Light Up APP-Illuminate Lives, Illuminate Your Own

Three questions for the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
Designing Light Up was a unique UX challenge, focusing on creating an engaging yet transparent platform for young, socially-conscious donors. Balancing a user-friendly interface with sophisticated features like interactive maps and impact tracking was crucial. We aimed to simplify the donation process and vividly demonstrate the impact of contributions. Additionally, 'designing with caution' was vital in philanthropy; we minimized donor-beneficiary communication and excluded a map search function to respect privacy. This approach ensured a harmonious balance between building personal connections and protecting beneficiary privacy.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
A highlight in Light Up's development was during user research, where we realized the critical importance of authenticity and transparency for our donors. This insight led to our aha moment: incorporating an interactive map and gallery. These features vividly showcase the beneficiaries' worlds while maintaining their privacy, as we only indicate a general location and anonymize personal details. This focus on presenting their needs and projects was a game-changer, fortifying our app’s commitment to transparency and engagement, and resonating deeply with our socially-conscious users' values and expectations.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
In five years, we envision Light Up as a pioneer in design-driven social impact. Expanding beyond the app, we aim to establish a physical presence, enhancing our engagement with NPOs, notably NALAM, to improve their file management and donation tracking. We'll introduce a PC application tailored to NPO needs, facilitating efficient project updates and image uploads. Additionally, we're exploring a crafts marketplace within the app, enabling beneficiaries to sell their handmade items, further bridging the gap between donors and recipients. Our goal is to solidify Light Up as a beacon of innovative, transparent philanthropy, both digitally and in the real world.