CSJ LEARNING CONNECTION
UX / UI Research + Design
CSJ LEARNING CONNECTION
UX / UI Research + Design
CSJ LEARNING CONNECTION
UX / UI Research + Design
CSJ Learning Connection (Brentwood, NY) is a nonprofit educational program affiliated with the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, NY. The program is dedicated to supporting non-native English speakers - only women - by teaching English and helping them confidently navigate daily life in the United States. Its mission centers on empowerment, accessibility, and community support through education.
CSJ Learning Connection (Brentwood, NY) is a nonprofit educational program affiliated with the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, NY. The program is dedicated to supporting non-native English speakers - only women - by teaching English and helping them confidently navigate daily life in the United States. Its mission centers on empowerment, accessibility, and community support through education.
Project Overview
For this project, I led the UX research and design process end-to-end before building the final website. I began with UX research, interviewing Program Directors to understand the organization’s goals and challenges. Then I prepared low-fidelity wireframes in Relume and conducted user testing over Zoom with teachers, students, and potential donors. Each testing session used tailored questions aligned with specific user journeys. Insights from these conversations directly shaped the site’s structure, content, and tone. I iterated continuously based on feedback, running multiple rounds of wireframe testing on Zoom in both English and Spanish (with students) to ensure clarity and ease of use for a non-technical and non–English-speaking audience. After validating the direction, I created a high-fidelity prototype in Lovable and then built the production site in Webflow. The logo was provided at the start of the project. Based on its colors, I developed the site’s color palette and proposed a typeface that balances friendliness and professionalism -values that reflect the mission and spirit of CSJ Learning Connection.
Project Overview
For this project, I led the UX research and design process end-to-end before building the final website. I began with UX research, interviewing Program Directors to understand the organization’s goals and challenges. Then I prepared low-fidelity wireframes in Relume and conducted user testing over Zoom with teachers, students, and potential donors. Each testing session used tailored questions aligned with specific user journeys. Insights from these conversations directly shaped the site’s structure, content, and tone. I iterated continuously based on feedback, running multiple rounds of wireframe testing on Zoom in both English and Spanish (with students) to ensure clarity and ease of use for a non-technical and non–English-speaking audience. After validating the direction, I created a high-fidelity prototype in Lovable and then built the production site in Webflow. The logo was provided at the start of the project. Based on its colors, I developed the site’s color palette and proposed a typeface that balances friendliness and professionalism -values that reflect the mission and spirit of CSJ Learning Connection.
Project Implementation & Features
19-page website with a clear, scalable information architecture, mega menu navigation pattern for easy access to content, simple, approachable design tailored for non-tech-savvy users, content design developed and tailored for specific user needs based on research, stakeholder interviews, and user testing, custom language switcher (implemented with custom code due to CMS plan pricing & budget limitations), fully responsive across desktop, tablet, and mobile, SEO-optimized with structured schema, descriptive image alt text, and all essential on-page best practices including SEO & AEO optimized copy, subtle animations and interactions to enhance usability without overwhelming users.
The final result is an accessible, intuitive website that supports the organization’s mission while meeting the needs of learners, educators, and donors alike.
Project Implementation & Features
19-page website with a clear, scalable information architecture, mega menu navigation pattern for easy access to content, simple, approachable design tailored for non-tech-savvy users, content design developed and tailored for specific user needs based on research, stakeholder interviews, and user testing, custom language switcher (implemented with custom code due to CMS plan pricing & budget limitations), fully responsive across desktop, tablet, and mobile, SEO-optimized with structured schema, descriptive image alt text, and all essential on-page best practices including SEO & AEO optimized copy, subtle animations and interactions to enhance usability without overwhelming users.
The final result is an accessible, intuitive website that supports the organization’s mission while meeting the needs of learners, educators, and donors alike.
Program Philosophy & Human-Centered Design
A key challenge of this project was communicating the uniqueness of CSJ Learning Connection, which goes far beyond a traditional school model. The program is non-graded and designed to let women learn at their own pace in a supportive, pressure-free environment. Learning is deeply connected to family life, with women encouraged to practice English by reading to their children using books from the program’s library.
Participants also receive essential resources such as clothing, children’s supplies, and books, along with access to “Support Box” meetings where they can share challenges, seek counseling, and feel supported in a safe space.
The website design needed to reflect this warmth and humanity while clearly serving both donors and women seeking practical information. Accessibility, clarity, bilingual access, and emotional resonance guided every design decision.
Program Philosophy & Human-Centered Design
A key challenge of this project was communicating the uniqueness of CSJ Learning Connection, which goes far beyond a traditional school model. The program is non-graded and designed to let women learn at their own pace in a supportive, pressure-free environment. Learning is deeply connected to family life, with women encouraged to practice English by reading to their children using books from the program’s library.
Participants also receive essential resources such as clothing, children’s supplies, and books, along with access to “Support Box” meetings where they can share challenges, seek counseling, and feel supported in a safe space.
The website design needed to reflect this warmth and humanity while clearly serving both donors and women seeking practical information. Accessibility, clarity, bilingual access, and emotional resonance guided every design decision.
Communicating Legacy, Scale & Impact
Another major challenge was presenting the depth and scale of the organization without overwhelming users. CSJ Learning Connection has been in existence for over 31 years, with a long - standing impact on thousands of women and families. Communicating this history - and the trust built over decades - was essential.
The website needed to reflect: The program’s legacy and long-term impact, the many people behind its success, including board members, teachers, and volunteers, the reality that this is a community-powered organization, run by a large and dedicated group of individuals, in partnership with the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Balancing this depth of information with a simple, approachable structure was challenging. The final design carefully surfaces the organization’s history, leadership, and impact in a way that builds credibility and trust with donors - while remaining clear, welcoming, and easy to navigate for the women the program serves.
Communicating Legacy, Scale & Impact
Another major challenge was presenting the depth and scale of the organization without overwhelming users. CSJ Learning Connection has been in existence for over 31 years, with a long - standing impact on thousands of women and families. Communicating this history - and the trust built over decades - was essential.
The website needed to reflect: The program’s legacy and long-term impact, the many people behind its success, including board members, teachers, and volunteers, the reality that this is a community-powered organization, run by a large and dedicated group of individuals, in partnership with the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Balancing this depth of information with a simple, approachable structure was challenging. The final design carefully surfaces the organization’s history, leadership, and impact in a way that builds credibility and trust with donors - while remaining clear, welcoming, and easy to navigate for the women the program serves.
Additional Work
Beyond the website, I evaluated multiple fundraising platforms to identify the best fit for CSJ Learning Connection, ultimately transitioning from Donorbox to Raisely. Raisely was chosen for its flexibility, strong donor experience, and ability to visually align with the website through fully branded donation forms.
I designed and built a custom fundraising campaign, integrated it directly into the site, configured receipts and donor communications, and customized the platform to meet the organization’s needs. I also trained the team on Raisely’s features so they could confidently manage campaigns and donor engagement going forward.
Additional Work
Beyond the website, I evaluated multiple fundraising platforms to identify the best fit for CSJ Learning Connection, ultimately transitioning from Donorbox to Raisely. Raisely was chosen for its flexibility, strong donor experience, and ability to visually align with the website through fully branded donation forms.
I designed and built a custom fundraising campaign, integrated it directly into the site, configured receipts and donor communications, and customized the platform to meet the organization’s needs. I also trained the team on Raisely’s features so they could confidently manage campaigns and donor engagement going forward.
get in touch
Open to full-time roles as well as contract-based opportunities.
Contact Me
get in touch
Open to full-time roles as well as contract-based opportunities.
Contact Me
get in touch
Open to full-time roles as well as contract-based opportunities.