The Youth Fishing League
The Youth Fishing League (YFL) is a family-oriented nonprofit organization based in Maryland, dedicated to strengthening communities through outdoor education, environmental stewardship, and meaningful family engagement—all centered around the shared experience of fishing. Through hands-on events and accessible programming, YFL helps children and families build lasting memories while developing life skills, fostering a love for nature, and creating deeper connections within their local communities.
Designing for Connection: A Digital Experience for the Youth Fishing League
After the success of their pilot event, YFL saw the need for a digital presence that reflected the energy and heart of the program. My team and I were tasked with creating a user-centered website and responsive web app that would streamline registration, simplify on-site check-in, and engage families throughout their journey with the league.
My Role
As part of a team of four UX designers over a three-week sprint, I served as the main speaker in client meetings, created our final presentation in Google Slides, and designed key pages in Figma, including the Event and Donate pages. I also contributed to defining the information architecture, creating user flows, and testing prototypes.
Understanding the Users
Our target audience included:
-
Families in the DMV area
-
Children ages 3–16
-
Parents and guardians seeking meaningful family activities
-
First-time anglers and seasoned fishing families
To better understand their needs, we conducted interviews with parents, experienced anglers, and community event organizers. From these conversations, key insights emerged:
-
Parents need timely reminders and clear directions
-
Event info must be accessible and easy to navigate
Families appreciate activities that feel both fun and purposeful
Designing with Purpose: Turning Feedback into Function
Our research showed families loved YFL’s mission—but the digital experience needed clarity, simplicity, and more engagement. Here's how we responded:
-
Confusing navigation → Rebuilt sitemap, added interactive event map & real-time notifications
-
Overwhelming registration → Streamlined sign-up with QR code check-in for easier access
-
Low engagement → Introduced gamified badges inspired by Boy Scout-style achievements
Additional Features:
-
Participant dashboards
-
Volunteer registration with follow-ups
-
Clear donation call-to-action with confirmation
These updates brought YFL’s community spirit and outdoor fun into a user-friendly digital space—designed to inform, inspire, and connect families at every step.
Meet Gloria: Our Primary Persona
We chose Gloria Trout as our user persona because she represents our core audience: busy parents seeking meaningful, well-organized family experiences. Her needs and pain points helped guide our design decisions, ensuring the final product was both practical and emotionally resonant for real users.
Casting Out Concepts
From Clutter to Clarity: Reworking the YFL Sitemap
Early in the project, we discovered that YFL’s original sitemap was cluttered and confusing, making it hard for families to find key information or register for events.
User feedback made it clear: families needed a simpler, more intuitive path.
Design Process Highlights
-
Information Architecture: We restructured a cluttered, repetitive site map to create a more intuitive and focused navigation system.
-
Wireframes to Hi-Fis: We began with rapid sketching and wireframes, which evolved into high-fidelity mockups in Figma, guided by a consistent design system and brand guidelines.
-
Usability Testing: Iterative testing helped us refine our features and flows. Key updates included:
-
Adding a note to the registration confirmation page with follow-up details
-
Redesigning badges with text for clearer achievement communication
-
Creating dedicated thank-you and donation confirmation pages
What I Learned
-
Designing for both user needs and client goals requires balance and clarity
-
Building trust with clients means communicating consistently and listening deeply
-
Keeping updates clear and actionable helps keep projects on track
-
Asking for help isn’t a weakness—it strengthens collaboration
-
Real-world user interviews provided invaluable insight and empathy for our design
Impact
Our final designs were well received by the client and have since been implemented. YFL now has a digital experience that reflects the joy and purpose of their mission, one that empowers families to connect, learn, and make lasting memories together.