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EM 757 Web Proposal

Paper Bag Mask Foundation

Paper Bag Mask Foundation is an organization that offers supplemental help for a user's

mental health journey. The non-profit strives to empower young people through three pillars of

practice: movement, creativity, and meditation. By offering financially accessible classes and

workshops within these areas, the foundation hopes to give members new activities to add to their

personal mental health toolbox. Each event is organized with the intention of building a safe

community where everyone feels comfortable expressing how they feel. Ultimately, Paper Bag

Mask Foundation aims to provide members with diverse resources to help prioritize their mental

wellness.

Currently, Paper Bag Mask Foundation is noticing a difference in their target market and

the people attending events. Also, the founder expressed concern with the lengthy, convoluted

written messaging on the site presently. The expectations outlined in this proposal will fill the gaps

needed to connect directly with the target audiences and provide more people with access to

relevant resources.

Website Goals

The goal of the website is to excite the user to try a variety of activities that could help

them in their mental wellness journey while also providing them with the necessary mental

wellness tools. Secondary goals also include providing information to guardians and potential

collaborators like school administrators. Paper Bag Mask Foundation would distinguish itself from

other organizations by establishing a more positive tone throughout the website along with

providing sorted information that is tailored to the user. This will provide a way for them to
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identify and navigate what parts of the website are relevant to them. The objective is to create a tab

for parents, school administrators, and those interested in partnering up to host events with Paper

Bag Mask Foundation. By providing individualized tabs, it will help the three main demographics

see what opportunities apply to them. Overall, focusing on flow and tone of information, as well as

website design, will lead to a better user experience.

To further understand the user experience, it is helpful to analyze Paper Bag Mask’s

competitors and observe similar non-profit websites. Regular studio classes are the main

competitors for Paper Bag Mask when it comes to hosting activities. For example, if they are

hosting a yoga class, they would be competing with other yoga studios. This also applies to college

services. Nonetheless, there are non profits that have a similar purpose that compete with Paper

Bag Mask’s core values. Project Healthy Minds and The Mental Health Coalition are two

organizations that are aligned with the clients messaging.

Moreover, comparing the websites for these organizations, Paper Bag Mask Foundation’s

website lacks strong and concise messaging, consistent branding, and the addition of mental health

resources. For concise messaging, the website needs to be easier to read and the material needs to

be readdressed in order of importance to users. For consistent branding, the website tone needs to

be the same throughout, along with the font size, font type, and brand colors. This consistency will

keep the younger user from becoming frustrated when navigating the site. The other two

competitor websites also offered a resource library where users can browse a database to learn

about mental health. Since the client wants the user to find the website more credible while making

it “approachable,” we propose that the website also include more mental health research tools. This

will help the user see that there is research behind the activities, thereby instilling confidence in

their decision to join. Following the analysis of the website comparisons, the website will meet
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Paper Bag Mask Foundation’s goals of informing and exciting the user by focusing on these three

aspects and thereby attracting younger users simultaneously.

Target Audience

Paper Bag Mask Foundation's main target market is young people ages 14-25, however

their events attract a variety of people, with middle-aged women predominantly attending. As a

result, there seems to be a disconnect with the younger generation, thus preventing them from

selecting the call to action and participating in events.

As previously mentioned, Paper Bag Mask Foundation makes it a priority to be a mental

health resource. Typically, a younger demographic is at high risk of having mental health struggles

because of transitions in their lives. Besides targeting younger students to join through the website,

it is also important to cooperate with schools and universities to further reach the target market. For

those under the age of 18, Paper Bag Mask Foundation also needs to offer a parental section on the

website for resources on mental health wellness.

To address this better, the focus should be on user behavior in order to understand the

target audiences. Research shows the younger generation has higher expectations for websites and

since they tend to multitask their attention is limited (Moran, 2016). Essentially, the website needs

to be exciting from the start and be consistent in tone throughout to engage them. In conclusion,

the goal is to further attract a young demographic by focusing on improving the navigation

experience and meeting the proposed website goals.

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References

Moran, K. (2016, January 3). Millennials as Digital Natives: Myths and Realities. World Leaders

in Research-Based User Experience.https://www.nngroup.com/articles/millennials-digital-

natives/