Continuous optimization by continuous consensus building at MSF USA DWB: DrupalCon Portland 2022
Channel: Drupal Association
Date: 05/05/2022

Speakers: Taylor Darnall and Katie Jamison 

Successful nonprofits aren't built in a vacuum. And neither are their websites. For large organizations with deep journalistic roots like MSF USA (Doctors Without Borders), the website is a communication tool owned by many. Consensus and collaborative problem solving among stakeholders, therefore, is a necessity. It's important to know what decisions to prioritize at different points — while balancing larger organizational goals with what's best for the end user.

Nonprofits must also embrace shifting paradigms in web development. In place of costly and cyclical website redesigns driven by opinions and gut feelings, nonprofits can invest in generating more value and performance out of their existing platforms — in a word, optimization. This new model focuses on data-backed changes that optimize towards growth.

Of course, this approach doesn't come without its challenges: Continuously optimizing a website equally requires continuous consensus building, discovery, and measurement. In this session, we will share our framework for optimizing MSF USA’s Drupal website, informed by data, user research, and stakeholder feedback. Ultimately the outcome will be an ongoing process to align the website with a long-term, audience-first strategy and drive outcomes to further the MSF mission.