Refreshing a website and creating brand guidelines for an organization that improves accessibility to community resources and works to eliminate nutritional disparities.

Overview

The National Produce Prescription Collaborative (NPPC) is an advocacy group leveraging federal and state governments to utilize produce prescriptions as a form of preventative medicine and to improve quality of life. In coordination with programs like Medicaid, the NPPC helps underprivileged communities have improved access to fruits and vegetables.

The Challenge

NPPC’s website had front-end and back-end issues, as well as disjointed processes that decreased the website’s functionality. The original website was designed in Squarespace which created significant limitations. NPPC members shared that the original backend wasn’t easy to navigate — making even simple updates like adding a partner’s logo extremely difficult.

Additionally, processes for adding new members was antiquated. Instead of signing up directly on the website, prospective members needed to email NPPC directly and wait for a team member to add their information to the roster.

The organization also lacked consistent brand guidelines and a strong digital presence. When NPPC approached BDG, they only had a brand logo. We were asked to help them create a cohesive story through templates that could be used for various print and digital media deliverables.

Our Approach and Solution

Black Digital built a more flexible wireframe for NPPC that was designed to support the organization’s growth. This was a merging of smart and proven UI and UX strategies that not only improved critical site functionality, but also made the site user-friendly for all individuals regardless of tech-savvy capabilities. Not only did this wireframe support increased traffic, but it could accommodate more pages designed with an SEO-first strategy to boost discoverability.
After NPPC’s key stakeholders approved the submitted wireframes and prototypes, we moved on to high-fidelity mock-ups, focusing on visual design. We also created a members portal, Wild Apricot, to encourage people to donate and become part of a community passionate about making nourishing food more accessible for all.

The updated NPPC website is more functional and aesthetically pleasing. It features a thoughtful wireframe that intuitively presents essential community information and resources, thanks to the streamlined information architecture we developed. The new site features a stunning user interface that is inviting and easier for individuals of all tech-savvy levels to navigate.

To support NPPC’s branding needs, we developed a brand guidelines governance strategy. This not only created multiple digital assets, but also outlined how they could be used. These items could be implemented for social media, Powerpoint presentations, and reports.

Impact Numbers

Our goal was to make NPPC’s website more accessible to attract more visitors. When we launched the new website it achieved 2,684 views in September 2023. In early 2024, those numbers nearly tripled with a total reach of 6,171. After rolling out the member portal, Wild Apricot, NPPC achieved 7,106 views by June 2024.

And while most nonprofit or community organizations typically experience average bounce rates of 60 – 70%, we helped NPPC dramatically improve those figures by keeping their bounce rate below 50%. In 2023, with the new site launch that September, NPPC enjoyed a 44% bounce rate. In 2024 with the Wild Apricot release, the bounce rate only nudged up 3%.