UX Researcher & Strategic Designer (Volunteer)
ROLE
Google Analytics, WIX, Figma/Adobe, Zoom, WCAG 2.1.
TOOLS
DELIVERABLES
Comprehensive Structural Audit, Optimized Information Architecture (IA), Usability Testing & Heuristic Evaluations,
Prototypes ,Digital Narrative Strategy
TIMELINE
Aug 2025-Oct 2025
BRIEF
The International FOXP1 Foundation required a comprehensive audit of their legacy WIX website to identify critical gaps in usability and content structure. The objective was not to simply "patch" the current site, but to define the strategy and technical requirements (RFP) for a complete professional redesign
THE PROBLEM
The existing platform failed to effectively connect families and researchers due to poor search functionality (a known gap), lack of mobile responsiveness, and unclear audience segmentation (newly diagnosed families vs. professional clinicians). This friction hindered the Foundation's ability to raise awareness and drive scientific collaboration.
THE GOAL
To transform the foundation’s digital presence from a basic informational site into an accessible, mission-driven ecosystem. The ultimate goal was to equip the Foundation with a professional Request for Proposals (RFP) to secure a vendor capable of building a platform that empowers families and facilitates global research.
THE CONCEPT
"Systemic Narrative Strategy" Moving away from a generic template, the concept focused on "Mission-Driven Benchmarking." By analyzing leading rare disease sites (like the STXBP1 and Syngap1 Foundations), the new strategy proposed a split-navigation architecture that guides "Families" toward support and "Researchers" toward data, using systemic design principles to reduce cognitive friction and drive donor conversion.
DIAGNOSING THE "MOBILE PARADOX" : A DATA-DRIVEN REDESIGN FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FOXP1 FOUNDATION.
THE CHALLENGE:
The International FOXP1 Foundation serves as the global hub for families facing a rare genetic disorder. However, a heuristic audit revealed a critical failure: the site suffered from severe responsive breakage and a fragmented architecture. This forced families in crisis to "hunt" for resources rather than finding support.
THE INSIGHT ("THE MOBILE FRICTION PARADOX")
Analytics showed 85% of traffic came from Desktop—a stark contradiction to industry norms. This wasn't user preference; it was a usability barrier. The mobile site was so broken that users were forced to abandon their phones for desktops just to access basic information.
THE SOLUTION :
I led a strategic redesign focused on WCAG 2.1 Accessibility and Information Architecture (IA) restructuring. By stabilizing the mobile experience and flattening the navigation hierarchy, we bridged the gap between emotional support for families and data accessibility for researchers.
Quantitative Behavioral Analysis: We uncovered a "False Positive" in the data.
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The Signal: 85% Desktop usage / 15% Mobile usage.
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The Interpretation: While this initially suggested a desktop-first audience, qualitative review proved it was a technical exclusion. The mobile interface featured horizontal scrolling bugs and unclickable touch targets.
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The Strategy: The redesign had to be Mobile-First to capture this lost audience segment and support parents accessing information on the go (e.g., in hospital waiting rooms).
DISCOVERY & THE "MOBILE PARADOX"
