Library Foundation of Los Angeles Re/Obtain Strategy
A 90 second promotional video about the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and their program ALOUD created to bolster membership.
Brief
In IXD 370: Design for Community Change, we had a joint collaboration between the Santa Monica College Interaction Design program and the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. Of all the LFLA programs, the ALOUD speaker series is the foundation’s best platform to showcase its values. We were tasked with managing LFLA/ALOUD's Retention and Donors, with which we decided to tackle the issues regarding membership.Time Frame: Fall 2024 (13 weeks)
Skills:
- Service Design
- Product Design
- Marketing
Tools: Figma, Mural, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Laser Cutting
Skills:
- Service Design
- Product Design
- Marketing
Tools: Figma, Mural, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Laser Cutting
The Retention & Donors Team:
Birgess Weston - Team Lead
Toni Renoj - Project Manager
Angel Tolentino - Designer
Erick Olivares - Researcher
Birgess Weston - Team Lead
Toni Renoj - Project Manager
Angel Tolentino - Designer
Erick Olivares - Researcher
Contributions
As a group project with my team, we each contributed to the process at every step of the way. Particularly, I helped with conducting interviews with attendees and subject matter experts, creating mockups, netnography research, and designing pitch presentations.Research
Desktop ResearchResearch was done in a week, focusing on different methodologies to uncover insights on LFLA.
Our competitive analysis allowed us to see how other organizations advertise, manage, and incentivize their memberships.
Our netnography highlighted the issue that social media could be better utilized to spread awareness of LFLA and ALOUD.
Our secondary research illuminated to us different non-profit organizations and how their mission/values support their models of service.
Subject Matter Expert Interviews
Our SME Interviews were key in helping us figure our direction for the project.
Melissa Kahm
Chief Development Officer
Showcasing LFLA:“Make it easier to understand for people that don’t know about the library foundation, what the impact is…”
Sandra Kulli
Board Member
Identity & Storytelling: “There is a vital need for storytelling. Language matters.”
Rodrick Hall
Recent Member
Membership Comprehension: “I would appreciate a clearer summary of membership benefits and an overview of what the membership entails.”
Alex Nguyen
Director of Major & Planned Giving
Understanding Retention: “Major giving donors don't appear out of nowhere. …for the most part your major giving donors start off as your annual donors."
Insights
Overly Complex Membership
13 types of membership across 3 different categories is a lot. Additionally, we'd like to focus on new ways of engaging members outside current benefits.
13 types of membership across 3 different categories is a lot. Additionally, we'd like to focus on new ways of engaging members outside current benefits.
Opportunity for Storytelling
By promoting ALOUD through visual symbols and merchandise, attendees and members gain the opportunity to promote ALOUD and tell their own stories to those interested.
By promoting ALOUD through visual symbols and merchandise, attendees and members gain the opportunity to promote ALOUD and tell their own stories to those interested.
Highlighting the In-Person Giving Experience
Changes to how attendees become members can be made to be even more inviting for first-time guests and long-standing attendees.
Changes to how attendees become members can be made to be even more inviting for first-time guests and long-standing attendees.
Our Challenge
Is there a way to redefine member affiliation with LFLA that feels like they are still part of this mission-driven organization, clarifying what their support makes possible rather than what they get in return?
Results
Our solution is a 90 second promotional video that clarifies the work that the Library Foundation does, and how the support of membership, donations, and attendance helps continue it.
We envisioned it to be played at the beginning of ALOUD programming and possibly living on the website and social media. It allows LFLA to clarify the spirit of the membership, promote storytelling, and highlight donations during the in-person event which are all backed by our insights. 
Starts with Jessica who introduces the ALOUD program, which allows her to get into position in the auditorium to introduce the event.
Highlights key components of LFLA and the ALOUD program to distinguish itself from the public library and other non-profits.
Provides a quick call to action of how people may support the foundation through donations or attendance.
Further Considerations
Real World Stakeholder
This was our first project within the Interaction Design program that involved collaborating with an outside stakeholder doing work with tangible outcomes. We learned many lessons in working within their scope and values which meant a lot of communication. Designing in Ambiguity
Although we were given an area to work within, we did not receive a particular direction which meant a lot of design was within discovery. Our work was always driven by research and data that they also validated, but the original direction of the work involved merchandise which was not something that was desired. We had to pivot a lot of our original work into the video while still being informed by all of our prior insights.Communication & Project Management
This was the first time working with our members of the project. Originally, we faced issues regarding communication, so we had to come back to our guideliens and expectations to better collaborate with one another. Doing this early on in the project proved fruitful as it helped with obstacles later on in the project.