Project Overview

In November of 2024, I joined CreateAthon, a volunteer, pro bono event to create as deliverables for non-profits that might not be able to afford it. We stayed up for over 30 hours making as many assets as possible!

As part of a larger team working on deliverables for the Boyd Innovation Center, I served as the sole designer responsible for the website audit, prototype, and brand guideline updates. Originally, the client had only asked for a website audit, but I decided to go above and beyond and prototype a whole new website for them so they could see my suggestions in action. At the time, the organization had just launched a bare-bones site that didn’t reflect their values or personality—particularly problematic since their core mission is centered around innovation.

I began with a thorough audit, manually evaluating every aspect of the site while also conducting informal user testing on myself, my teammates, and event professionals. The data clearly pointed to major issues: repetitive and vague text, unclear messaging, and an overall lack of visual excitement. The site failed to communicate what the organization even did—let alone their identity as a forward-thinking, creative hub.

After identifying these gaps, I collected visual inspiration through platforms like Pinterest, Behance, and Dribbble and compared competitor sites to develop a design direction that felt fresh but authentic. Due to tight turnaround times, I moved quickly from ideation to wireframing, carefully balancing speed with thoughtfulness and experimentation. I built the prototype in Adobe XD, taking in iterative feedback from both my team and the professionals running the event to ensure cohesion across deliverables.

What began as a simple request for an audit turned into a fully realized prototype. The organization’s spokesperson was thrilled—she said my audit articulated every pain point she and her team had subconsciously felt but couldn’t name. The prototype, she added, captured the vision she had always hoped to achieve. My suggestions have since been passed to their development team and continue to be implemented gradually. It was one of the most impactful responses I’ve ever received to my work.