ELEM has supported at-risk youth in Israel since 1983 — 2,000 volunteer mentors, 21,000 young people, 80+ cities. But their digital presence was cluttered, slow, and didn't reflect the urgency or humanity of that work. Donors dropped off. Volunteers couldn't find how to join. Youth in crisis couldn't navigate to help.
The homepage opened with a navigation bar and dense institutional copy. The human story — the teen on the street, the volunteer who showed up — was buried below layers of bureaucratic text.
Users had to navigate, find the link, land on a separate page, and complete a multi-step form. Most dropped off. The volunteer application was even more complex with no clear payoff.
A split hero — photo on the left, action on the right — grounds the user in the reality of the work immediately. Two bold CTAs, above the fold, always visible. Donate in 2 steps.
Before touching a single pixel, I mapped who actually uses ELEM's site — a youth in crisis reaching out anonymously, and an adult ready to donate or volunteer. Their needs pull in opposite directions.
Lack of trust in institutions. Sensitivity to tone and design. Primarily mobile users. Some lack family support — they come alone and need to feel safe immediately.
Search for immediate support. Start a chat or send a form. Find a nearby support centre. Read empowering content. Everything needed to be reachable in under 2 taps.
Fast, clear, safe access to help — and positioning ELEM as a credible, professional, and impactful organisation. Those two goals can never be separated.
Every choice is intentional. Dark navy anchors trust and authority. Orange signals action — and only donation uses it. Hebrew Heebo Black for impact. White space to breathe.
Orange is reserved exclusively for donation CTAs — never reused — so users instantly recognise the action that funds the mission.
Left: full-bleed photo of youth with a mentor. Right: dark navy with headline "רגע אחד משנה הכל" and two clear CTAs. Grounds the user in the mission before asking anything.
Reduced from a 4-step external form to a single on-page flow: choose amount (with real context — what each amount funds) → checkout. Friction removed at every turn.
At-risk youth need to reach out without fear. The site leads with anonymous contact — no form, no login, just a phone number and chat. Trust before data collection.
Every grid, button, and animation was designed direction: rtl from the start — not retrofitted. Hebrew typography at display size with correct optical spacing and weights.
A short interest form (name, availability, area) routes volunteers to the right programme coordinator within 24 hours — replacing a 20-question PDF application nobody completed.
2,000 mentors. 21,000 youth. 80+ cities. These numbers appear high on the homepage — not buried in an "About" page. They answer the donor's first question: does this actually work?
Each page serves one primary goal. The hierarchy is strict — no page tries to do everything.
The redesign wasn't about aesthetics — it was about clearing the path between a person in crisis and the help that exists for them.
The new donation page is a single screen. Amount selection shows what each amount actually does — ₪50 provides supplies for one teen per month. Emotional clarity drives action.
At-risk youth can reach out anonymously through WhatsApp or phone — no form, no account. The redesign leads with contact, not paperwork. Information hierarchy inverted.
From a 20-question PDF that lived on a confusing page, to a three-field interest form that routes users to the right coordinator within 24 hours. Drop-off eliminated.
The full prototype covers the homepage, donation flow, activities pages, and volunteer sign-up — all in Hebrew RTL with responsive layouts built for mobile-first.
View Figma Prototype