A Digital Refresh: Elevating IDEA’s Mission to Empower Migrant Entrepreneurs
Client: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Duration: 3 Months
Year: 2025
The Challenge
IDEAS’ website had become outdated and difficult to navigate, with years of inactive programs and archived content overshadowing its current initiatives. Essential information about ongoing work was buried among legacy materials, and the design no longer met modern standards for accessibility or usability. Moreover, the organization wanted to introduce more diverse giving options, but the outdated platform lacked the flexibility to support these enhancements without adding further complexity. Without a user-centered design, compelling storytelling, or modern giving infrastructure, the organization faced challenges in inspiring confidence and attracting donors who might be interested in the expanded range of giving opportunities.
Heuristic Evaluation
Our Solution
Yaberra Consulting led the end-to-end design and strategy for a new, purpose-driven subdomain—guiding everything from concept development and wireframing to interactive prototyping. In close collaboration with a WordPress developer, we oversaw technical implementation to ensure WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance, optimized performance, and full multilingual readiness. The result is a mobile-first, emotionally resonant WordPress experience that elevates IDEAS’ migrant entrepreneurship initiatives and delivers a modern, flexible platform for donor engagement.
Protopersona
Elena Morrison
Long Term Supporter
Elena is a long-time supporter in her 60s who values trust, transparency, and personal connection. A retired teacher and community volunteer, she gives regularly through checks but is now exploring more strategic forms of giving, such as donor-advised funds or stock donations. She prefers clear communication, appreciates gratitude that feels sincere, and wants to understand how her contributions make a tangible difference.
David Reynolds
Emerging Philanthropist
David is the founder and CEO of a mid-sized logistics and supply chain firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. His company sources goods and materials from small producers and ethical suppliers across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. David believes in empowering local entrepreneurs and fostering fair, sustainable trade. He supports initiatives that build business capacity in developing regions and create self-sustaining economic ecosystems.
Grace Lin
Strategic Partner
Grace is a senior executive at a multinational financial institution with offices in the U.S. with several branch offices in Latin America. She oversees corporate social responsibility and financial inclusion initiatives, seeking partnerships that align business objectives with measurable social impact. Analytical and globally minded, she champions innovation, financial empowerment, and transparency in all collaborations.
Carlos Mejía
Migrant Entrepreneur
Carlos is a migrant returnee in his late 30s from southern Mexico working to rebuild his life through small business ownership. Motivated by family and community, he seeks practical guidance, access to financing, and trusted organizations that can help him start or expand his enterprise. He engages primarily through mobile devices and social media, relying on clear, Spanish-language content and step-by-step support.
Project Scope
01
UX/UI & Development Process
- Discovery: Interview with Executive Director, site audit donor pathway mapping
- Design and Branding: Wireless mobile first platform, culturally appropriate, professional but warm and emotionally compelling, impact storytelling with strong visual cue and UI
- Implementation: Built on WordPress with a custom child theme (DreamHost) create and integrate new pages and additional information that might be helpful to potential donors that are new to IDEAS. Ensure WCAG 2.1 compliance, accessibility and SEO optimization
- Development Collaboration: Help hire and mange WordPress Developer to develop a secure platform to bring Yaberra’s ideation for a new and modern website for IDEAS that is focused on current program, accessible and meets the goals of the organization to provide additional options beyond traditional cash donations and encourage critical giving for the continuity of programs.
02
Design Systems and Branding
Prior to building the subdomain IDEAS didn’t have a design system beyond a few consistent color schemes. Yaberra developed a design system centered around these themes:
- Human-centered and Empathetic: The use of real stories, compelling images and accessible language that puts the migrant entrepreneurs experience at the center. The site conveys dignity, hope and possibilities which aligns deeply with IDEAS mission to empower deserving migrants and returnees to start and establish thriving small businesses to support themselves and their families
- Professional and Approachable: Typography choices like Open Sans, Helvetica and Playfair Display offers a clean, trustworthy easy to understand with a touch of elegance and warmth. The tone is confident but approachable helping strike a balance between creditability and professionalism.
- Culturally Resonant:The visual palette is warm terracotta, with soft blues and earth tones giving the feeling grounded in Latin America and evoking natural earthy elements and community connection. It’s a visually signals that the organization is rooted in local realities and not abstract development – which is essentially the nature of this organization providing practical help in Latin America for the last 50 years.
- Accessible and Inclusive: Design Choices support ADA and WCAG Compliance with easy-to-read texts, strong contrasting colors and mobile responsiveness, parts of the brands commitment to accessibility and inclusivity including a Spanish version of the website.
- Purposeful and Trustworthy: The messaging, CTA’s and newly created downloadable guides are transparent and informative. From tiered giving options to detailed FAQs to reflect the organizations brand value of informed giving.
03
Content and Education Strategy
The use of real stories, compelling imagery and easy to understand language including Spanish language option puts migrant entrepreneurs at the center of IDEAS work in Lattin America. The site conveys dignity, hope to align with IDEAS mission.
- Prominent Donation and Visibility
- Education and Empowerment
- Evolved Giving Options
- Visual and Functional
- Accessibility and User Flow
Implementation Summary
Yaberra Consulting led a comprehensive digital transformation for IDEAS by conceiving and executing a mission-focused subdomain that reflects the organization’s commitment to migrant entrepreneurship. This included strategic planning, donor persona development, full UX/UI design, and prototyping. We crafted human-centered content, built a culturally resonant brand identity, and managed the development process to ensure accessibility, SEO performance, and language readiness.
One of the most impactful changes was the introduction of a modern giving infrastructure, expanding donation pathways to include DAFs, QCDs, securities, and cryptocurrencies—each supported with downloadable guides and FAQs to aid decision-making. Through mobile-first design, powerful storytelling, and an educational content strategy, the site now delivers an emotionally engaging, inclusive experience that deepens trust and drives action.
Key Accomplishments
Strategy & Discovery
- Defined donor personas and user journeys through leadership interviews and site audits
- Mapped information architecture and optimized donor flows
UX/UI Design & Branding
- Designed all wireframes and prototypes for a mobile-first experience website
- Created a cohesive brand identity: color palette, typography, iconography, and imagery
- Developed a style guide for consistent application across platforms
Content & Storytelling
- Developed emotionally resonant, mission-aligned web copy
- Integrated impact metrics (e.g., 743 trained, 423 women supported) to build trust
- Highlighted real migrant success stories with high-quality visuals
- Created educational content: PDFs, FAQs, and giving guides
Development Oversight
- Partnered with a developer for infrastructure, accessibility, SEO, and language access
- Launched on WordPress using a custom DreamHost child theme
- Ensured WCAG 2.1 compliance and full mobile responsiveness
Giving Experience Transformation
Redesigned donation experience with a prominent CTA on every page. Integrated multiple modern giving options:
- Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
- Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
- Gifts of Securities
- Cryptocurrency Donations
- Traditional one-time and recurring cash donations
Accessibility & Inclusion
- Built with screen-reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and high contrast color usage
- Created an inclusive interface that’s culturally grounded and emotionally compelling.
Results & Impact
- Increased user engagement, especially on mobile devices
- Expanded contributions via non-cash options
- More time spent on program and donation pages
- Elevated brand credibility and visual consistency
- Subdomain became the central hub for IDEAS’ key initiative
Before Versus After Snapshot
| Element | Old Site (ideasnet.org) | New Subdomain (migrantbusinessinmexico.ideasnet.org) |
|---|---|---|
|
Program Visibility |
Hidden in menus |
Prominently featured with clear structure |
|
Donation Options |
Single cash gift |
Multiple modern options including DAFs, crypto, QCDs |
|
Content Strategy |
Sparse and generic |
Narrative-driven, metrics-rich, downloadable resources |
|
UX & Mobile |
Low responsiveness |
Mobile-first, accessible, emotionally engaging |
|
Branding |
Inconsistent |
Cohesive, warm, mission-aligned visual identity |
Key Takeaways for Future Projects
- Use A/B testing to optimize CTAs and layout conversions
- Monitor funnel performance and refine based on analytics
- Expand localization to Spanish for broader impact
- Develop branded campaign pages for future initiatives
Conclusion
This project highlights how purpose-driven UX, modern design, and inclusive donation strategies can transform an outdated web presence into a mission-first engagement engine. Through end-to-end leadership—from concept through content to code—Yaberra helped IDEAS create a platform that not only informs, but inspires action.