We spent the morning listening to them speak of those they serve. The passion and conviction of the staff was apparent; they know they change lives. Their story was compelling and their mission clear and targeted. It was easy to be moved and excited about next steps. And then…

They asked us to review a draft comp of a site redesign, asking for our opinion on the direction they were heading. The staff had spent hours getting the navigation right so that it addressed their diverse audiences. They had labored over usability, hoping to go in a different direction from their old site.

As the new site projected on the wall, I felt like someone had put a slow leak in my balloon. All the “feel good” of the morning was missing. There was no compelling imagery, no story. Their mission was not instantly clear – all their good work lost in paragraphs of text. Most importantly, their most compelling action item on the site was buried below the scroll.

It was the perfect example of hours, days and weeks of hard work by a committed group that got lost in words like audience and usability. For the 161st time in my career, it made me appreciate how complex and hard it is to create a GREAT website. Some sites err on the side of too pretty. Some are designed to match the organizational chart. Sometimes, well-intentioned nonprofit staff are bullied or overwhelmed by techies or designers who are trying to create the next great thing rather than tell the organization’s story.

In fact, it all comes down to your story – in 3 seconds or less. Are you struggling with these same issues? At NPA, we’d love to help you figure it out.