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Building a Digital Space for Senior Residents

Building a Digital Space for Senior Residents

Building a Digital Space for Senior Residents

E2E Implementation

Web Development

Accessibility Design

Preview of redesigned homepage.

Overview

Overview

Overview

A nonprofit serving LGBTQ seniors was managing 3+ disconnected tools and a website nobody used, no place for their community to stay connected. I rebuilt their site into one accessible, all-in-one system for events and communication, at zero added cost, driving a 200%+ increase in form submissions and faster event management for staff.

Details

Details

Details

Client

LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc.

Role

Project Lead, UX Designer

Duration

3 months

Scope

UX Design, Desk Research, WCAG, Squarespace

Problem

Problem

Problem

Event coordination was scattered across three disconnected tools, with no central place for seniors or staff to find what they needed.

Solution

Solution

Solution

Rebuilt the organization's existing Squarespace site into one accessible home for events, information, and community, without adding cost or complexity for low-tech staff.

Result

Result

Result

A single, accessible home for events, information, and community: one place replacing three disconnected tools, with built-in RSVP, payment collection, and contact management for staff, and a redesigned experience elders can navigate with ease.

Impact

Impact

Impact

3/3

Users managed the full event cycle faster

Users managed the full event cycle faster

Users managed the full event cycle faster

No more switching tabs or logins. Staffs are saving time by having sign-ups, payments, and follow-up, all in one place.

200%+

Increase in form submissions

Increase in form submissions

Increase in form submissions

More sign-ups, RSVPs, and outreach. A direct sign that the site is now easier to use and more engaging.

20%-40%

Increase in unique visitors

Increase in unique visitors

Increase in unique visitors

(within 2 months post-handoff)

Greater visibility for the organization, reaching beyond current residents to the wider community.

CONTEXT

CONTEXT

How can seniors residents stay connected?

How can seniors residents stay connected?

How can seniors residents stay connected?

LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. is a nonprofit providing safe, welcoming, affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors. But their mission reaches further than the walls of their building, The Pryde — through intergenerational programming that connects residents, Hyde Park neighbors, and the wider LGBTQ+ community.

As a young organization still finding its footing, they had a simple but urgent need: a way to bring the community together, visibly and consistently.

Prospective photo of the Pryde building.

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

Fragmented information.
No system.

Fragmented information.
No system.

Fragmented information.
No system.

To manage just 1 event, the organization was juggling 3 different tools:

  • A newsletter to announce event

  • Google Forms to collect RSVP's

  • Gmail to manage communication

The organization was juggling three disconnected tools just for managing events:

  • A newsletter to announce event

  • Google Forms to collect RSVP's

  • Gmail to manage communication

Seniors and families couldn't pinpoint where to go for information and staffs spent extra time managing event details.

GOALS

GOALS

GOALS

To design a system that consolidates scattered tools + simplifies technology, so that staffs and elders can focus on building community instead of managing it.

To design a system that consolidates scattered tools + simplifies technology, so that staffs and elders can focus on building community instead of managing it.

To design a system that consolidates scattered tools + simplifies technology, so that staffs and elders can focus on building community instead of managing it.

  1. Meeting people where they are by restructuring navigation and content around clarity, less text, and more visual guidance, so that elders and low-tech staff can both use it with ease.

  1. Bringing it all together with an integrated RSVP system that already exists on Squarespace, replacing three disconnected tools with one—at no added cost.

  1. Decreasing the workload for staffs with a single place to manage, respond, and follow-up with on sign-ups.

  1. Emphasizing branding by carrying the organization's identity and history into the design itself, so the site feels like an extension of the community, not just another tool.

Before
Before
After
After

Hover to see how information architecture intentionally guides users through the site.

PROCESS + KEY INSIGHTS

PROCESS + KEY INSIGHTS

PROCESS + KEY INSIGHTS

I owned the design strategy and collaborated closely with the Director of Programs & Services and Operations Manager, to gain a better understanding of their needs and pain points. Then, I conducted a website audit and secondary research to gain insights into the targeted users.

I owned the design strategy and collaborated closely with the Director of Programs & Services and Operations Manager, to gain a better understanding of their needs and pain points. Then, I conducted a website audit and secondary research to gain insights into the targeted users.

I owned the design strategy and collaborated closely with the Director of Programs & Services and Operations Manager, to gain a better understanding of their needs and pain points. Then, I conducted a website audit and secondary research to gain insights into the targeted users.

Key Insight 1: The tools weren't the problem, each tool completed its job fine. But the information were scattered and staffs became responsible for connecting the gaps by manually re-entering the same details at least 3x per event.

Key Insight 2: The site was being ignored, people knew that there was a website, but they assumed that it didn't offer anything beyond general information about the organization.

Key Insight 3: Too much information in a navigation bar that had over 10+ tabs, dense blocks of text, and no consistent format. Instead of helping people find information, it became exhausting to use.

Key Insight 4: Features on Squarespace were not being maximized because staffs didn't have much experience with the software.

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

An improved digital home base for the LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc.

An improved digital home base for the LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc.

An improved digital space for the LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc.

Preview of website redesign.
Preview of website redesign.

Live website

Live website

DESIGN 1/3

DESIGN 1/3

DESIGN 1/3

Event Management Tool — One Flow, No New Subscriptions

Event Management Tool — One Flow, No New Subscriptions

Event Management Tool — One Flow, No New Subscriptions

The core challenge: build real RSVP and payment functionality without adding a paid tool like Acuity. The solution was to repurpose Squarespace's own commerce structure, built for products and checkout, to run events instead.

2 systems in 1 — RSVP collection and attendee communication, running on a platform the organization already had.

  1. Info — Events appear as products: photo, date, and price, including free events.

  1. Form — Signing up asks only for what's needed: name, email, and any notes, automatically collected and saved as contact info.

3. Sign-up — Built-in support for paid events, no separate payment system required.

  1. Follow-up — Every sign-up lands in one place. Staff can message a single attendee or the full list, all inside Squarespace.

DESIGN 2/3

DESIGN 2/3

DESIGN 2/3

Information Architecture — Fewer Tabs, Clearer Paths

Information Architecture — Fewer Tabs, Clearer Paths

Information Architecture — Fewer Tabs, Clearer Paths

The original site had grown to over 10+ navigation tabs, dense text, and no consistent format. It was mentally overwhelming for the people it was meant to serve.

I audited every existing page, keeping only content that either supports the organization's mission or helps users take action, cutting anything that didn't serve a clear purpose.

Audit of existing header and footer navigation.
Breakdown of each navigation tab's purpose, and the new structure of tabs and subitems.
Breakdown of each navigation tab's purpose, and the new structure of tabs and subitems.

DESIGN 3/3

DESIGN 3/3

DESIGN 3/3

Branding — Showcasing Pride

Branding — Showcasing Pride

Branding — Showcasing Pride

Beyond practicality, the site should also be like an extension of the organization's identity, values, and history.

Color — Rainbow accents along buttons as a quiet nod to the community the site serves.

Typography — A chalk-style text font referencing to the building's origin as a middle school, whose character still lingers in The Pryde today.

TESTIMONIALS

TESTIMONIALS

TESTIMONIALS

Hear from the team

Hear from the team

Hear from the team

"We had the pleasure of working with Phuong on a website revamp project and we are so happy with our new website! She is timely, creative, and has an excellent design eye. Her proposed project timeline was realistic and achievable."

Isabelle Thibault

Director of Programs & services

"We had the pleasure of working with Phuong on a website revamp project and we are so happy with our new website! She is timely, creative, and has an excellent design eye. Her proposed project timeline was realistic and achievable."

Isabelle Thibault

Director of Programs & services

"We greatly appreciate Phuong's communication skills and ability to understand and share technical information with a non-technical audience. She heard our priorities and delivered a product that not only meets our current needs, but is also sustainable for our small non-profit team maintain into the future."

Jessica Abeita

Operations Manager

"We greatly appreciate Phuong's communication skills and ability to understand and share technical information with a non-technical audience. She heard our priorities and delivered a product that not only meets our current needs, but is also sustainable for our small non-profit team maintain into the future."

Jessica Abeita

Operations Manager

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

Designing Within the Realities of the Real World : With a $0 budget, a client with limited technical expertise, and an older audience to serve, I learned to balance ideal solutions with what was actually feasible, accessible, and sustainable.

Designing Within the Realities of the Real World: With a $0 budget, a client with limited technical expertise, and an older audience to serve, I learned to balance ideal solutions with what was actually feasible, accessible, and sustainable.

Speaking a shared language : Good communication meant being able to break down UX concepts. By using familiar examples and meeting the client where they are, I can build understanding and alignment around design choices.

Speaking a shared language: Good communication meant being able to break down UX concepts. By using familiar examples and meeting the client where they are, I can build understanding and alignment around design choices.

Becoming the Designer & the Decision Maker : Leading my first freelance project showed me how to take ownership beyond the design itself. I had to set priorities, make trade-offs, and guide the client through unfamiliar decisions while learning to trust my own judgement along the way.

Becoming the Designer & the Decision Maker: Leading my first freelance project showed me how to take ownership beyond the design itself. I had to set priorities, make trade-offs, and guide the client through unfamiliar decisions while learning to trust my own judgement along the way.

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