A local dance collective needed a welcoming online home beyond its Facebook group. I volunteered to design a simple website and brand identity that reflects the spirit of the community.
Through research, content strategy and application of UX best practice, I created a platform that showcases the gathering. With grounded visual storytelling and access to information, the new website is helping newcomers and community members feel informed and inspired to join.
Client
Year
Roles
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OUTCOME
Connecting community on- and offline
The new site introduces a grounded yet playful brand identity designed for the collective's personality. Guided by usability best practices, the experience is designed to feel intuitive, inclusive and easy to navigate.
Key design insights include:
- Video storytelling to show what a gahtering includes, reducing uncertainty for first-timers
- Calendar available without social media
- Values-driven copy to reflect the collective's ethos
- Simple navigation and responsive layouts to make it easy to find dates, details and pricing
- Visual identity inspired by playful and natural movement
- Trust-building touchpoints such as testimonials, facilitators bio's and FAQs
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PROBLEM
Desiring an expansion of community
Until 2025, the collective's online presence was a Facebook group, which excluded many potential attendees who don't use the platform.
The collective wanted to expand their reach to increase event attendance.
Whilst the Facebook group had worked for first 2 years of the project, they sought a more personal and user-friendly way to share the gathering.
RESEARCH
Embodied research for holistic output
As both a designer and community member, my research combined empathy and participation:
- time spent on the dance floor
- depth-interviews with fellow dancers and tentative newcomers
- a qualitative / quantitative survey
- co-design workshops to guide collective decisions
4 key pain points emerged:
- the fear of not belonging
- aversion to Facebook
- lack of clear details about the programming
- absence of photos and videos
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SOLUTION
Designing trust through simplicity
The new site introduces a grounded yet playful brand identity designed for the collective's personality. Guided by usability best practices, the experience is designed to feel intuitive, inclusive and easy to navigate.
Key design insights include:
- Video storytelling to show what a gahtering includes, reducing uncertainty for first-timers
- Calendar available without social media
- Values-driven copy to reflect the collective's ethos
- Simple navigation and responsive layouts to make it easy to find dates, details and pricing
- Visual identity inspired by playful and natural movement
- Trust-building touchpoints such as testimonials, facilitators bio's and FAQs
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IMPACT
Early impact for a growing community
Since launch, the new site has immediately improved access and transparency.
Community members shared that they feel seen and represented.
2 months post-launch, metrics show a participation increase of 18% overall. I'll continue tracking growth of both total and first-time dancers to measure the website's ongoing impact.
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LEARNING
Designing for belonging
This project was a reminder that thoughtful design can nurture belonging as much as engagemnet. By giving Re'Source a digital home that feels as welcoming as it's dance floor, this community can grow with the right people.
