NACC UX Audit

To address the low traffic, poor accessibility, and disorganized content reported in prior research, I undertook a crucial and customized UX audit of NACC's website. The audit revealed critical areas for improvement, accentuating the importance of adopting these changes for the website's success. Although yet to be implemented due to resource constraints, my recommendations for content, design, and front-end development improvements are expected to enhance user experience and site performance significantly.

Needed Actions for Community Care and Development, formerly Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC), is a non-profit NGO implementing HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention, and treatment programs in Malawi. Saeed (the CEO) contacted me concerned that the organization's website was underperforming, hindering effective communication, and posing significant risks. Given that the website had not been updated since 2013, it was imperative to address these shortcomings to ensure the site could effectively meet its diverse users' needs.

The overarching goal was to enhance the website's functionality and content presentation to serve and engage NACC's key demographics effectively. My primary responsibility was to conduct a customized UX Audit of the NACC website. My objectives were to understand and define the specific needs and behaviors of the website's users, propose enhancements to meet WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards, and recommend improvements in content, front-end development, and UX design.

1. User Research: I defined the target audience's specific needs through literature reviews and interviews with five international students from Malawi, which I accessed through my local university. ‍
2. Journey Mapping: I developed detailed journey maps illustrating users' typical site navigation paths and identifying critical friction points and opportunities.‍
3. UX Audit: Using the journey maps as contextual starting points, I conducted a comprehensive and tailored UX Audit to evaluate the website's UX design, usability, and completeness.
4. Report & Recommendations: 
   1. I compiled my analyses and recommendations into a comprehensive Google Doc.
   2. I suggested specific modifications to ensure the website met WCAG 2.0 standards, crucial for making content accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
   3. I recommended strategies to improve microcopy and content design. ‍
5. Figma Prototype: I developed a Figma prototype that served as a visual guide for prospective designers and developers. This prototype provided a clear and interactive roadmap for the necessary enhancements, ensuring all team members could visualize and understand the proposed updates.

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My comprehensive audit revealed several key areas where the NACC website fell short. The audit highlighted significant usability challenges, particularly in navigation and overall content layout, such as convoluted pathways to crucial health information and services. The analysis also showed that the website's content was not fully compliant with WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards, which limited its usability for individuals with screen readers. Furthermore, the UX writing practices needed to be updated, affecting the site's visibility and engagement levels with the target demographic in Malawi.

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Unfortunately, the organization lacked the resources to implement the design recommendations, so the site still reflects the "old" version. However, if these changes were to be implemented, the following outcomes could be expected:

1. Website structure and content changes would improve navigation and user interaction.
2. Adjustments to align the website with WCAG 2.0 standards would improve accessibility.
3. Updating SEO performance and UX writing would make the information more discoverable and easier to understand.
4. The Figma prototype would guide the redesign process, ensuring that all stakeholders could visualize and understand the proposed enhancements before implementation.