Problem:

KickStart, a non-profit organization which uses for-profit techniques to combat poverty, was having difficulty communicating to potential donors key concepts of their organization. People consistently asked a few specific questions repeatedly, indicating that a core part of KickStart's message was not getting across.

Solution:

When doing a website redesign, it became apparent that KickStart had some fundamental communication problems. Using cognitive science and linguistic methods, it was determined that the underlying framework for the organization's web site and print material were accurate, but they were not providing critical pieces of information to their audience. Careful analysis assisted in understanding which elements of their message were most important in conveying the organization's mission and articulating a message that was subtle but powerful. The result was a clear direction about what content should appear on the web site and how the organization's mission should be talked about in all public communication, including presentations, papers and speeches.

This project can also be seen in presentation format as a case study.