Una mano

In Uruguay, two active platforms—Involucrate.com and Quetenesparadar.com—allow people to make donations. However, a major challenge is that users don’t feel a strong connection to these platforms, as they primarily focus on donating goods rather than money. Additionally, there is a lack of transparency, making it difficult for users to understand what organizations truly need or how their donations are used, leading to trust issues.

To address this, I analyzed other apps that successfully manage financial transparency and user engagement. Motivation became the key differentiator for this app. Inspired by platforms like Duolingo and Trailhead.com, I explored how they create rewarding, engaging experiences that make users feel satisfied and motivated. By applying gamification and psychology-driven design, this project aims to build a donation experience that fosters trust, motivation, and long-term engagement.

To define our target user profile, I conducted extensive research to gather specific behavioral insights related to philanthropy. The findings revealed that the typical user is a middle-aged man or woman with an intermediate to low income, often characterized by a strong sense of empathy and friendliness. Many of them tend to support the same political party and, in most cases, have pets and/or children.

Despite varying education levels and income ranges, a surprising number of users expressed a willingness to donate money, even those with lower incomes. However, a major barrier was not knowing how to contribute, making what seems like a simple need a difficult goal to achieve. Interestingly, more users were inclined to donate money rather than time or goods, emphasizing the need for a streamlined financial giving process. Additionally, I conducted studies on game addiction to assess whether this demographic is prone to gambling behaviors, ensuring that necessary precautions were taken when integrating gamification elements into the platform.

Through extensive research and iterations, I discovered that we weren’t providing users—both donors and organizations—with the most relevant information. Additionally, some user flows were too complex, making it difficult for users to navigate the platform. By refining these flows, we significantly improved clarity and usability, which, in turn, increased trust—especially when introducing credit card information.

I also conducted extensive visual testing, including badges and iconography, as they play a crucial role in the user experience. The insights gathered helped us refine the design language, ensuring it fosters both trust and engagement while enhancing the gamification aspect of the platform. Since this is a work in progress, the visual elements and user flows continue to evolve, allowing us to fine-tune details and optimize the overall experience for users.