Project Overview

A mission-driven redesign of Upwardly Global’s Afghan Support landing page, focused on improving clarity, accessibility, and engagement through thoughtful UX and scalable design systems.

Client

Upwardly Global

Challenge

Redesign the Afghan Support landing page to improve clarity, usability, and engagement for Afghan newcomers and potential partners.

Role

Lead UX Designer – UX/UI strategy, wireframes, visual design, stakeholder reviews

Discovery

Conducted stakeholder interviews to define primary goals

  • Increase awareness of Afghan support services

  • Boost coaching sign-ups and donor interest

  • Improve mobile performance and accessibility

Audited existing page for UX issues

  • Content overload

  • Poor visual hierarchy

  • Non-responsive layout

  • Outdated imagery and inconsistent branding

Stakeholder Insight

During discovery, we interviewed internal stakeholders across outreach, development, and leadership. A common theme emerged: the site was too rigid and lacked clarity for users trying to access services.

One stakeholder noted the need for “flexible landing page creation and better guidance for job seekers navigating the site,” pointing to gaps in both CMS flexibility and user flow.

Strategy & Wireframes

  • Collaborated with stakeholders to align on content priorities using user flows and IA mapping

  • Designed mid-fidelity wireframes to test layout and content strategy

  • Introduced modular content zones to support easier content updates in the future

Wireframe Whiteboard

Final Design & Visual Direction

Refined visual hierarchy with clear calls to action

Added culturally relevant imagery and authentic voices (via “I Am” stories)

Improved mobile responsiveness and accessibility scores

Side by Side Comparison

Clarified content hierarchy with clear sectioning, bold headlines, and consistent visual rhythm

Strengthened calls-to-action (CTAs) using a consistent style and priority order (“Hear Our Stories,” “Partner With Us,” “Donate”)

Humanized storytelling through the “I Am” series — featuring real Afghan voices with photos, quotes, and action buttons

Improved mobile responsiveness with a modular layout that adapts cleanly across devices

Streamlined navigation by reducing top-level links and grouping related actions logically

Modernized brand expression using clean typography, whitespace, and consistent color application

Enhanced accessibility and readability with improved contrast, alt-text-ready design, and scannable content blocks