Outdoor Advocacy Project: Building a Digital Hub for Environmental Action
The Outdoor Advocacy Project is a nonprofit initiative that empowers outdoor enthusiasts to support conservation and policy efforts. They needed a UX strategy to engage new audiences and inspire real-world action. I led research, restructured content to be accessible and intuitive, and designed user-friendly tools—creating a platform that supports conservation efforts and outdoor stewardship.
The Challenge: Limited Engagement & Low Action
The Outdoor Advocacy Project needed a clear, action-oriented UX strategy to transform a static content site into a dynamic advocacy platform that inspired real-world participation. However, several usability barriers were limiting user engagement:
Confusing Content Hierarchy – Visitors struggled to navigate resources or understand where to start.
Buried Calls to Action – Key actions like signing petitions or joining events weren’t prominent or intuitive.
Inconsistent Visual Language – Design inconsistencies reduced trust and made the site feel less credible.
We needed a research-led UX strategy that clarified user pathways, surfaced meaningful actions, and built a sense of momentum—turning interest into real-world conservation engagement.
My Role in This Project
I led UX strategy, research, and content design for this digital advocacy platform—translating scattered information and minimal direction into a cohesive user experience that inspired real-world conservation action.
Working closely with the founder, I defined the site’s structure, clarified calls to action, and rewrote every piece of content for accessibility, clarity, and momentum. I also designed high-fidelity prototypes and led implementation direction for the development handoff.
This was a solo design engagement—every decision shown here reflects my research, strategy, and creative direction.
Designing for — Everyday Advocates in the Wild
The Outdoor Advocacy Project aimed to mobilize a broad spectrum of outdoor enthusiasts—from passionate conservationists to casual hikers—into taking real-world conservation action. Our design had to serve both seasoned organizers and newcomers just discovering the cause.
Key user groups included:
Outdoor Enthusiasts Seeking Impact: These users cared deeply about public lands and environmental protection, but often didn’t know where to start. They needed clear entry points, minimal friction, and messaging that aligned with their values.
Grassroots Organizers & Partner Groups: Often directing volunteers to the site, these users needed confidence that the platform would support ongoing engagement, not just a one-time click. Ease of use and trust in the brand experience were critical.
We worked from a flexible user persona, Lauren, to keep the design grounded in real motivations—from staying informed on local legislation to making a difference through everyday actions.
The Solution: A UX Strategy to Drive Engagement and Action
To transform the Outdoor Advocacy Project into a more engaging, accessible, and action-driven platform, I focused on improving navigation, content clarity, and user engagement.
🗂️ Content & IA Restructuring – Organized advocacy tools and educational resources into an intuitive, easy-to-navigate framework.
📢 Clearer Calls to Action – Refined messaging and UI elements to guide users toward conservation efforts and community involvement.
📖 Simplified Content Presentation – Improved readability and accessibility to ensure key information was digestible and actionable.
📱 Mobile & Performance Enhancements – Optimized for mobile usability to support users engaging with the platform on the go.
With these improvements, the Outdoor Advocacy Project became a clear, structured, and action-oriented platform that empowers users to support environmental conservation.
The Outcome: A More Accessible, Action-Driven Advocacy Platform
The redesigned platform removed friction from critical user journeys—empowering more people to engage with conservation efforts from wherever they were.
✅ Easier Access to Advocacy Resources — Simplified site architecture made educational materials, policy updates, and toolkits easy to find and share.
✅ Increased Participation in Conservation Campaigns — Clearer calls to action and guided flows led to higher rates of petition signatures, volunteer sign-ups, and email outreach.
✅ Strengthened Community Connections — Enhanced pathways made it easier for supporters to join local chapters, attend events, and stay engaged.
✅ Mobile-First Experience for On-the-Go Activism — Responsive design ensured seamless access to tools and actions across all devices—meeting users where they are.
Client Feedback
“My team and I are sitting down later today to comb through the full site and provide a final round of feedback but first I just have to gush about how beautiful this site looks. I keep toggling back and forth between the old site and the new one and my jaw is on the floor at this absolute GLOW UP.”
Scope & Constraints
This project was part of a lean design initiative—led by a single designer (me!) and focused entirely on strategy, structure, and content clarity.
We had no engineering team, limited dev hours for implementation, and were working with a nonprofit’s existing platform and budget. The goal wasn’t to rebuild from scratch—it was to make smarter use of the tools we already had.
That meant prioritizing content clarity, intuitive calls-to-action, and scalable page structures that could evolve with new campaigns. Every design decision had to deliver clarity, trust, and momentum without adding technical debt.
Lessons Learned
This project emphasized the importance of user-friendly content presentation in nonprofit and advocacy spaces.
My key takeaways include:
Moving forward, I aim to design advocacy platforms with adaptive engagement frameworks—built to evolve alongside shifting community needs while preserving clarity, momentum, and mission impact.
The Real Win
Making conservation feel personal—with digital tools that moved users to act.
