Waves of Change

Mood Board

I began by creating a mood board to establish the visual direction for the brand. The inspiration focused on:

• Coastal color palettes (blues, sandy neutrals, sea greens)

• Natural textures and organic shapes

• Clean typography paired with calming, ocean-inspired imagery

This helped guide visual consistency throughout the website and ensured the tone felt both approachable and mission-driven.

User Personas

To better understand the target audience, I developed two key personas:

1. The Volunteer Surfer

• Passionate about the ocean and beach culture

• Actively involved in the local surf community

• Motivated to volunteer and encourage others to join cleanups

• Values quick access to event information and sign-ups

2. The Marine Biologist Donor

• Deeply cares about ocean conservation

• Has limited free time due to a demanding career

• Wants to support the mission financially rather than volunteer

• Needs a simple, trustworthy, and efficient donation experience

These personas helped inform content hierarchy, calls-to-action, and overall user flow.

Wireframing

Before moving into Squarespace, I created wireframes to map out:

• Page layout and content structure

• Clear navigation paths

• Prominent volunteer and donation CTAs

Wireframing allowed me to focus on usability and flow before final visual design, ensuring the site was intuitive for both user types.