World Wildlife Fund

Turning strategies into action

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is leading the most important and ambitious conservation effort the world has seen—its Web site needs to give voice to and help drive funding for that mission. When WWF called us to redesign their Web site, they had three clear objectives:

1. Increase relevance to a broader audience
2. Shift from information provider to engagement medium
3. Grow revenues

With more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is the world’s largest independent conservation organization. WWF supports over 15,000 environmental projects in more than 90 countries. The site launched in April 2008. We hope to see it make all the difference in the world.

Increasing relevance

The redesign of the site was borne out of research that demanded a significant shift in perception of the organization. With its iconic panda logo, WWF is associated with the protection of often cuddly (usually furry) animals. But its mission far exceeds that narrow spectrum. The site design demonstrates what WWF calls the “delicate and complex set of relationships between species, people, habitats, governments and global market forces.” Yes, think pandas, but also think oceans, villages, government policy, sustainable forestry, overfishing and climate change. And also think science—the foundation of WWF’s work is grounded in scientific discovery and observation. Program work is benchmarked and results are measured. This is critical to the engagement of new supporters, specifically major donors, men (currently the biggest market segment is women 60+) and the scientific community.

More power of engagement

The new site is rich with interactive learning features. Climate change projects are plotted on a navigable global map. Nature and wildlife protection are enriched through species portals, complete with stunning photo galleries, endangerment tagging and video sidebars. Corporate responsibility is highlighted on relevant project pages. And because research shows that most people are “geographically challenged,” we used the turning globe on the home page to let users know where in the world they are. It’s education and advocacy made easy through an intuitive, imaginative and inspiring interface.

Help made easy

Not to be missed, a bright orange “DONATE” button appears on every page. As recent political campaigns have proven, small contributions add up fast and make a big difference. So we looked to these fundraising sites for inspiration for WWF’s donation page. The checkout process was simplified, and users were presented with opportunities to increase their gift size in exchange for better premiums. Aside from monetary donations, visitors are provided “more ways to give,” including monthly memberships and animal adoptions.