There was one website design that really stood out to me called Build-a-Birthday, designed by Brand Content, project design and development/ad agency in Boston. The client is a nonprofit organization called Birthday Wishes that throws birthday parties for homeless children. The purpose of the website is to provide a way for anyone to donate any amount of money they can and be able to see exactly what even $2 or $3 can buy for a party (balloon, juice box, etc.) and know that every dollar counts.
Even though there is a two-page spread in CA (p. 92-93), rather than scan the tiny images, I took several screenshots of the actual website (which was tricky because of the animation!). I think it's a brilliant interactive design, and I love the purpose of the website.
When you click on the Build-a-Birthday link from the home page of the Birthday Wishes site, the beginning frame shows the little girl in front of her birthday cake (it's video with just a little movement), and the words appear. I just took screen shots of what I thought were the most important ones. There's pleasant music playing, happy in tone but not "cheezy" or childish. Then you're taken to the bright blue page where you actually click on items to build a birthday party! Whatever you click on goes in the cart, and when you are finished selecting what you will donate toward, you check out and pay through Paypal or a credit card. Scroll through the image and you can see how it works.
Better yet, visit the website and check it out!
The site is really easy to navigate, the colors are bright and cheerful, and the little girl is adorable, but not "model" perfect. She just represents one of millions of homeless kids out there, many of whom have not experienced a normal birthday party. I love how the shapes that need to be "filled" look chalk-drawn, but then when you click on one to donate, it turns into the photograph of that item. It's like there's a story being told. It comes to life through the process. The simple mission of providing homeless kids with a party for their birthday. As stated in the article, "A $20 donation becomes a lot more powerful when it represents a birthday cake for a child who has never had one." (p. 93) Once the party is totally funded, there is a final piece (which I didn't see) where the little girl thanks you and makes a wish, then you are encouraged to get others to do the same.
Please visit the site and see for yourself (link is above). I think the designers really hit their mark with this one—their primary goal was to create "a simple, fast user experience that was fun [and rewarding] to use and easy to share." They wanted it to be interactive and also provide users with a positive tone and a basic overview of the charity's mission; the videos, animations, and effects achieve all of these these goals. It's really simple yet remarkably effective!
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