Clarifying a community organization’s mission and public engagement
I worked with the Siinqee Institute to redesign their website so visitors could understand the organization’s purpose, values, and programs without prior familiarity with Oromo cultural knowledge.
The goal was not simply visual redesign, but helping new audiences quickly grasp what the organization does and why it matters.
The Challenge
The organization’s work is rooted in cultural knowledge and community practice.
New visitors often encountered detailed information before understanding the broader context, making it difficult to follow the narrative or identify how to engage.
The website needed to support three audiences simultaneously:
community members already familiar with the work
new visitors encountering it for the first time
potential partners and supporters
Structuring understanding before detail
I reorganized the homepage so visitors first encounter purpose, then values, then programs.
The opening section communicates the organization’s mission and principles before presenting specific initiatives, helping visitors orient themselves before reading deeper content.
Making cultural concepts accessible
Some sections required contextual explanation rather than expansion.
Instead of assuming background knowledge, pages introduce cultural concepts through narrative framing so readers can understand their meaning and relevance.
Guiding engagement pathways
Visitors needed clear next steps after learning about the organization.
Calls to action and section structure help users move from learning → interest → participation.
Outcome
The website now functions as an introduction rather than a repository.
Visitors can:
understand the organization’s purpose quickly
navigate topics without prior knowledge
identify how to engage or support