Product Design and UX Research
Transforma Brasil is a platform that helps thousands of people connect with social impact projects and has already recorded millions of hours of volunteering.
UX Case study: How to stimulate volunteering and civic engagement nationwide? We are connecting those who need help and those who can help (but need to know how).
Transforma Brasil seeks to change the country through Brazilians, registering available vacancies in NGOs nationwide and connecting them with professionals from different areas who register their availability to be volunteers.
The User Experience Process
Design thinking framework
Problem Statement
We approached this topic using the 5W2H and HMW question tools.
How can we stimulate volunteering and civic engagement through technology nationwide?
Solution
We built a volunteering platform that transforms lives and fostered a movement encouraging volunteering and civic engagement in Brazil.
Background
In many communities where public power does not reach, services such as education and basic sanitation arise through the actions of volunteers. According to IBGE, only 4.4% of Brazil's population engages in a cause. A number inversely proportional to that of the United States, where 86% of Americans are committed to voluntary actions.
In 2014, social entrepreneur Fábio Silva underwent training by the American Department of State to develop social initiatives in Brazil. During this time, he and other social leaders from developing countries spent 40 days in the United States, learning about the programs of the national volunteer agency. This agency offers several benefits to those who engage in civic activities in the country, including differentiated scores in competitive exams and priority in university admission.
Opportunity
The main objective was to create an ecosystem where interaction between volunteers and projects that generate good impacts is promoted. The importance of meaningful work is at the core of the project.
"People want to dedicate part of their time to some cause or purpose, but there has never been a 'menu' of options nor the incentive. Now, anyone who already wants to dedicate themselves voluntarily to an institution will know where they can be useful and benefit from doing so", believes Fábio.
According to a survey conducted by an American volunteer agency, professionals who have engaged in a voluntary initiative in the USA are 27% more likely to secure a job than those who have never had a similar experience*. Last year, the program estimated the value of the 7.8 billion hours of volunteer work dedicated in the country to be around US$180 billion.
Our high-level goals were:
1. Make it fast, easy, and intuitive for volunteers, NGOs, and companies.
2. Increase social entrepreneurship in Brazil.
3. Create a platform for innovation and deeper engagement.
*Volunteers in the US are 27% more likely to get a job. In 2017 – 7.8 billion hours of voluntary work (Source: National Service)
My Role & Responsibilities
At first, I participated in the Branding team, where we created the brand Strategy, defined the verbal and visual language, and then built the brand's Brandbook. Visual panels illustrated the brand's universe and conveyed its style, attributes, and values. Graphic language was our guide in building the brand's visual identity and its developments and guided all communication.
We revitalized the logo design to express better the brand's universe, visual language, values, and attributes of the enterprise. We define the lettering, symbols, chromatic pattern, and supporting typography.
After finishing this part, I received the invitation and moved to the product team to help improve the platform. Our technology and design team immersed themselves in the process to map the user journey and design the ideal experience for the public.
Through research and interviews, we define points for improvement and opportunities and identify moments of enchantment in our journey, with great potential for building value for our client's brand. Since we launched the platform to the public, 3.6 million volunteer hours have been logged.
• I worked in product design from February 2021 to December 2021.
• I have created blueprints, developed a product strategy, designed wireframes, and built working prototypes.
• I conducted 5 user interviews and desk research. The team conducted the other ones.
• I worked collaboratively with a product owner, two designers, and two engineers.
Research
Interviews
Initially, we interviewed SMEs (subject matter experts) with 9 volunteers, 3 NGO managers, and 1 NGO assistant to better understand what we needed to improve.
We also conducted quantitative research (survey) across the platform's user base with objective questions to learn more about user behavior patterns. We wanted to understand what would create a seamless experience.
Here are a few of the questions we asked:
1. What motivated you to register and use the platform?
2. What activities or volunteer projects do you seek out or participate in on the platform?
3. Have you ever participated in any social entrepreneurship projects on the platform? If so, what was your experience like?
4. What skills or knowledge are you willing to offer as a volunteer or social entrepreneur?
5. What are your main challenges when looking for volunteering or social entrepreneurship opportunities before using the platform?
6. How do you evaluate the platform's ease of use regarding navigation and activity recording?
7. What platform-specific features or functionalities do you find most valuable for your needs?
8. Have you had any negative experiences on the platform? If so, how was this handled?
9. Does the platform contribute to building a supportive community? Why?
10. What improvements or features would you like to see implemented on the platform?
Our findings indicated one of the main motivations that lead users to get involved in volunteering and social entrepreneurship activities: they want to dedicate part of their time to some cause or purpose. The research also helped us understand preferences regarding the types of projects and skills desired and offered by users.
It also showed us some of the challenges in searching for volunteering opportunities, such as the need for more precise information and social proof and difficulty finding activities close to the volunteer's home.
We also evaluated the experience on the platform: the perception of ease of use for navigation, tracking/recording activities, such as the long and confusing registration process and extensive onboarding.
After completing the interviews, we started working in several sessions on the whiteboard to map and improve the flow of the platform and map the journey of both the volunteer and the NGO or companies that wanted to offer volunteer opportunities. We must put ourselves in the users' shoes to understand their needs.
Persona
Voluntary
Gabriela is a multifaceted woman who uses her artistic skills, linguistic knowledge, and commitment to social causes to make a difference in her community.
With the user journey, we can see a significant pain point:
• Challenges in raising awareness
• Limited impact on the community
• Lack of resources at the NGO
Project Owner
Ana invests part of her free time as a volunteer at a local NGO. This organization promotes education and sports and combating poverty in her neighborhood. Your active participation contributes to the development of the community.
With the user journey, we can see a significant pain point:
• Lack of Resources in the NGO
• Balance between Career and Volunteering
• Challenges in Educational Projects
• Little Community Engagement
Solution
Imagine a platform that can connect and empower volunteers nationwide, providing the technological tools needed to tackle our biggest challenge: engaging volunteers who genuinely care about making a difference and participating regularly in good causes.
This is not just a dream anymore, but a reality. With the help of modern technology, we can create an environment where volunteering becomes a part of our everyday lives. Join us in this movement, and let's make a difference together!
Tranforma Brasil's key features:
• List of actions and opportunities
• Matchmaker (Assistant to match volunteer preferences with opportunities registered on the platform)
• Project Creation
• Administration and management of volunteers and projects
• Generate impact report
• Geolocation
• Creation and customization of subplatforms
• Checkout and payment gateway
• Smart alerts and notifications
• Alignment with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• Matchmaker (Assistant to match volunteer preferences with opportunities registered on the platform)
• Project Creation
• Administration and management of volunteers and projects
• Generate impact report
• Geolocation
• Creation and customization of subplatforms
• Checkout and payment gateway
• Smart alerts and notifications
• Alignment with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Testing
We used Figma to share the prototype link with the client, enabling them to test the new workflows on their mobile devices. This tool provided valuable insights into how users interacted with the flows, their feedback, and the areas that needed improvement. We utilized Jira software and daily stand-ups to hand off features to the engineers and ensure the project was progressing smoothly.
Key Takeaways
Build the relationship.
Test with a larger audience.
To build an excellent product for your client, you must first build a great relationship with them. Connection is critical to great relationships.
If I could go back and change one aspect of the project, it would be to regularly interview a larger group of users to understand a broader range of accessibility needs better. This process would have also allowed us to test the product more confidently.
Thank you for reading my case study!
Want to hire me? Feel free to contact me!
...or just say hello on my social media.
...or just say hello on my social media.
