Rethinking Membership Experience
Client: Indianapolis YMCA
Year: 2023
Role: UX Design, Research and Management
Goal: Reduce membership barriers
For this project, we identified any issues Indy YMCA members encountered when interacting with their website. We took a deep dive into everything from the membership onboarding process to signing up for paid and unpaid classes while also exploring the types of information users sought on the site or through the helpdesk. Leading a team of two designers, I ensured a thorough site evaluation and concluded the project by creating a first draft redesign. This prototype demonstrated how our recommendations could be implemented to improve the overall user experience.
.png)
Process Overview
For this project, I designed a process aimed at achieving both speed and depth of information, ensuring we stayed on track while delivering valuable insights within the two-month timeline. The flow from research to design was carefully structured to maximize the quality of data collected and to ensure that our final recommendations were both actionable and aligned with the client’s objectives.
​
By integrating stakeholder feedback early, deploying targeted user surveys, and conducting in-depth interviews, we captured a holistic view of the user experience. This allowed us to refine our focus as we moved through the phases and address key issues efficiently.
1. Kickoff Meeting: Align on client goals and project objectives.
2. Stakeholder Interviews: Gather insights on stakeholder needs, challenges, and success metrics.
3.Survey Deployment: Launch a targeted survey to YMCA members to refine focus areas for in-depth user interviews.
4.Affinity Mapping: Organize collected data to identify key themes and develop a user interview guide.
5.User Interviews: Conduct interviews to uncover pain points, preferences, and opportunities for improvement.
6. Synthesis and Design: Analyze findings and create a prototype to visualize how the improved site could look and function.
Initial Understanding: Phase 1&2
The first and most crucial step of any project is ensuring a deep understanding of what the client and business want to achieve. While we had some preliminary knowledge of the client’s needs from the sales team, we used the kickoff meeting and stakeholder interviews to confirm and expand on this understanding.
​
During these sessions, we identified key pain points that were impacting user experience. Though some of the stakeholders overlapped between the two phases, we separated the kickoff meeting and stakeholder interviews to avoid groupthink and gather more individual perspectives.
Key Pain points from Stakeholders
Users struggle with the online enrollment process
Users are unable to easily find the information they need.​
The site operates on two frameworks, leading to confusion.​
The help center receives frequent calls for the same information.
Key Metrics to improve from Stakeholders:
Lower the volume of support calls.​
Increase membership enrollment through online forms.​
Improve user task completion rate across key interactions.
Putting Initial Understanding to the Test: Phase 3
After establishing a baseline understanding from internal discussions and reviewing the YMCA’s Google Analytics data, we knew it was crucial to validate these insights with real users. Much of the initial information we received was anecdotal, so we decided to conduct a broad survey to gather direct feedback from the users themselves.
​
The survey allowed us to reach a larger pool of participants than we could with one-on-one interviews, giving us a more comprehensive view of user behaviors and pain points. We crafted 15 questions aimed at deepening our understanding of how users interacted with the YMCA website. The first part of the survey included screening questions to ensure we were asking the right users the right questions.
​
In the end, we collected responses from 1,519 YMCA members. This provided a highly accurate sample size, allowing us to refine the focus for subsequent user interviews. The survey was designed with a balance of free-form questions and fixed responses to gather broad insights while keeping analysis time manageable.
Key Questions:
​What do you like best about the YMCA website?
This question ensured that we didn’t inadvertently change features or elements that users found valuable—a critical factor often overlooked in redesigns.
​
How can we improve the YMCA website?
This open-ended question invited users to share their pain points and areas for improvement without being influenced by predefined options.
​
How do you sign up for activities or classes?
Understanding the primary pathways for registration was crucial for identifying improvements in the user journey.
​
How did you sign up for your YMCA membership?
We aimed to assess how critical it was to enhance the membership signup experience based on users' preferred methods.​
Survey Results
Most users found the site difficult to navigate.
The majority of users preferred to sign up for memberships and activities in person.
A significant portion of users were older, indicating accessibility concerns.
Many members viewed the website as a secondary option, relying on other means of interaction with the YMCA.
Using these responses and metrics, we developed a refined research plan that highlighted key areas for improvement. The survey not only confirmed some initial assumptions but also provided new insights, leading us to the crucial question: Why do users struggle with the site, and where specifically are these challenges occurring?
Final Verification of Issues Pain points: Phase 4& 5
After executing the survey and conducting an affinity mapping session to confirm key themes, we moved forward by developing a user testing script. This allowed us to delve deeper into the specific challenges identified earlier. We recruited participants from the pool of YMCA members who had volunteered to help during the survey. Selecting users with firsthand experience navigating the site ensured we were testing with a relevant and diverse audience.
​
The goal of this phase was to validate the pain points and observations uncovered in previous steps, using real-world tasks to reveal where users encountered friction. We designed a set of tasks for the participants to complete during the interview, focusing on high-priority areas like class registration and membership sign-ups.
​
One of the most critical aspects of this phase was capturing video recordings of users interacting with the site. These recordings provided tangible evidence of the usability issues, giving us powerful visual data to present to C-suite executives. The videos were essential in demonstrating not just where users struggled but also the impact of these frustrations. This ultimately helped secure funding and support for the necessary fixes and improvements.
Wrapping Up the Project and Implementing Design Solutions: Phase 6 & Recap
To conclude the project, we consolidated all the data gathered across every phase and distilled the recurring themes and pain points. By aligning these insights with established usability heuristics, we identified clear areas where users were struggling. This analysis allowed us to prioritize the most impactful changes.
​
We then created a comprehensive presentation, summarizing our findings and recommendations. This PowerPoint was designed for the YMCA team to present internally to secure buy-in for a full redesign. To make our proposals more tangible, we didn’t just rely on words; we also developed a prototype that visually demonstrated what these changes could look like. This helped to ensure that our suggestions were easy to understand and compelling for all stakeholders, regardless of their technical backgrounds.
Final Thoughts
This project stands as a prime example of my leadership in both design and research. Working alongside two designers, I played a key role in shaping and executing the client's vision, ensuring that timelines were met and expectations exceeded. I found particular fulfillment in guiding the team through every phase—from discovery to final prototype—while ensuring that our design solutions were both user-centric and strategically aligned with the client's goals.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was the opportunity to mentor my team. A significant part of my role involved offering constructive feedback that motivated the designers, while also empowering them to develop confidence in conducting research independently. By coaching them to observe, ask the right questions, and engage with user insights, I was able to foster an environment where they felt equipped to take ownership of their work.
Though not heavily detailed here, we also conducted a brief period of market research, which added valuable context to our user insights. This additional data helped refine our direction and ensured that our recommendations were well-informed and market-relevant.
This project also required a delicate balance between direct involvement and delegation. While I was deeply engaged in every step, I had to step back from conducting some interviews and design tasks to manage other concurrent projects. This experience sharpened my ability to lead multiple initiatives while still ensuring high-quality results.
I chose to showcase this case study because it highlights my ability to lead a UX project from inception to completion, while also demonstrating how I coach and grow other designers. As a result of our work, the YMCA secured the budget to move forward with a full website redesign. The project led to a significantly improved membership experience, as well as a notable decrease in call center inquiries—clear evidence that our design and research efforts had a meaningful impact.