How Design Leadership Drove 300+ Daily Visitors for Cima Arts
Cima Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local artists and promoting cultural engagement through creative initiatives. The organization sought to redesign its website to strengthen its online presence, attract more community members, and improve communication with sponsors and stakeholders. As the product designer and team lead, I collaborated with a web developer and a data analyst/SEO specialist to research, design, and test a new website experience that better reflected Cima Arts’ mission and made it easier for users to get involved. Our redesign focused on improving usability, increasing visibility, and creating a platform that inspired participation and support.
2024
Year
5 Weeks
Duration
Figma, Figjam, Wix
Stack
Problem
Cima Arts’ original website lacked a clear user journey and did not effectively communicate the organization’s mission, impact, or opportunities for engagement. Visitors struggled to find essential information such as donation options, upcoming events, and sponsorship details. Additionally, the site’s outdated design and poor SEO limited its reach and credibility, making it difficult for the nonprofit to grow its community and funding base. The challenge was to create an intuitive and visually engaging website that clearly conveyed Cima Arts’ purpose, increased engagement among artists and supporters, and established trust with potential corporate sponsors.
Solution
We began by conducting stakeholder interviews and user testing to understand the needs of three key audiences — artists, community members, and sponsors. From these insights, I designed a streamlined information architecture and a new visual system that highlighted impact stories, upcoming events, and ways to get involved. Our team implemented responsive layouts, improved SEO visibility, and added a dedicated impact report page to showcase transparency and growth. Through iterative usability testing, we refined navigation and messaging to ensure accessibility and engagement across all user groups. Following the launch, Cima Arts saw a significant increase in site traffic, reaching over 300 daily visitors, and strengthened partnerships with sponsors through clearer communication of value and outcomes. The redesign not only improved the user experience but also positioned Cima Arts for sustainable growth and community impact.
