Introduction
Based in Seattle, RISE2GETHER is a nonprofit that’s all about uplifting Asian women in their careers—whether that’s through virtual or in-person panels, community events, or partnering with women-owned businesses.
The website's main users are audience members, speakers, and volunteers.
Website Problem
Data from Sep 1, 2024 – Mar 3, 2025
Limited Exploration Beyond the Homepage
Low Engagement on Key Content
Most users stop at the homepage (6,487 views), with limited traffic to deeper pages like Workshops (440 views) or Past Events (618 views).
Pages like the Workshop (54 seconds avg. engagement) and About Us (71% bounce rate) fail to hold attention.
Heavy Reliance on Direct Traffic
Friction in the Conversion Funnel
6,218 visits (over 75%) came from direct sources, with limited engagement from search engines (Google: 785 visits) or referral channels (Wechat: 592 visits).
Despite interest in Career Panels (2,763 views), only 485 purchases were completed. Only 3% of visits led to product views.
Method
Semi-Structure Interview
Sample Size
13 Participants
Roles Covered
Speakers, Audience, volunteers
Speaker
x4
Volunteer
x5
Audience
x4
Roles
Age
0
2
4
6
8
7
Married
Stable
Relationship
Unmarried
Status Overview
0
2
4
6
3
Early 50s
5
Late 20s
3
Early 20s
Early 30s
0
2
4
6
8
7
TEch
Job Seeker
Non-Tech
Background
0
2
4
6
8
3
20+ YOE
1-5 YOE
6-10 YOE
YOE
Education
0
3
6
9
Master
Bachelor
High Priority
Directly impact core user needs, information clarity, audience matching, and overall trust
Immediate Action Barriers
Medium Priority
Require strategic planning and may involve longer-term efforts.
Strategic & Long-Term Improvements
Low Priority
Can be addressed in later iterations as resources allow.
Future Iterative Enhancements
Resolution Urgency
#
Common Barriers
Priority
Impact
Involved Aspects
Brand messaging, user trust, decision-making
Unclear Value Proposition
High
High
High
1
Event planning, user expectations, participation
Unclear Event Agenda
High
High
High
2
3
Insufficient Event Details
High
High
Low (Quick Fix)
Event information, communication, user confidence
High
4
Lack of Speaker Credibility (Limited Information)
High
Medium
Low (Quick Fix)
Speaker background, credibility, content relevance
High
5
Mismatch Between Target Audience & Event Focus
High
High
Medium (Moderate Effort)
Audience targeting, relevance, engagement
High
6
Speaker-Topic Misalignment
Medium
High
Medium (Moderate Effort)
Content relevance, speaker alignment
High
7
Topics Do Not Cover Their Interest
Medium
High
High (Long-Term)
Content variety, user engagement, thematic relevance
Medium
8
Shallow Content & Lack of Practical Takeaways
Medium
High
Medium (Moderate Effort)
Event variety, inclusiveness, diverse needs fulfillment
Medium
Content depth, actionable insights, user value
Shallow Content & Lack of Practical Takeaways
Medium
High
High
9
User experience, site structure, information findability
Confusing Navigation
Medium
High
Medium
10
11
Unclear Information Hierarchy
Medium
High
High (Long-Term UX Redesign)
Information organization, clarity, overall UX
Medium
12
Disorganized Information Architecture
Medium
Medium
High (Long-Term UX Redesign)
Site structure, navigation consistency, overall UX
Medium
13
Ineffective Networking Opportunities
Medium
High
High (Long-Term)
Networking, social interaction, community building
Medium
14
Limited Event Accessibility
Medium
Medium
High (Long-Term)
Usability, inclusion, access for diverse users
Medium
15
Lack of Icebreakers
Medium
Medium
Medium (Moderate Effort)
Social interaction, engagement, community initiation
Medium
16
Weak Brand Positioning
Medium
Medium
Medium (Strategic)
Brand identity, market positioning, consistency
Medium
Content depth, actionable insights, user value
Limited Community Engagement
Medium
High
High
17
Volunteer role clarity, communication
Unclear Volunteer Expectations
Low
Low
Low
18
Key Findings
Vague descriptions: Event details are unclear.
Generic topics: Broad themes don’t meet diverse needs.
Confusing navigation: Difficult to filter and find events.
User Insights
Want quick evaluation of event fit.
Need clear categorization and a strong value proposition.
Audience
Speakers
Key Findings
Insufficient profiles: Bios lack detail and credentials.
Theme mismatch: Speakers don’t always align with event topics.
Poor communication: Limited pre/post-event support.
User Insights
Need standardized, detailed profiles.
Expect speaker-event theme alignment.
Key Findings
Unclear roles: Volunteer duties are ambiguous.
Lack of training: Insufficient support affects performance.
Limited interaction: Poor collaboration and communication.
User Insights
Require clear guidelines and structured training.
Desire improved peer interaction and support.
Volunteer
01 Improve Information Accessibility
Optimize Information Architecture (IA) and navigation to help users quickly find events, speaker details, and community resources.
Enhance search functionality and categorization for better content discoverability.
02 Increase User Engagement
Improve event pages and descriptions to provide clear, detailed, and engaging content.
Strengthen community-building features beyond the events themselves to foster long-term engagement.
Integrate interactive elements to encourage participation before, during, and after events.
03 Streamline Ticketing & Conversion Funnel
Reduce friction in the ticket purchase process to improve conversion rates.
Optimize checkout & registration UX for a seamless experience.
Make pricing, benefits, and event value more transparent and compelling.
04 Strengthen Brand Identity & Credibility
Ensure consistent branding & messaging across the website.
Improve speaker visibility with clearer credentials and event alignment.
Establish a more modern, professional, and trustworthy visual style.
05 Enhance Content Personalization & Relevance
Improve event recommendations and filtering based on user needs.
Ensure event descriptions clearly define target audiences and key takeaways.
Introduce pre- and post-event engagement opportunities (e.g., surveys, discussions) to enhance user involvement.
Design Objectives
Before events
We count on volunteers to keep things going. I redesigned the “Join as a volunteer” flow to make sign-up smoother and spotlight how essential volunteers are to RISE2GETHER.
Along the way
We partnered with local Asian women-owned businesses for venues, food, and more. The Support Local Businesses feature spotlighted these partnerships—a win-win that built visibility, trust, and community.
Join as a Volunteer Redesign
Swag Page
Support Local Businesses Page
User Journey Map
Comparison
Competitive Analysis
STAGES
STEPS
FEELING
PAIN POINTS
Wait for several days
Contacted by founder or rise2gether WeChat account
Been invited to the volunteer group
Click “Join as a Volunteer”
Enter google form
Sign in to complete the form
Enter personal information: location, email, full name, WeChat, etc.
Enter the website
Browse more information about volunteer
Return to the landing page
Follow social media
Send messages in social media rise2gether account for volunteer information
Join social media group chat
Discover volunteer recruiting from social media
Discover interested event
Receive relevant information in group chat
Rely recommendation algorithm from social media
Possible to miss the posts or information in Group Chat
Unclear about the specific role and responsibilities
The website does not specify the roles and different department.
Unclear about the time commitment.
Users are redirected to a Google Form.
No info on next steps or wait time.
Some users do not have WeChat
It take long time wait for approval.
Users might miss WeChat adding requesting.
TOUCHPOINTS
RedNotes: posts & group chats
WeChat: group chats
Linkedin posts
RedNotes: posts & group chats
WeChat: chats & group chats
Website - landing page > join as Volunteer
Website > join as Volunteer
Google form
WeChat > new friends > chat
Invited to WeChat group chat
Chat with Kexin about interested roles
Join volunteer onboarding meeting
Sign up for specific volunteer role for events or enter different departments
Zoom/other meeting platform
N/A
Before --- Google Form
After --- Integrated in Website
Contact Information
First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Wechat ID
Sign up for news and updates
As a volunteer, how RISE2GETHER could help you?
Any other comments or questions for RISE2GETHER?
What company are you working at
Background & Expertise
Does your company match volunteer hour?
Other: ____________________
Design RISE2GETHER logo and website
Design
Design and publish event info on social media
Marketing
Take photo/video, edit podcast/video
Media
Reach out to speakers and other NPOs for partnership
Outreach
Drive fundraising events similar to give back in MSFT
Fundraising
Coordinate speakers&hosts to decide on time and place
Event planning
Check in audience, help with setup and cleanup etc.
Event volunteer
Budgeting, planning, accounting, reporting
Finance
Draft legal document, regulatory compliance
Legal
Sideline range of products, share bakery, artwork etc
Handicraft
Which areas are you interested in? (Check all that apply)*
We’ll use this to match you with opportunities that fit your time and interests.
No pressure—just an estimate is totally fine! Every bit of your time is appreciated.
RISE2GETHER can help with ...
Join as a Volunteer!
How much time would you like to commit each week?
Other: ____________________
Less than 1 hour — I’m busy, but happy to support when I can
1–3 hours — I can help with small tasks or event support
3–6 hours — I’d love to join a team and attend regular meetings
Over 6 hours — I’m excited to get deeply involved and grow with the team
How did you find us?*
Other: ____________________
Additional Information & Comments
Thanks for your interest in volunteering!
We’ll follow up with opportunities that align with your time and goals.
Let us know how you’d like to help—and grow—with us.
Thank you for your support — we’ve received your submission!
We’ll be in touch soon via email or WeChat with volunteer opportunities that match your interests and availability.
We’re so excited to have you with us, and can’t wait to see what we’ll create together.
Post Submission
Yellow = what we can add
Product lists
$ 39.99
Sweat shirt
Buy Now
$ 39.99
Sweat shirt
Buy Now
$ 39.99
Sweat shirt
Buy Now
$ 39.99
Sweat shirt
Buy Now
$ 39.99
Sweat shirt
Buy Now
$ 39.99
Sweat shirt
Buy Now
*Each swag is thoughtfully designed by Rise2gether’s designer communities.
k
Getting something stylish and unique while helping Rise2gether with:
Amplify the voices of Asian women
Build trustable asian women community
Sustain our daily operations and events
Pickup Info
Available for in-person pickup only at any of our career panel events in Seattle. Come say hi and grab your SWAG while you're there!
Design Draft 1
Design Draft 2
Problem
(Built on Squarespace)
(Built on Squarespace)
Buy Now →Add to cart
Considering Variations of a product
Need to remind users of the pickup policy when checking out (check box...)
Fixed the problems above
Added a new page
(Built on Squarespace)
Added “How did you find us?” for marketing insights
Highlights of the new design are in Yellow
Friendlier, more empowering tone aligned with our mission
Added email opt-in to build long-term connection
Made WeChat ID optional for flexibility
Added info icon to clarify "Volunteer Hours"
Added time commitment question with friendly, flexible options to set clear expectations
Clear section headers for smoother navigation
Showing we value volunteer voices and are committed to mutual growth.
Users now see a thank-you and confirmation page with next steps— more human, less cold