Designation - prototype for the planet
A low-tech, high-impact experience that transforms donations into visible restoration progress
TLDR
As part of Prototype for the Planet, a climate-centered design hackathon hosted in April 2025, we were challenged to create a realistic, sustainable, and scalable solution for a real-world nonprofit: Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN). The event brought together designers, researchers, and strategists to address environmental issues without the use of AI tools, focusing instead on meaningful human-centered design and low-impact digital solutions.
Our team tackled BRN’s urgent need for sustainable funding by crafting a a low-tech, high-impact donor experience that helps Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) generate recurring donations—by showing donors tangible ecological progress and letting them track the journey from contribution to climate impact.
📍Bentley University, Waltham, MA.
TIMELINE
Apr 12-13, 2025
Day 1 9am-5pm
Day 2 9am-1pm
MY ROLE
UX Designer
TEAM
Carolyn McQuillan
Yuhan Liu
Myself
TOOLS
Figma, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint
The Problem
Sponsor a plant or task, restore a landscape
We proposed a donor-facing experience where supporters could sponsor a native plant or erosion control task remotely. Through BRN’s existing Wix platform, donors would receive progress updates, gain trail cam access, and receive impact reports—all without requiring new digital infrastructure.
🪴 Sponsor a native plant and receive updates until it's transplanted
🛠️ Fund a restoration task and follow its completion
📷 Trail cam access, update dashboards, and shareable impact reports
USER JOURNEY
In our solution, the donor becomes part of the restoration story.
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Discover the program via BRN website or social media
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Sponsor a plant or restoration task
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Track progress via dashboard and notifications
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View impact via trail cams and reports
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Share ecological milestones with their network
Flow
Register, choose a program, complete donation, track progress and receive impact report
1/
Learning & Framing the Impact
These screens were designed to build context and inspire trust at first touchpoint.
KIOSK UI HIGHLIGHT 2
Multiple Payment Options
X-KIOSK was the first of its kind to support multiple payment methods all in one machine:
-
Cash
-
Credit/Debit card
This accommodates both cash-preferred and digital-first users, enhancing flexibility.
*Touch 'n Go is Malaysia’s leading e-wallet, offering fast, cashless payments that are widely accepted and trusted—making it ideal for seamless, contactless transactions at kiosks.
TIMELINE
Rapid alignment, fast iteration, and low-tech creativity.
DAY 1: Understanding the Problem & Shaping the Opportunity
The day started at 9:00 AM with a keynote outlining the environmental stakes of the project and introducing our partner organization, Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN). After forming teams and reviewing the problem statement, we jumped right into defining the opportunity.
With only one brief Q&A window to speak with a BRN representative—shared among all teams—we had to work fast and smart. Our team focused on creating a system that would help BRN secure recurring donor support for their Native Plant Program, while staying within their existing resources.
We spent the rest of Day 1:
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Reviewing BRN’s three websites and donation flows
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Mapping the user journey from awareness to long-term engagement
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Designing low- to mid-fidelity wireframes
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Building a clickable prototype with clear task flows and volunteer-powered updates
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Preparing our presentation narrative for judging
DAY 2: Final Touches & Presentation
Day 2 began with final polishing and submission by 9:15 AM. We focused on refining UI details, aligning copy to BRN’s tone, and preparing our pitch for clarity and impact.
We presented our concept—a donor experience that shows visible ecological progress using only existing tools—to a panel of judges. Our pitch highlighted not just design, but feasibility, sustainability, and emotional value.
CONSTRAINTS
This was a design hackathon. We were working under high pressure with limited time, resources, and access to research.
As participants in a fast-paced, 2-day hackathon, we had to make quick decisions with minimal guidance. Each team was given only a short, shared Q&A session with BRN’s representative. This meant relying heavily on secondary research, designing within the nonprofit’s existing tools, and prioritizing feasibility over polish.
MY ROLE
As a part of a small team of three, I took initiative in both the design and storytelling of our solution.
I led the design of the donor dashboard, which was a key feature for long-term engagement—showing personalized updates, trail cam access, and restoration progress. I also created our presentation slides and helped shape the visual narrative for our final pitch.
^ Sharing our design solution with the judging panel, BRN team and other hackathon teams during the final presentation.
The Solution
WHY IT WORKS
We designed a financially sustainable, volunteer-powered model.
Our model leverages BRN’s existing tools (Wix, Monday.com, Email) and their rich volunteer base. There are no new systems to build—only a new flow of donor engagement layered atop what already exists. It’s financially lean, ecologically meaningful, and operationally feasible.
IMPACT
A path toward long-term financial stability and ecological resilience.
🌱 For BRN: New recurring revenue stream, stronger volunteer engagement, scalable financial model
🌍 For the environment: Soil health, pollinator support, flowing streams, and climate resilience
💬 For donors: Tangible, transparent impact and a renewed connection to nature
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Scaling engagement, visibility, and retention.
🎖️ Tiered experience: From email updates to dashboard access
📊 Automated volunteer reporting → real-time donor updates
🧩 Gamification: badges, milestones, and social sharing
📱 Unified platform: potential microsite or mobile app
1/
User decides to donate and clicks on Donate Now on the hero section.
2/
User chooses a project category to donate to.
3A/
User may make a selection within the Native Plant Program.
3B/
Alternatively, user may donate to the Watershed Restoration Program.
4/
User enters personal information and payment details.
5/
User completes transaction and can create an account to track progress.
1/
Learning & Framing the Impact
These screens were designed to build context and inspire trust at first touchpoint.
KIOSK UI HIGHLIGHT 2
Multiple Payment Options
X-KIOSK was the first of its kind to support multiple payment methods all in one machine:
-
Cash
-
Credit/Debit card
This accommodates both cash-preferred and digital-first users, enhancing flexibility.
*Touch 'n Go is Malaysia’s leading e-wallet, offering fast, cashless payments that are widely accepted and trusted—making it ideal for seamless, contactless transactions at kiosks.
Program Overview Page
HIGHLIGHT 1
Step-by-step explanation
Uses icons and short text to show how the donation process works.
HIGHLIGHT 2
Visible outcomes
Lists the environmental benefits of donating, so users know exactly what they’re supporting.
HIGHLIGHT 3
Setting clear expectations
Shows donors the real-world benefits of their contribution—like supporting pollinators or restoring streams—so they know exactly what impact their donation will make. This helps build trust and confidence early in the journey.
1/
Learning & Framing the Impact
These screens were designed to build context and inspire trust at first touchpoint.
KIOSK UI HIGHLIGHT 2
Multiple Payment Options
X-KIOSK was the first of its kind to support multiple payment methods all in one machine:
-
Cash
-
Credit/Debit card
This accommodates both cash-preferred and digital-first users, enhancing flexibility.
*Touch 'n Go is Malaysia’s leading e-wallet, offering fast, cashless payments that are widely accepted and trusted—making it ideal for seamless, contactless transactions at kiosks.
CONTEXT
A small but mighty nonprofit needed big-picture support.
Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) is a conservation nonprofit working across the Arizona–Mexico borderlands to restore habitat, support pollinators, and reconnect communities with the land. Despite their ecological expertise and volunteer support, they faced financial pressure due to funding freezes and rising climate demands.
Our challenge: help BRN build financial sustainability without increasing operational load.
The Challenge
Turning plant sales into a restoration movement.
BRN’s Native Plant Program is one of their most powerful tools in the fight against ecosystem collapse. From a 34-acre site called Deep Dirt Farm, they propagate, collect, and sell restoration-quality seeds and plants native to the Sky Islands. These plants support pollinators, reclaim degraded land, and help reduce erosion across sensitive desert watersheds.
Despite its ecological value and dedicated volunteers, the program is underfunded. BRN is aiming to grow seed production, support local employment, and scale impact—but needs upfront, unrestricted funding to reinvest in infrastructure and outreach. Currently, the Native Plant Program earns steady revenue through seed and plant sales to individuals and small nonprofits, but relies heavily on grants and donations to operate.
BRN’s native plant program is critical to restoring habitats—but while they had the land and volunteers, they didn’t have the funding to scale. We focused on turning this challenge into a solution by transforming one-time donors into long-term sponsors. Our approach empowers donors to see the real-world impact of their contributions.
How might we help BRN increase financial sustainability, enhance community engagement, and improve digital outreach?
^ BRN's existing Native Plant Program website.
INSIGHT
Donors want to feel their impact—but don't want the burden of upkeep.
Our research uncovered two donor types: (1) older existing supporters who value BRN’s mission, and (2) younger, eco-conscious donors who feel guilty about high-emission lifestyles but aren’t ready for local volunteering or plant ownership. Both want visible, feel-good impact—but neither wants a complicated process.
REFLECTION
What did I learn from this experience?
This hackathon challenged me to move fast, think systemically, and design for impact with limited time and resources. Without access to AI tools or deep user research, I had to rely on fundamentals—active listening, rapid synthesis, and collaborative problem-solving.
Working on a real-world sustainability problem gave this project a different kind of urgency. The stakes were tangible, and the organization’s constraints were real. It pushed me to think not just as a designer, but as a strategist: how do we make something work with what already exists?
One of the most valuable takeaways was learning how to communicate impact clearly to donors—a skill I realized is just as important in nonprofit design as usability or visual polish. And as someone who thrives in cross-functional teams, I was especially energized by the quick alignment our team achieved under pressure.
