Enhancing user experience through post-donation transparency

Abstract: Donating to charity is a phenomenon found in cultures and religions worldwide. Studies have examined how to attract donors, get them to engage, and eventually make a donation. But what happens after? The post-donation part of the process is less explored and often lacking in transparency toward the donor; where did the donation go, and how can the donors make sure it reaches the intended beneficiaries? This study investigated how post-donation transparency can enhance the user experience of donating money by identifying the donor’s needs and desires post-donation and fulfilling them in a design proposal. The Double Diamond model of design and its four phases were chosen to achieve this. In the first two phases, Discover and Define, the problem space was explored and defined through a literature study and initial interviews. The interview data was analyzed through the Affinity Diagram method resulting in two ”How might we”-questions. The needs and desires of users were also identified at this stage. A brainstorming session based on the ”How might we”-questions initiated the following, and last phases Develop and Deliver. Prototypes of different levels of fidelity were then created and tested on both users and experts before finally landing in a design proposal. Results showed that the elements added for creating post-donation transparency were appreciated by users and experts alike. A high score from a UMUX-LITE usability test suggested that the prototype was usable, elements in the prototype were pointed out for achieving transparency, and all participants expressed positive feelings after using the prototype. Therefore, the prototype was concluded to have achieved post-donation transparency within the frames of this study. Further studies are recommended as the final prototype was never tested on users. The hope is that more tests would give a better understanding of how user needs and desires could be achieved post-donation.