Private foundation management software.

Project overview

Foundation Source is the leading provider of charitable software solutions in the United States. One of their applications, Foundation Source Online (FSOL), helps family and corporate private foundations manage grants, finances, and overall operations.

FSOL was originally designed for small family foundations, so as additional functionality was added to serve larger clients, the application started becoming disjointed and difficult for users to navigate. To help address these issues, we were brought in to help redesign the application with the goal of increasing client satisfaction.

Services
User research, Prototyping, Usability testing, Design system, Developer handoff

Challenges

Prioritize releases

Implement agile development processes to enable faster, iterative builds while maintaining stability and scalability.

Streamline workflows

Improved, intuitive workflows are needed to enhance self-service while ensuring seamless access to existing information.

Improve performance

Resolve performance issues affecting the user experience to ensure a responsive, efficient interface.

Evidence gathering

Purpose of our research

Using various research studies we aimed to:,

Identify user needs and pain points
Understand what users expect from the software
Learn when and how users complete tasks
Prioritize the most frequently accessed data
Identify gaps not currently being addressed

Studies

Key insights

Additional information and cues are needed to improve navigation

Inconsistent link styles, no page indicator, and unclear button labels were identified as significant obstacles to navigation, confirmed by both stakeholder feedback and user shadowing sessions.

To enhance navigation, we developed a design system that standardizes styles and components for consistency across the application. Wayfinding elements, such as active page indicators, breadcrumb links, and clear page titles, help users orient themselves. Additionally, strategically placed links offer quick access to actions and related details.

Users need an enhanced dashboard

User feedback revealed that the current dashboard feels cluttered with irrelevant elements like photo albums and mission statements. Users want a more focused design highlighting key information, enabling them to track performance and make informed decisions.

The new dashboard empowers users to customize elements like widgets and data views for a personalized experience. Key insights are highlighted through a clear visual hierarchy, ensuring important data stands out. Interactive charts and visualizations provide a quick, easily digestible overview, helping users make informed decisions at a glance.

From design to code

Building an optimized flow with scalable navigation

After refining multiple wireframes, we developed a new map that significantly improved user navigation and flow. We transformed the mockups into a functional HTML-CSS web app, ensuring a seamless user experience. From there, we integrated the design into Ember, optimizing performance and maintainability while leveraging its component-based architecture for scalability.

Conclusion

Foundation Source’s commitment to enhancing user experience led to a comprehensive redesign of its software product, FSOL. Through meticulous analysis of usage data and onsite shadowing of private foundation users, UX Team gathered invaluable insights to inform the redesign process.

The result—a responsive, mobile-friendly prototype—serves as a testament to their dedication to meeting clients’ evolving needs, streamlining foundation management tasks from donation requests to tax preparations with efficiency and ease.