Overview and Business Problem
Hidden people = missing trust
East London Waterworks Park (ELWP) is transforming a disused 14-acre Thames Water depot into a vibrant, biodiverse, community-run paradise. I joined the mission as a product designer, and my first task was to redesign their ‘Meet the Team’ page, in conjunction with the wider project of redesigning the whole website.
Before the redesign, ELWP’s team was buried in the FAQs, with no dedicated page. This lack of visibility made it harder for visitors, the press, and funders to see who was behind the project, creating a trust gap that was at odds with the charity’s community spirit.
User Impact
User research revealed that the website lacked a personal connection
According to Google Analytics, the current website attracts over 1,500 unique users per month; however, the average engagement time is only 1 minute and 25 seconds. Previous user interviews echoed this, revealing visitors couldn’t easily see who was behind the project.
The Solution
A prototype that sparked change
The prototype:
Sparked important conversations about storytelling and accessibility
Provided a clear, human-centred reference for future design
Demonstrated a thoughtful, resourceful, user-first approach under real-world constraints
Project Constraints
Key challenges & how we solved them
🕐 Coordinating around volunteers' personal and work commitments
In our initial workshop, we mapped out team availability in our initial workshop to set realistic expectations
We created a dedicated Slack group to support asynchronous communication and reduce delays
⏳ Working to a tight deadline aligned with the main site launch
I shared regular progress updates with the project manager to ensure alignment
I made incremental updates to keep momentum while staying flexible to changes
🤝 Collaborating across multiple teams for input and approvals
I attended bi-weekly comms calls to share work-in-progress with stakeholders, developers, and directors
I also sought feedback at each key milestone to minimise late-stage revisions and ensure buy-in
Research
Lack of team visibility and unclear direction
I wanted to get more of an understanding of what newly joined volunteers thought of ELWP when they started. With no dedicated user researcher and limited time, I turned to previous research and volunteer interviews stored in the shared Google Drive. Reviewing website analytics also showed high drop-off rates on information pages about the team, reinforcing a trust and transparency gap.
Key findings included:
Lack of team visibility and unclear direction
“I felt frustrated by the lack of direction on the work streams…”
Roughly one-third of volunteers had stopped or considered stepping back from involvement.
Unclear onboarding & role expectations
“Having a clearer structure of the projects and being given a main task and responsibility.”
“The way forward wasn’t very clear.”Many volunteers expressed confusion when joining; they weren’t sure what projects existed, what roles were available, or how to get started.
What this told me
Volunteers didn’t just want to contribute; they wanted to feel useful, supported, and confident in where their energy was going. That insight helped guide the content and structure of the ‘Meet the Team’ page by making people visible, roles clearer, and the organisation more approachable from the very first click.
So,
How might we make the East London Waterworks Park website feel more personal, relatable, and community-driven so visitors feel more connected and inspired to get involved?
Kick-off meeting and competitor analysis
First steps, shared vision
I brought my findings from the desk research to our initial remote workshop. We also:
Conducted a light competitor analysis of ‘Meet the Team’ pages from similar community and environmental organisations
Identified preferred layouts and photography styles using a shared Miro board
Miro boards included:
Visual benchmarks of photography styles
Layout inspiration from comparable non-profits and grassroots sites
What we aligned on
Based on research and competitor analysis, we adopted a story-driven, human-centred design strategy, showcasing the diverse range of volunteers ELWP has to offer.
Ideation and Prototype
Celebrating community through story
After our discovery workshop, I designed three design concepts in Figma, each exploring different approaches to structure and tone. Then, I presented the concepts to the team for feedback and alignment.
Based on the research and discussion, we decided to move forward with the story grid, which showcases real people, builds emotional connection, and reflects the values of a grassroots community.
Test and Iteration
Designing for everyone, through iteration
I shared the mockup with the team, and the feedback was positive. However, suggestions, including this one, were made:
"The ‘100% volunteer-led charity’ title is a big selling point. Can we make this bigger and bolder?"
I highlighted the “100% volunteer-led” status with bold text and a bright yellow accent from the brand palette to emphasise the USP to visitors. I also used Jitter to animate the USP.
I also added a clear CTA button encouraging visitors to sign up as volunteers.
Furthermore, feedback from the accessibility team included:
"For accessibility, text should be aligned to the left and not jump from left to right."
I improved this by:
Left-aligning images, followed by text for better readability.
Adding visual hierarchy: I added the quotes from the Directors, which our content designer finalised and increased the font size, to amplify authentic volunteer voices.
Results and Impact
A more human tone + personal success
The design was well received by the ELWP team. It was praised for its balance of storytelling, clarity, and alignment with the organisation’s values. Although I do not have metrics for the page yet, as it has not gone live, I did conduct some guerrilla testing with potential and newly joined volunteers.
The page will go live once the website redesign is complete.
From user testing (5 participants):
100% felt more connected to the project through personal stories.
100% better understood how to get involved.
80% said it made them more likely to volunteer.
Personal milestone:
Following this project, I was promoted within ELWP’s design team!
Reflection
Strengthening collaboration through better documentation
If I were to revisit this project, I’d improve collaboration by documenting version changes and design decisions more clearly. This would support smoother teamwork, especially in a volunteer-led environment where contributors join asynchronously.