01 // Background

Introduction

uBack is a technology start-up that seeks to facilitate charitable giving for nonprofits. By leveraging image recognition technology in its current mobile app (available for the iOS and Android OS), uBack is “focused on driving cost saving and higher supporter engagement rates,” particularly at charitable events, bringing together donors, nonprofits, and corporate sponsors. Donors can support their cause of choice on the spot.

However, the apps were developed by separate teams, with stylistic and functional differences between them. Through an engagement with DESIGNATION (now the Flatiron School), UX and UI were completed by small teams in two 2.5 week design sprints across overlapping cohorts. Building on a new UX foundation— and the already established uBack brand guidelines—my project team was tasked with UI, unifying the two versions of the app.

Problem Statement

Nonprofit organizations rely on charity events to raise their profiles and encourage charitable giving.

Unlike corporate sponsors who commit large gifts in advance, individual donors lack the ability to donate in real time.

Competitive Analysis

Our team began a short period of intensive research into the charitable giving space. To gain a holistic understanding of the domain, we looked at various mobile platforms, from both direct and indirect competitors: Charity Box, Charity Miles, Givelify, March of Dimes, One Today, and Stand4; successful financial apps: Acorns, Mint, PayPal, and some our clients’ favorite apps outside the giving and financial domains: Uber and Google Play, examining each for content, voice, and design.

Across the platforms we analyzed (even as we looked at apps as diverse as charitable giving, personal finance, and transportation), there were two very important commonalities: accessible information written in a friendly, straightforward manner and a (relatively) frictionless financial transaction experience. Design and style defined a much broader palette, which allowed us to explore diverse visual languages.