Abstract

Consistent and effective web design plays a role in enhancing the online presence and supporting the mission of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), which utilize online spaces to provide information to their constituents and the general public. This study centers on the web presence of United Way, presenting an analysis of the official websites of chapters in New York State. Visual rhetoric was used as the conceptual framework orienting the analysis, considering websites typically include written and visual texts intended to appeal to various audiences. The Brand Standards & Guidelines provided by United Way Worldwide were utilized to identify various website characteristics. The analysis was informed by existing literature regarding web design principles, branding strategies, and the importance of web design consistency. A qualitative coding sheet was developed and utilized to record observations on all the websites, considering aspects such as use of logos and brandmarks, taglines, color, imagery, typography, layout, information hierarchy, and navigation. The findings suggest that many chapters in New York State do not closely follow the guidelines provided by United Way Worldwide, showing evidence of inconsistency in the layout and formatting of the websites. Considering that consistency in web design can help enhance public awareness of United Way branding, therefore supporting the NPOs growth and outreach, a set of practical recommendations for unifying the United Way chapters’ websites is presented. Sample designs were developed as part of this project to illustrate these recommendations.

Publication Date

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Department, Program, or Center

Communication, School of

College

College of Liberal Arts

Advisor

Claudia Bucciferro

Advisor/Committee Member

Eun Sook Kwon

Advisor/Committee Member

Tracy Worrell

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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