Association for Energy Affordability
Digital
A fresh website for a nonprofit that provides renewable energy for affordable housing
My role
Senior Designer
In collaboration with
Celery Design Collaborative
The challenge
AEA is a leader in making energy efficiency affordable. But with an outdated site, their users were having a hard time finding the resources they needed. AEA needed a professional, user-friendly website.
The solution
A sharp website that amps up the AEA brand, with functionality that helps the user. I made their brand more iconic — yellow UI accents guide the user’s eye through the page, and their roof-inspired “A” becomes a framing device for impact stats. The blog-style layout features the range of their programs and services.
Understanding users
We began by identifying our 4 users types and understanding their individual needs and motivations, as well as what content they are seeking.
Jane, Program Admin
“I’m a program admin for a nonprofit in the energy space. We put out an RFP for a research project, and I’m weighing options for which org to bring onto the team.”
Success is: Seeing that AEA has experience, and deciding to reach out to a current contact at AEA about joining the project team.
George, Property Manager
“New regulations are requiring me to spend more money on energy efficiency — I need to do it or pay a fine. I’m confused and feeling stuck.”
Success is: Easily finding the program he’s looking for and signing up. Knowing he’s getting best in market consulting and the benefits of energy efficiency.
Trey, Trainee Advocate
“I’m helping my client look for training sessions. I’m looking for an agency that will train in best practices and is a leader in the field.”
Success is: Signing up for a training session easily and quickly.
Alexis, Job Applicant
“I’m a 20-something recent college grad with a degree in energy. I want to find a career where I can have an impact.”
Success is: Feeling aligned with AEA’s ethos and applying for an open role.
Within-page browsing
Programs are at the heart of AEA work. I incorporated filtering for users to easily find the program or service they need. So, property managers can filter for their building type, a potential collaborator can filter for a topic area like Renewable Energy. The individual program page pops up in a lightbox, similar to Netflix, so the user is always one click away from browsing the menu.
