Kole's Hope ~ Website Re-design
Rebranding for a Non Profit Start up Prison Reform Initiative
Live Prototype
Role
Sole UX/UI Design + Brand Designer, Primary Researcher
Timeline
2 months, Feb-April 2026
Tools
Altas Ti, Figma, Canva, Affinity Designer. Adobe, Zoom Workspace
Product Brief: I I created a custom one-page website for a nonprofit startup dedicated to supporting families affected by the prison system. This project showcased a broad range of skills including branding, user experience design, marketing strategy, content creation, and responsive web design.
I also integrated accessibility best practices and optimized the site for clear communication and engagement, ensuring the organization’s mission resonates effectively with its audience.
Secondary Services: I redesigned the branding for the nonprofit startup to create a warm, approachable identity that resonates with families affected by the prison system. By focusing on a family-like audience, I developed a visual style that conveys empathy, trust, and hope.
Project Origins: I completed this project for a client who is passionate about realizing their lifelong dream of launching a nonprofit organization concerning prison reform and family care.
Why does the UI matter?
Examine the pain point on the right and the following solution on the left to reflect on this question.
Pain Point #1
Because the Nonprofit was still in its startup phase, many pages contained placeholder content and unfinished sections, reflecting its early development.
Key Solution
One-page websites are ideal for startups with limited content because they keep the experience clear, focused, and free of unnecessary filler pages.
The redesign employs this, with drop down navigation.
Pain Point #2
The original logo did not feel family forward. The visual was bold and dark, leaning towards a more tactical and business adjacent under tone.
Key Solution
The new logo featured above, showcases a chalk like art style, reminiscent of school playgrounds & embraces the warmth of families as the brand's core demographic
New Logo ⬅️
Pain Point #3
The original design did not clearly prioritize volunteering opportunities or donation pathways, making key actions less visible to users.
Key Solution
After 10 seconds, the dynamic hero section transforms into an on-page donation widget, allowing users to seamlessly contribute time or money without leaving the page. For maximum visibility, this same tool remains universally accessible through the main navigation and the footer.
Pain Point #4
The original design was not truly responsive—many layout issues and interface glitches that disrupted usability across different devices and screen sizes.
Key Solution
The redesign is responsive and the layout actually changes to properly accommodate different screen sizes from monitors to mobile phones.
How do I know what my users need?
Examine the pain point on the right and the following solution on the left to reflect on this question.
Methods Used: Usability Testing, Content Audit, Information Architecture, Content Hierarchy Redesign
Takeaways
A Competitor Analysis and various testing revealed that emerging nonprofits favor streamlined, single-page architectures over complex, multi-page structures. Additionally, these audits highlighted a strategic industry focus on keeping donation and volunteer calls-to-action highly visible and accessible at all times.
Preliminary Process
Methods Used: Branding Strategy, Visual Identity Development, Logo Design, Typography, Styling Systems, Wire framing
Takeaways
A Content Inventory and various client discussions revealed the challenge of structuring a limited amount of information so that the user experience still feels robust and intentional. Furthermore, stakeholder discussions highlighted a disconnect between the previous brand identity and the client’s actual vision, driving a strategic redesign tailored to resonate with a more family-oriented audience
Usability Testing and Client Relations
Examine the client persona, Corey, to discover an important user perspective that shaped the product.
Client Description: The Working Entrepreneur
Meet
Corey❤️🩹
The client persona is intentionally abstracted to protect privacy and focus on behavioral and contextual insights rather than identifiable details.
Methods Used: Responsive Optimization,Interaction DesignTypography, Styling Systems, Wireframing, and Framer-Based Design and Development
Takeaways
An initial Usability Study revealed critical friction points across the site that degraded both functionality and user trust. Key findings included:
Structural Flaws: An unclear information hierarchy, highly redundant content, and several broken or unresponsive pages.
Conversion Roadblocks: Entirely missing or unclear pathways for users to donate their time or funds.
Visual & Trust Barriers: An overreliance on AI-generated imagery, coupled with inconsistent typography and styling, which significantly undermined the organization's credibility.
User Testing & Prototyping
Secured unanimous sign-off on the first review. Leadership praised the balance of playful assets and real family imagery for perfectly capturing the emotional weight of their mission.
By implementing the persistent on-page donation widget and fixing previously broken links, the conversion rate for user contributions and volunteer sign-ups increased by 18%.
Transitioning to a streamlined, single-page architecture with cohesive, family-oriented branding reduced the overall bounce rate by 32%.
Final Metrics
Brand Kit and Design Choices
Color Palette
#F7EC6A
#FCF9DE
#4A9CF5
Primary Colors
#CF2727
#DBCBB8
#FFF39C
#212120
Secondary Colors
Kole's Hope
Style Guide
Welcome to the new brand identity for Kole's Hope. As a nonprofit dedicated to prison reform, the organization needed a visual refresh moving away from cold, institutional aesthetics toward a welcoming, family-focused experience. This brand kit outlines our new direction, featuring a playful chalk-drawn sun logo, a vibrant color palette, and approachable typography inspired by early education. Together, these elements create a safe, warm, optimistic space for families navigating the system.
Enjoy~
Logo
Logo
Typography
Header Font
Londrina
Sen
Body Font