Based in Atlanta and founded by Fulbright Korea alumni in 2007, Korean Kids Orphanage Outreach Mission (KKOOM) reaches across international audiences to fund programs and scholarships for children in South Korea’s foster care system.

This 501(c)(3) nonprofit connects with supporters through social media and its website. By 2024, its outreach had grown, and its branding had been refreshed. However, its original website had aged, falling out of step with the new branding and lacking important features like translation.

In this pivotal moment, Leah and I undertook a beginning-to-end website redesign to provide a refreshed identity and fill gaps in usability. 

I first learned about KKOOM from former Executive Director, Grace Lee, during my orientation for the Fulbright program. As a Korean adoptee, I was drawn to the organization’s mission and impact.

When my close friend, fellow Korean adoptee, and Fulbright alum, Leah Garlock, suggested working together to design a new website for KKOOM, I jumped in. 

Interviews with stakeholders and users showed strong interest in making donations, finding blog posts, and learning how to get involved. Though giving was important, the original donation flow confused users and failed to build trust in the organization.

After auditing KKOOM’s website and comparing it to similar nonprofits, we streamlined donation options onto a single page and integrated calls-to-action with KKOOM’s impact and programs. These changes resulted in an intuitive and trustworthy donation flow, as shown in usability tests and Board feedback. 

KKOOM needs to communicate with English-speaking donors in the U.S. and Korean-speakers at children’s homes in South Korea. To extend accessibility to both audiences, we designed and tested KKOOM’s website to be usable across cultures and languages.

User testing showed us that labels like “FAQ” could be intuitive to one nationality but confusing for another. We bridged this gap by developing translations and choosing labels accessible to both U.S. and Korean users.

Drawing from hanok architecture, we incorporated strong parallel and perpendicular lines throughout the site to create a sense of rhythm, balance, and harmony. 

We also introduced geometric shapes inspired by the layered and overlapping patterns found in Korean temple architecture and hanok window frames.

We wanted the window motif to symbolize hope, possibility, and new beginnings, values that closely align with KKOOM’s mission. 

We used KKOOM’s two-tone color system, which draws inspiration from traditional Korean architectural and temple palettes. The combination of light and dark tones with warm and cool tones creates a sense of balance and cohesion across the site.

To protect the privacy of the youth we serve, we thoughtfully cover the faces of older children in photos. These overlays are inspired by sumaksae, the decorative end tiles found on traditional Korean roofs. 

These fun overlays not only protect the children whom KKOOM supports, but they also allow images to feel cohesive across the site.

We wanted the site to smoothly transition between screen sizes. User interviews suggested that desktop monitors, laptops, and mobile screens would be critical, so we created key mock-ups, components, and typescales for large and small devices.

We designed as many components as possible to flex between display sizes, but some components needed to be redesigned. In these cases, we maintained cohesion to allow users to seamlessly transition between devices. 

This project was profoundly meaningful. Working alongside a fellow Korean adoptee, leveraging our shared experiences and skills to further the cause of children in Korean foster care, was both personally and professionally fulfilling. 

Leah and I set out to improve the website’s navigation and streamline its donation process, while refreshing its interface to align with KKOOM’s new brand identity. Through community feedback, Board collaboration, and user testing, we have made it easier than ever for supporters to engage with KKOOM’s work. 

Looking forward, we’re excited to see how the community will engage with KKOOM’s new site and how updates will improve awareness, share stories, improve donation streams, and strengthen the organization’s outreach.

Want to learn more about this project? Check out this behind the scenes article, which I wrote with Leah Garlock.

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