We rebuilt the public website around a phone-first experience with video storytelling, bottom-tab navigation, home-screen installation, and a direct connection to the organization's booth portal. Visitors receive a more engaging mobile experience, and the public website connects directly to the system running its largest annual program.
- App-like mobile experience
- Home-screen installation with a branded icon
- Bottom navigation designed for one-handed phone use
- Public website connected directly to the booth portal
- Content editable by the internal team
The Organization
Washtenaw Nonprofits is a county-wide network serving nonprofit organizations and the broader community throughout Washtenaw County.
The Communication Constraint
The previous website felt like a basic directory rather than a valuable membership organization. It did not effectively communicate the work, community, or opportunity behind the network. It was also shaped like a traditional desktop nonprofit website even though most people encountered it on a phone. The organization's most significant operational process—the annual booth program—was disconnected from the public-facing experience.
The Solution
We rebuilt the website around how people actually access and use it. A video-led opening communicates the energy and impact of the organization. Navigation sits at the bottom of the phone screen within natural thumb reach. Visitors can install the website directly on their home screen, where it opens from a branded icon and behaves much like a dedicated app. The booth portal is connected behind the public experience, creating one continuous path from learning about the opportunity to applying and participating.
What We Built
Business Value Created
The website now reflects the organization's role and credibility, provides a better experience on the device visitors use most, and connects public interest directly to operational action. The organization gains the engagement benefits of an app-like experience without paying to maintain a separate native mobile application.