Designing a Nonprofit Website for Advocacy, Education, and Trust
The Red Road is a nonprofit focused on Native American advocacy and education. I led content development, information architecture, visual design, and the storytelling that holds the site together — with clarity and respect as the brief.
- Live website
- theredroad.org
- Type
- Content Strategy • Website Design
- Role
- Designer & content lead
- Scope
- Information architecture, content strategy, visual design, iconography
- Status
- Established nonprofit
- Year
- 2017
The live website has evolved since my involvement, but it remains representative of the information architecture, content strategy, and website design completed during the project.
Holding heavy subject matter without overwhelming the visitor.
The Red Road needed a website that could hold advocacy, education, resources, storytelling, and donation pathways without overwhelming visitors. The work required more than visual design — it required organizing sensitive subject matter with clarity, respect, and restraint.
Clear pathways into a complex mission.
I helped structure the site around clear content pathways so visitors could quickly understand the organization's mission, explore key issues, learn about programs, and take meaningful action.
Urgency and warmth, balanced — at every screen size.
The visual direction balanced urgency and warmth. Strong typography, bold calls to action, and immersive imagery created a site that felt active and mission-driven without becoming visually chaotic. The responsive experience preserved that emotional impact while adapting navigation, imagery, and calls to action for smaller screens.
A flexible visual language for mission, programs, and advocacy.
The icon system created a flexible visual language for mission areas, programs, and advocacy topics. The goal was to make complex subject areas easier to scan while keeping the brand distinctive and consistent.
The final site gave The Red Road a clearer digital presence, stronger storytelling structure, and a more organized foundation for advocacy, education, resources, and action.