources, connection, and guidance.
Supporters Making a Difference
Supporters seek ways to contribute to suicide prevention efforts.
Supporters seek ways to contribute to suicide prevention efforts.
Research Goals
How do users currently navigate through AAS’s website to find support and resources?
How do users currently navigate through AAS’s website to
find support and resources?
How do users currently navigate
through AAS’s website to find
support and resources?
What challenges do users face when trying to access AAS’s primary resources and key information?
What challenges do users face when trying to access AAS’s
primary resources and key information?
What challenges do users face when
trying to access AAS’s primary
resources and key information?
How do supporters and survivors feel about the accessibility and organization of content on AAS’s website?
How do supporters and survivors feel about the accessibility
and organization of content on AAS’s website?
How do supporters and survivors feel
about the accessibility and organization
of content on AAS’s website?
Key Takeaways
Clarifying Opportunities for Support
Clarifying Opportunities for Support
Clarifying Opportunities for Support
Users unfamiliar with AAS had difficulty understanding how they could contribute, highlighting the need for clearer calls to action.
Users unfamiliar with AAS had difficulty understanding how they could contribute, highlighting the need for clearer calls to action.
Users unfamiliar with AAS had difficulty understanding how they could
contribute, highlighting the need
for clearer calls to action.
Content Prioritization
Content Prioritization
Content Prioritization
Users are more likely to engage meaningfully when important resources and support options are clearly easy to locate.
Users are more likely to engage meaningfully when important resources and support options are clearly easy to locate.
Users are more likely to engage meaningfully when important resources and support options are
clearly easy to locate.
Problem to Solve
The website’s confusing navigation and disorganized content make it difficult for users to find key resources. Users unfamiliar with AAS struggle to understand how they can contribute or access needed help.
The website’s confusing navigation and disorganized content make it difficult for users to find key resources. Users unfamiliar with AAS struggle to understand how they can contribute or
access needed help.
The website’s
confusing navigation
and disorganized content make it difficult for users to find key resources. Users unfamiliar with AAS struggle to understand how they can contribute or access needed help.
Strategy
Strategy
I understood the solution needed to be clear and intuitive so users could easily navigate the site and quickly find the resources they needed.
I understood the solution needed to be clear and intuitive so users could
easily navigate the site
and quickly find the
resources they needed.
I understood the solution needed to be clear and intuitive so users could easily navigate the site
and quickly find the
resources they needed.
Guiding Principles
Prioritize Clarity
Ensure key resources and actions are immediately visible, guiding users to what they need with minimal effort.
Ensure key resources and actions are immediately visible, guiding users to what they need with minimal effort.
Be Intentional
Focus on the most essential information, stripping away unnecessary elements that could distract or overwhelm users.
Focus on the most essential information, stripping away unnecessary elements that could distract or overwhelm users.
Respect their Expertise
Trust AAS’s deep understanding of their users and collaborate closely to ensure the design aligns with their insights and goals.
Trust AAS’s deep understanding of their users and collaborate closely to ensure the design aligns with their insights and goals.
Speed and Efficiency
Optimize the site for quick loading times and easy navigation, ensuring users can find what they need as efficiently as possible.
Optimize the site for quick loading times and easy navigation, ensuring users can find what they need as efficiently as possible.
Keep it Simple
Subtract complexity, designing with minimalism in mind to make the user experience as straightforward as possible.
Subtract complexity, designing with minimalism in mind to
make the user experience as straightforward as possible.
Empathy First
Be sensitive to the emotional and practical needs of AAS’s audience, ensuring the design fosters trust and accessibility for everyone.
Be sensitive to the emotional and practical needs of AAS’s audience, ensuring the design fosters trust and accessibility for everyone.
Speed and Efficiency
Optimize the site for quick loading times and easy navigation, ensuring users can find what they need as efficiently as possible.
Keep it Simple
Subtract complexity, designing with minimalism in mind to make the user experience as straightforward as possible.
Empathy First
Be sensitive to the emotional and practical needs of AAS’s audience, ensuring the design fosters trust and accessibility for everyone.
Quick Wins
Quick Wins
I identified elements
on the current site
that could be removed, along with small enhancements to
improve navigation.
I identified elements on the current site that could be removed, along with small enhancements to
improve navigation.
I identified elements on the current site that could be removed, along with enhancements to improve navigation.
To maintain momentum, I focused on designing elements that would be
cohesive across all components
and pages of the site.
To maintain momentum, I focused on designing elements that would be cohesive across all components and pages of the site.
To maintain momentum, I focused on designing elements that would be cohesive across all components and pages of the site.
Problem This Solved
Removing unnecessary elements and adding small enhancements lays the groundwork for a streamlined experience for users.
Removing unnecessary elements and adding small enhancements
lays the groundwork for a streamlined experience for users.
Removing unnecessary elements
and adding small enhancements
lays the groundwork for a
streamlined experience for users.
Why It Matters
A cohesive design across all pages allows users to navigate confidently and reach their desired destinations quicker.
A cohesive design across all pages allows users to navigate
confidently and reach their desired destinations quicker.
A cohesive design across all
pages allows users to navigate
confidently and reach their
desired destinations quicker.
Donation CTA
Incorporating a Donate CTA in both the navigation and hero sections.
Improved Compliance
Ensuring text and images meet ADA standards for readability and accessibility.
Clearer Navigation
Providing clearer navigation and easy access to info about the annual conference.
Better Imagery
Using thoughtful imagery that carefully considers the nature of the subject matter.
Innovation
Innovation
Clearer Message
Putting AAS’s message of making an impact in a bigger spotlight to inspire action and support.
Donation Confusion
Centralizing donation options in one location while clearly presenting six additional ways to contribute.
Add Personality
Incorporating unique icons to add a touch of personality to AAS, making it feel more approachable.
Key Article Addition
A dedicated article thoughtfully extends AAS’s mission, inviting users to share their stories.
Responsive Design
Responsive Design
Responsive Design
Ensuring the site was responsive across all devices boosted engagement and accessibility. This adaptable design allowed users to seamlessly connect with AAS’s resources, regardless
of screen size, making their message more reachable.
Ensuring the site was responsive across all devices boosted engagement and accessibility. This adaptable design allowed users to seamlessly connect with AAS’s resources, regardless
of screen size, making their message more reachable.
Ensuring the site was responsive across all devices boosted engagement and accessibility. This adaptable design allowed users to seamlessly connect
with AAS’s resources, regardless of screen size, making their message more reachable.
Impact
Impact
A disjointed and confusing user experience was transformed into an intuitive design, allowing visitors to easily access key resources and support in just a few clicks.
A disjointed and confusing user experience was transformed into an
intuitive design, allowing visitors to easily access
key resources and support
in just a few clicks.
A disjointed and confusing user experience was transformed into
an intuitive design,
allowing visitors to easily access key resources and support in just a few clicks.
Before
Users struggled to navigate the site, often getting lost or unable to find key resources, leading to frustration and disengagement.
Users struggled to navigate the site, often getting lost or unable to find key resources, leading to frustration
and disengagement.
After
The redesigned site provides a clear, intuitive user experience, enabling visitors to easily access essential resources and engage with AAS’s mission.
The redesigned site provides a clear, intuitive user experience, enabling visitors to easily access essential resources and engage with
AAS’s mission.
Client Reaction
“The team designed a completely beautiful, accessible website that truly meets the needs of the constituents we serve.”
“The team designed a completely beautiful, accessible website that
truly meets the needs of the constituents we serve.”
“The new site is helping us begin to retell the story of AAS and the vital support AAS provides.”
“The new site is helping us begin to retell the story of AAS and the vital support AAS provides.”
“In every aspect, the team has gone above and beyond. We deeply value the relationship we've built with you.”
“In every aspect, the team has gone above and beyond. We deeply value the relationship we've built with you.”
Up Next
Up Next
A Taste of Therapy
A Taste of Therapy
Aims to change perceptions of therapy and make mental health support accessible to everyone.
Aims to change perceptions of therapy
and make mental health support
accessible to everyone.
Case Study
UX Design
Donation CTA
Incorporating a Donate CTA in both the navigation and hero sections.
Incorporating a Donate CTA
in both the navigation
and hero sections.
Improved Compliance
Ensuring text and images meet ADA standards for
readability and accessibility.
Ensuring text and images meet ADA standards for readability
and accessibility.
Clearer Navigation
Providing clearer navigation and easy access to info
about the annual conference.
Providing clearer navigation and
easy access to info about the
annual conference.
Better Imagery
Using thoughtful imagery that carefully considers the
nature of the subject matter.
Using thoughtful imagery that
carefully considers the nature
of the subject matter.
Clearer Message
Putting AAS’s message of making an impact in a bigger
spotlight to inspire action and support.
Putting AAS’s message of making an impact in a bigger spotlight to
inspire action and support.
Donation Confusion
Centralizing donation options in one location while clearly
presenting six additional ways to contribute.
Centralizing donation options in one location while clearly presenting six additional ways to contribute.
Add Personality
Incorporating unique icons to add a touch of personality to
AAS, making it feel more approachable.
Incorporating unique icons to add a touch of personality to AAS, making
it feel more approachable.
Key Article Addition
A dedicated article thoughtfully extends AAS’s mission,
inviting users to share their stories.
A dedicated article thoughtfully
extends AAS’s mission, inviting
users to share their stories.
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