one design system to rule them all

A Design System for all donation forms

SOS Children’s Villages International and Digify an Austria-based SaaS company providing fundraising solutions to the federation, needed a design system to organize and provide detailed specifications to the developers‘ team to organize their donation journey in 40 countries and across 70 touchpoints – Web, App, PWA.

a decision postponed for many years

The Before

Fragmented Development: Without a unified Design System, development across 40 countries became fragmented and ad-hoc.
Increased Backlog: Lack of standardization led to reinventing forms, causing a larger development backlog.
Limited Knowledge Transfer: Absence of a centralized system hindered technology sharing between teams, resulting in inefficiencies.
Poor UX: Inconsistent designs and functionalities led to a subpar user experience, potentially deterring donors.
Reduced Conversion: These issues culminated in decreased conversion rates on donation forms, impacting fundraising efforts.

the token-based design system

The Smart Choice for Software Design

To address the challenges posed by fragmentation and to bolster operational efficiency, we made a strategic decision to unify the organization’s donation journey. This involved consolidating disparate forms into a cohesive ecosystem through the implementation of a comprehensive form set token-based design system and theming strategy.

Poor design decisions are expensive

Why they chose me?

Implementing a design system for payment forms presented a unique challenge due to the critical connection between design and direct payments. The inherent pressure stemmed from the understanding that any error in the design could directly impact financial transactions. This pressure intensified as the federations invested significantly in online advertising, emphasizing the need for flawless execution to ensure a seamless donation process.

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 – AUGUST 31, 2021

The Transformation

Over 6 months, I managed a team of 2 external designers to create a token-based design system. This system supported 8 developers and 40+ stakeholders across various applications, including newsletter signups, lottery forms, tax deduction forms, job portals, shop checkouts, and more. To address diverse needs, I used an immersive design development plan, appointing feature advocates in each team. This facilitated seamless communication and ensured alignment with specific requirements, leading to a successful implementation of the design system.

Challenges

1. Size

Managing the extensive scope of the design system proved challenging, requiring careful organization and prioritization to ensure efficiency and maintain coherence across all applications.

2. Legacy

Integrating the design system with legacy content presented hurdles, as it necessitated careful consideration of compatibility and consistency to seamlessly transition existing materials to the new system.

3. UX

With the primary target audience being older individuals, ensuring a user-friendly experience posed a significant challenge. We had to implement intuitive design elements and clear navigation to accommodate their needs and preferences effectively.

Features and Enhancements:

The After

The results of the transformation were profound. SOS Kinderdörfer Weltweit’s digital platform emerged with a cohesive, modern design that resonated with users and effectively communicated the organization’s mission. Content management became more intuitive, empowering staff to deliver timely, impactful messages to their global audience.