The 505 Movement
The 505 Movement is a Minnesota-based nonprofit that supports parents navigating child custody disputes by providing educational resources, legal guidance, and connections to specialized family lawyers. The organization advocates for parents who may experience bias within the legal system, but its digital presence needed to better communicate its mission, attract donors, and filter applications from families seeking support.
The Team:
William Jerikovsky — Founder & Principal
Melissa Scheel — Project Manager & Operations
Diego Moreno — UX, UI, & Web Designer
Kristin Johnston — Content Writer
A.R.D. Rajan — UX Mentor (Advisor)
Defining Success
To align the team early, I created a product requirements checklist that documented project goals, required features, and success metrics. This exercise established a shared vision and helped guide design decisions throughout the project.
Organization Success Metrics
Increase Visibility
By improving search discoverability through SEO-focused content.
Increase donations
By creating a clear experience for businesses and organizations interested in supporting the nonprofit.
Improve applicant quality
By designing a simple application process that helps the review panel efficiently evaluate potential cases.
Competitor Analysis
We analyzed organizations providing similar legal and advocacy services to understand common navigation patterns, content structures, and user expectations. These findings helped establish design conventions that would make the website feel familiar and trustworthy to first-time visitors.
Content Strategy & SEO
Working alongside the content writer, we identified the keywords, language, and messaging most likely to resonate with parents searching for legal support while also addressing the priorities of potential donors and partner organizations. The content strategy balanced discoverability through search engines with clear, compassionate communication
User Journey Mapping
Previous research conducted by the organization identified three primary audiences:
Parents seeking legal support
Parents exploring available resources
Businesses and organizations interested in donating
Together, we mapped each audience's journey—from awareness to application or donation—to identify pain points, questions, and opportunities. These insights directly informed the site's navigation, content hierarchy, and calls to action.
Information Architecture
Research findings were translated into a simplified site architecture centered around two primary user paths:
Parents seeking support, with access to educational resources and an application process.
Organizations and donors, with information about the nonprofit's mission, impact, and opportunities to contribute.
Organizing the site around these two journeys reduced complexity while allowing each audience to quickly reach the information most relevant to them.
Visual Identity
The visual design was developed to communicate trust, professionalism, and empathy. Through collaborative workshops with the project team and user feedback sessions, we refined the color palette and visual language to create a brand identity that feels approachable while reinforcing the organization's credibility.
Outcomes & Reflections
The redesign established a stronger digital foundation for The 505 Movement by clarifying its mission, improving navigation, and creating distinct experiences for both families seeking support and organizations looking to contribute. The project reinforced the importance of aligning business goals, user needs, and content strategy before moving into visual design, resulting in a more focused and purposeful user experience.
