Smashing magazine tips on charity websites

Smashing magazine has published an article about non profit charity websites that has given a lot of tips about how to attract people to donate and inform them quickly. My charity website needs to make it easy for people to get involved, find out Wish upon a stars cause and allow them to donate quickly.

The donation button is going to be a big factor of the website as it will attract people to donate regularly. The process needs to quick and simple.

The site needs to be media friendly. I intend to use this through widgets but offer good ways that smashing magazine suggests is to make the information easily accessible to journalists, bloggers and any one that can generate hype. Also make sure that the organizations purpose is instantly apparent.

A way to achieve ALL of this is to make sure that the design revolves around the content and the charities mission not the other way around. Another challenge that will add to this is that I have to abide by their print design, which includes their logo. This will ensure that their brand remains consistent therefore people will find them more recognizable.

Below are a few websites that I think use unique yet clean design to promote themselves successfully.

http://ww5.komen.org/

This website makes good use of space however my favourite part of this is it's slide show in the title. It adds an interactive element that people can relate to. Slide shows are a popular way of getting the audience to interact with the charities cause but this website does it particularly well through its use of colour and speed changes with the mouse. Donation link very prominent in the header.

http://www.one.org/us/actnow/globalfund2010/splash_wad.html?rc=globalfund2010wadsplash

I like this website because it is strikingly clear what their purpose is and how we can help. The website is also made more personal by the people in the title that make it clear that it can affect any one, any where, any time.
http://www.takethewalk.net/

This website uses striking colours and graphics. It also has a easy to use navigation that makes use of this. The main part of the website I like is the subtle use of space beneath the slide show as quite a lot of information is presented with a tone change to highlight it and simple illustration to tell the audience quickly what the information is about.
http://www.nyccah.org/

I like the simple header and navigation making it easy for people to find what they require.

Made Like Gaia...The design

Here is an updated version of my portfolio. I've made a few small touches, such as the widgets the logo is made more prominent by the sign Incorporated into the logo design. Also I've added a bold, colour introductory sentences so that the target audience automatically know what my website is about and what I can offer. I have also changed the illustration, which I am going to continue to work on. For the background I used ink to represent 'brainwaves/ideas'. I want to add tools that I use to it and maybe a few other things that are important to me that sums me up as a designer.

More wireframes for my portfolio

Vertical slide show with animation along the side to express my creativity?

Also a paper/ homemade style portfolio to show that I can work digitally and for print.

3rd wireframe of a landscape with tools/things that make up my style.

Maybe at the bottom have a 'cut out' style set of information that will sperate the information and make it interesting to look at.

Initial client wire frames

Donation button has to be the main focus and easy to use. Widgets will also be a big part of advising the audience how to donate and how to become part of the charities community.

Centered content so that an image/illustration can inform the audience what the charity is about.
Animated headed separated into small boxes to grab the audiences attention and inform them about different sections of the charity. One box can be a donation box that will be brightly coloured so it is instantly recognisable.

Design process in the real world

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I am going to transfer my skills I have learnt from my degree into real world design situations and have come across this diagram that I am going to implement in my up coming client project.

I found it on http://www.rustymonkey.com/web-design-nottingham/. I really like rustymonkey's approach to website design to the client through using their own unique design traits to tell the clients story. They produce impressive pieces of artwork through the creation of their website yet they are also informative.

Random inspiration

Over the christmas holidays I've been doing some random work on my portfolio. Here are 2 websites that have caught my eye.

http://www.ikon-images.com/ This site is really good because of its side ways navigation. A simple touch but unique. Maybe good for a show real or a series of illustrations.

http://www.camellie.com/index.php?x=browse&category=2&title=work Again I like this website because of its simplicity. I love how there is a subtle animation along the side of the work that you can scroll down. The colours also all co-ordinate well to unify the brand.

Designing a charity website

To achieve a popular, interesting website that informs people of a charities purpose and goals it needs to have-

• pictures/ videos of the charities purpose
• a donation button
• links to social media
• clear menu that is easy to navigate
• a description of the charity and and mission statement
• contact details
• and if I have time a news letter that can be updated (at the moment I have scheduled for the pictures to be updated-PHP).

The purpose of my website for wish upon a star is to make donations easier digitally as not a lot of people will remember or have time to post cheques. I want the audience to be able to donate spontaneously in a matter of seconds.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/

I like this charity website because it gives the target audience a step by step, easy to follow guide of how to donate. It also steers away from making it tedious by presenting the instructions with pictures in a cartoon form along with photographs so that you can see the effects that fundraising has. Also one of the other first things that I saw was the game that can be played on face-book. This engages all ages and give the audience somewhere to discuss the charities goals etc that is familiar to them.

I also like the home made feel to the website (paper clips on photos) they make it look more personal. Additionally, the website isn't cluttered as stories are separated into small boxes with a 'read more' option.

http://www.everyclick.com/

Although I generally find the design for this website dull the one thing that attracted me to it is the use of the logo pointing at the 'raise money for charity' message. I think that it is good use of advertising as it gets the message/goal of the website over quickly.

http://www.rapidataservices.com/services/edirectdebit/

Again I am not a big fan of the overall design of the website but I do think that The contact details are well placed as it is in the range that is usually observed first on a website. Also the image quickly attracts the audience as it stands out against the background. Maybe for my website I would create something brighter that is animated? Something that the audience can interact with?

Ipad finger painting

This video is an amazing example of what can be done with the ipad. It takes finger painting to a new level. He has added all of the formal elements in a sophisticated way.

interactive drawing changing education

Both of these programs struck me to be amazing educational tools that could change the face of how images assist education. Although they are aimed at children who need extra circular assistance when it comes to physics it is an amazing way to teach children visually so that they can apply how physics works to their everyday lives. This technology has led to interactive white boards being used in art lessons.

Dissertation Timetable

Above is the Gantt chart I've created to keep my self on track. My aim to complete the dissertation before the end of term one so I've got the Christmas holidays to proof read etc. I've got a lot of work to do!