Overview

The Mansfield Historical Society was founded in 1985. It is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that aims to archive documents and photographs of life in Mansfield, Texas. They strive to preserve the past as much as possible and educate residents and guests in the form of special events, demonstrations, and the like.

The Problem

The Society’s existing site was difficult to navigate, visually outdated, and not optimized for key user flows like joining, donating, or purchasing items. User pain points were both task-based (finding specific information) and emotional (feeling welcomed/invited). Legacy navigation and content structure were barriers to conversion and member engagement — especially for older audiences.

Primary goals defined with stakeholders:

• Reduce confusion and friction for membership and donation tasks
• Improve accessibility and readability of historical content
• Establish a modern, scalable web platform that board members could manage

These weren't just design preferences - they were business priorities rooted in user behavior and organizational goals.

Audience and Research

Rather than assume what users needed, I grounded design decisions in real context:

• Board-level stakeholders ranked priority tasks, which informed Information Architecture (IA)
• Early conversations revealed apprehension around technology among core user groups
• Senior and volunteer audiences needed simplicity and clear CTAs

Key Insight

Older users weren't unwilling to interact online - they needed clarity and reduced noise. This influenced typography, button hierarchy, and page layout decisions.

Strategic Design Decisions

1. Simplified Information Architecture

I collapsed content to surface membership, donations, and volunteer flows within 2–3 clicks. This reduced friction for older users and prioritized critical tasks.

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2. Accessible Visual Language

Typography, color palette, and layout choices were selected to improve readability and clarity for a multi-generational audience. Reducing cognitive load was a design requirement, not just an aesthetic choice.

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3. Technical Platform for Long-Term Maintenance

Instead of a bespoke backend with higher future costs, I recommended and implemented WordPress:

• Empowers board/staff to maintain content independently
• Supports e-commerce, membership, and donation workflows
• Reduces dependency on developers while ensuring sustainability

This wasn’t the flashiest choice — but it ensured autonomy and longevity for the organization.

User Testing and Iteration

Before launch, I organized testing with core users (museum clerk and board members) and observed guardrails fail:

• Confusing labels
• Incomplete control workflows

By observing real sessions, I resolved errors before public launch — ensuring the site met real user needs, not idealized ones.

Results (Data-Driven Outcomes)

Eight months after launch:

• New memberships up 120% (reflects improved task flow)
• Online purchases up +70% (ecommerce is performing consistently)
• $5,000+ in gift shop & ticket revenue since launch

These aren’t vanity metrics — they are organizational outcomes correlated to UX changes.

What I Learned

This was my first ecommerce integration, which expanded my toolkit around payment gateways and digital revenue systems. But more importantly, I learned that:

• Aligning on priority tasks early short-circuits rework later
• User testing with people who don’t want to test reveals the biggest hidden blockers
• Design isn’t just visual clarity — it’s reducing regret and hesitation