Non-Profit • Accessibility • Web Design

Designing for Dignity

A human-centered redesign for the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, transforming how newcomers access vital settlement services through empathy and accessibility.

Project Status Delivered & Approved Pending for migration
Live Site Context Legacy Version Visible kwmulticultural.ca has not updated yet.

Impact

Accessible Service Flow

Research

60+ Meetings & Audits

Platform

Squarespace + Custom Code

COMMUNITY IMPACT • AODA COMPLIANCE • USER ADVOCACY • TRUST & SAFETY • AODA COMPLIANCE • USER ADVOCACY •COMMUNITY IMPACT • AODA COMPLIANCE • USER ADVOCACY • TRUST & SAFETY • AODA COMPLIANCE • USER ADVOCACY •COMMUNITY IMPACT • AODA COMPLIANCE • USER ADVOCACY • TRUST & SAFETY • AODA COMPLIANCE • USER ADVOCACY •

The Problem

The Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre (KWMC) supports newcomers navigating settlement, employment, and community services, yet its website was unintentionally creating friction. Stakeholder conversations and content reviews surfaced recurring issues around unclear eligibility requirements, confusing service pathways, and inconsistent or inaccessible content. These gaps often led users to apply for programs they were not eligible for, contact the wrong teams, or rely on staff for basic navigation.

The Mission

Reframe the website as a digital front desk rather than a static information site. The redesign focused on improving structural clarity, surfacing eligibility information earlier, guiding users through clearer service flows, and using more accessible language and authentic community representation. The goal was to help users more confidently identify the services that fit their needs while reducing confusion and operational friction for staff.

80+ Interviews Conducted
20+ Non-Profits Audited
100% Staff Buy-In
The Methodology

The "Meeting Marathon"

I didn't guess what the community needed. I spent 4 months asking the people who serve it.

01. Deep Discovery (30-40 Meetings)

I started by meeting with almost everyone in the company,roughly 30 to 40 sessions. I met with every department (Settlement, Translation, Employment, etc) to understand their specific demands. We uncovered key issues, like the hidden "Translation Tool" and the need for clearer "Pre-Employment" eligibility criteria.

02. Benchmarking & Inspiration

I browsed over 20+ government and non-profit organization websites. I wasn't just looking for inspiration; I was analyzing how they handled accessibility, information architecture, and trust signals for vulnerable populations.

03. Drafting & Continuous Feedback

As the redesign progressed, I worked through ongoing feedback cycles with teams across departments to refine both structure and functionality. Alongside improving navigation clarity, I introduced supporting tools such as a more visible translation option, a site wide search, and department specific flowcharts to improve accessibility, readability, and users’ understanding of service processes. We also moved away from generic visual elements, focusing instead on clearer content organization and more intuitive page flows to make the site easier to understand and navigate.

04. Validation (The Final 30-40 Meetings)

When the website was effectively "done," I ran another marathon of 30-40 meetings. This wasn't just a presentation; it was a working session. We went line-by-line to fix wordings, ensure safety/privacy for staff profiles, and gather final opinions to ensure 100% buy-in.

Stakeholder Interviews

Uncovering Departmental Needs

Competitive Audit

Analyzing Accessibility Standards

Iterative Drafting

Refining Content & Navigation

Final Validation

Securing 100% Consensus

The Impact

Visual Evidence

From identified pain points to solved design problems.

The "Low-Code" Challenge

I had to balance high-end visual clarity with long-term maintainability. Because the staff has no coding background, I strictly limited custom HTML/CSS to structural elements only. All editable content areas prioritize native Squarespace blocks to ensure the team can easily update the site after my departure.

1. Homepage Hierarchy

Authentic Imagery: I replaced the generic street photo with a vibrant image from the KWMC's annual festival. This sets a welcoming tone and immediately connects the user to the specific community the center serves.

Improved Readability: The original text was lost against a busy background. I used a soft white overlay and dark typography to ensure the message is high-contrast and easy to read.

Better User Experience: I modernized the navigation by organizing links into clear dropdowns and adding a search bar, making it much faster for visitors to find the resources they need.

Enhanced Accessibility: I moved the translation tool to a fixed, floating button in the bottom-right corner, ensuring language support is always within reach for non-English speakers. I also added a prominent search bar to the header, allowing users to find specific resources immediately.

After Redesign After
Before Redesign Before

2. Visual Authenticity

Structured Grid Layout: I fixed the uneven spacing of the previous design by implementing a consistent grid system. This ensures the content is perfectly aligned and balanced, rather than having "floating" elements with awkward gaps.

Visual Clarity: I replaced generic avatars with custom icons (like a headset for Translation) that actually represent the services, so users understand the content instantly.

Improved Usability: I organized the services into unified "cards" with clear arrow buttons, making the section easier to scan and clearly indicating that it is clickable.

After: Real Photos After
Before: Generic Icons Before

3. Event & Schedule Clarity

Visual Gallery: I replaced the static text layout with a gallery of posters. This allows users to browse featured events visually, making the page much more engaging and informative than the previous text-heavy design.

Clear Calendar View: I implemented a monthly calendar to display the schedule. This solves the problem of the old list format by allowing users to see all upcoming events "at a glance" and plan their schedule easily.

De-cluttered Typography: In the previous version, the text was squeezed together and clustered, creating a dense block of information that was hard to read. I introduced generous whitespace and stripped the text down to the essentials, allowing the content to breathe.

Focused Layout: The old design felt cramped, with the text box and image fighting for space. I implemented a clean split layout that gives the event poster prominence on the left while keeping the details clear and legible on the right.

Clear Call-to-Action: Instead of leaving the user wondering what to do next, I added a high-contrast "View Event →" button, making the interaction obvious and simple.

After: Event Calendar After
Before: Text List Before
After: Event Calendar After
Before: Text List Before
After: Event Calendar After
Before: Text List Before

4. Program Engagement & Trust

Stakeholder Collaboration: I worked directly with Tera from the event department to audit and refine the page content. This collaboration ensured that the copy accurately reflected the program's current goals and tone, moving away from the generic text used previously.

From Abstract to Authentic: The original design relied on a generic gold box which felt cold and impersonal. I replaced this with a real photo of the program team at a community booth. This immediately builds trust and humanizes the service, showing users exactly who they will be connecting with.

Softer, More Inviting CTA: I redesigned the "Apply" button to be more welcoming. The previous version was a harsh black rectangle. The new design features a wide, pill-shaped button in a warm gold tone that aligns with the brand and feels less intimidating.

Refined Typography: The old heading featured a messy, scribbled underline style that distracted from the text. I cleaned up the typography to be bold and professional, ensuring the focus remains on the value proposition: "one-on-one English support".

After: Authentic Team Photo After
Before: Generic Gold Box Before

5. Process Transparency

Iterative Process: I facilitated three strategy meetings with the team to finalize the content and the flowchart structure. This ensured that the visual roadmap accurately reflects the actual intake process while remaining easy for clients to understand.

Visualizing the User Journey: I replaced the generic "Book an Appointment" call-to-action with the custom Settlement Flowchart we developed. Instead of leaving users wondering what happens next, this visual clearly outlines every step from the first contact to meeting a worker.

Improved Structure & Layout: I moved away from the disjointed, dark-mode block layout to a clean, balanced two-column structure. This layout pairs the visual flowchart on the left with clear explanatory text on the right, making the information much easier to scan and digest.

Demystifying the Process: The previous design was text-heavy and abstract. By breaking the intake process down into four simple visual steps (Contact → Front Desk → Welcome Team → Settlement Worker), I reduced anxiety for newcomers by showing them exactly what to expect.

After: Visual Flowchart After
Before: Generic Block Before

Beyond the Pixels

Active Listening

Navigating conflicting feedback from all departments taught me that listening is the most important design tool. For example, we created specific "Do's and Don'ts" resources for Interpreters based solely on staff requests.

Accessibility First

I learned to view code not just as function, but as access. Ensuring high contrast, clear hierarchy, and semantic HTML is a form of digital empathy.

Service Design

This wasn't just a website; it was a digital front desk. I learned how to translate bureaucratic processes (like Pre-Employment eligibility) into a human-friendly experience.

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