The Challenge

Most nonprofit dashboards are built for one kind of donor. This one had to work for two — simultaneously. Building Education's development officer needed a tool that could sit in front of any donor and connect with them, regardless of whether they respond to data or to stories.

The design challenge was real: how do you serve an analytically-minded donor who wants to see construction timelines, funding progress, and student reach figures — and an emotionally-driven donor who needs to see a child's face and understand why this school matters — in the same interface, without compromising either experience?

The answer was layered architecture. The map itself carries the data layer: seven project sites across Nepal, each with construction status, classroom counts, and funding metrics accessible on click. But the pop-up panels were designed as storytelling units — photography, narrative context, human-impact content integrated alongside the numbers. Both audiences click on the same school pin. Both get what moves them.

The dashboard is also designed as a living spatial dataset — new sites can be added as the organization expands. It's the centerpiece of an upcoming website overhaul and will launch publicly when that redesign goes live.

"Before I started designing, I asked: what decision is each person trying to make? Two audiences. Two sets of triggers. One dashboard that serves both."

Process

  1. 1
    Research Interviewed stakeholders; identified two distinct donor audiences and their decision-making triggers; mapped what each audience needs to see.
  2. 2
    Data Prep Structured 7 project sites with construction status, funding amounts, classroom counts, student reach, and project timelines.
  3. 3
    GIS Work Built dual-audience layout in ArcGIS Experience Builder; designed pop-up panels with data + narrative + photography; tested for both audience types.
  4. 4
    Output Complete dashboard prototype; approved by staff; launching with website redesign.
Principle 02
The map is for a person making a decision

Every design decision — layout, pop-up content, data shown — should trace back to a specific person and a specific decision they need to make. If you can't name who the map is for, you can't design it well.