How to use design to help children in need 2019 — a UX case study
It’s that time of year again — the annual fundraising telethon BBC Children in Need will be airing tonight (Friday 15th November) from 7pm on BBC 1. Since 1980 Children in Need has raised over £1 billion for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. How Children in Need receive their donations has changed massively since their first broadcast in 1980. 2019 sees the 40th broadcast of the event, and this morning I took it upon myself to donate to the cause. Whilst years ago this may have been done through a phone call or sending in a cheque, we now have a much quicker, streamlined process through the Children in Need website.
Being a UX researcher, I’m quick to criticise online experiences that just don’t work. However, today, I had such a positive experience donating to Children in Need that I wanted to share it as a case study for how to design a simple, intuitive and friendly payment process.
Choosing your donation amount
Upon entering the donation process on the Children in Need website, you are presented with a number of ways you can donate. You can see where your money could go, depending on how much you’d like to give. Showing images of children and the tangible outcomes for your money is a brilliant way of connecting people to the cause. Or, you choose your own amount to donate.
Payment options
I love the simplicity of the donation payment process. The websites main navigation is replaced by a progress bar. All distractions have been removed to avoid users dropping out. Users have the option to pay by card or using Paypal and Giftaid is clearly explained. It is also good to see the Fundraising Regulator logo at the bottom, as this will help build trust in the charity and the donation process.
Entering your personal details
The form design follows key UX guidelines. The process was quick and easy, and I like how it explains why they need your email address. Again, this transparency is imperative for getting users on your side and will build a trusting relationship between the business and customers.
Once you have filled in your personal information, the yellow CTA clearly states what the next step is, which is important for letting a user know how far along the journey they are.
Entering card details
Once again, the page only displays what the users needs to see. There are prompts to explain what card details to enter and on your smartphone you can take advantage of the ‘scan credit card’ feature. They also let you use Apple Pay as a payment method. The final pay CTA is also personalised to what amount you entered, which is good for both confirmation and ensuring users chose the correct amount.
Donation complete!
And that’s it! A simple three-step process that can can take seconds to complete. The confirmation page details how much you’ve donated, gives you a personalised thank you message and encourages the donor to sign up for more information and to share the Children in Need site through social media and email.
I think this donation experience is brilliant. From the intuitive design to signposting and the range of ways you can donate, it ticks all the boxes in best practices for creating a checkout experience.
Visit the Children in Need website to see the work they are doing for children in the UK and donate!