Dogs for Good

Removing Barriers. Inspiring Action.

Dogs for Good wasn’t simply replacing an ageing charity website. The organisation itself was changing. A new brand, a refreshed strategy and a clearer Theory of Change had all helped redefine how they talked about their work and the impact they wanted to have. At the same time, investment in Microsoft Dynamics was opening up new opportunities to improve data, connect systems and streamline the way teams worked.

The website needed to reflect those changes. More importantly, it needed to support them.

Understanding the challenge

Like many charity websites, Dogs for Good’s had grown over time. New sections had been added, services had expanded and priorities had shifted. Individually those changes made sense. Together, they made the website harder to navigate.

That became clear during a series of discovery workshops with stakeholders from across the organisation. We looked at the journeys that mattered most – donating, sponsoring a puppy, volunteering, fundraising and accessing support – to understand where the website was helping people and where it was creating unnecessary obstacles.

One theme came up repeatedly. The website had gradually become organised around the charity rather than the people using it. If you already understood how Dogs for Good worked internally, finding your way around wasn’t especially difficult. If you didn’t, knowing where to click next wasn’t always obvious.

Accessibility was another consistent thread. Many visitors arrive looking for practical help or support, so making information easier to find wasn’t simply about meeting accessibility standards. It was about reducing barriers for people who might already be dealing with challenging circumstances.

By the end of discovery, we had a much clearer picture of what the website needed to do and, just as importantly, what was getting in the way.

Designing around people

Those early conversations shaped everything that followed.

Rather than building the website around departments or services, we reorganised it around the tasks visitors were trying to complete. Someone looking for support doesn’t think in the same way as someone making a donation or signing up to volunteer, so each journey needed to feel straightforward and intuitive from the outset.

Wireframes gave us the chance to test those journeys before visual design began. Content could be moved, navigation refined and ideas challenged while everything was still easy to change.

The design itself reflected the charity’s refreshed identity. The previous website no longer matched the warmth and optimism of the organisation, so the new approach made better use of photography, simplified page layouts and created a clearer visual hierarchy, making important information easier to find without overwhelming visitors.

Beyond launch

The website launch wasn’t the end of the project. While the website itself was built by Wattle using a Microsoft-based CMS, we worked closely alongside their team throughout the project. As a specialist WordPress and Drupal agency for charities, we’re just as happy collaborating with other  experts as we are delivering projects end to end. For Dogs for Good, that meant combining our discovery, UX and design expertise with Wattle’s technical implementation to achieve the best outcome for the charity. 

“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with you and everyone involved throughout this project. It’s been such a collaborative, positive experience from start to finish, which is exactly why we’re so keen to continue working together.” 

Laura Vaughan – Campaigns and Digital Marketing Manager

We continue to work with Dogs for Good through quarterly reporting and an ongoing retainer, reviewing how the website is performing, discussing new priorities and helping the charity decide where to focus its efforts next.

For us, that’s an important part of the story. A successful website shouldn’t stand still after launch. It should continue to develop alongside the organisation it supports.

Every charity website project is different. Whether you’re planning a new charity website, refreshing an existing one or looking for specialist support on part of a larger project, we’d love to help.

www.dogsforgood.org