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
Recommended Citation
DeJoy, Sarah, "Creating a Unified Brand Identity for United Way Chapters in New York" (2024). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/11820
Campus
RIT – Main Campus