Consumer Insights Research Project (Pro Bono)

Shaping Community Connections: Designing a User-Centered Membership Strategy

Product: Membership Experience (Strategy & CRM Platform)

Nonprofit Client: Chicago Blues Revival (CBR)

My Role: Consumer Insights Researcher (Pro Bono)

Chicago Blues Revival (CBR) is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving blues music and its African American cultural heritage. I led design research to inform the design of a membership program that balances user needs with organizational goals. The project focused on two key areas:

Designing the membership structure, including tiering, pricing, and benefits, to ensure it resonates with supporters and sustains engagement; and
Evaluating the usability of the Neon CRM platform, which CBR uses to manage member onboarding and communication.

Project Overview

Current Donors and Event Attendees:
Individuals who had previously donated to CBR and occasionally participated in events. They were surveyed and interviewed to understand their expectations for membership benefits and pricing. A few were observed using the Neon CRM platform to assess the onboarding experience.

Nonprofit Membership Experts:
Experienced strategists from the nonprofit sector who shared insights on sustainable and user-centered membership models.

Competitor Program Members:
Members of other cultural or arts-based organizations. Their feedback helped benchmark user expectations and identify gaps in the current landscape.

Participant Profile

Design Opportunities

Tailor Membersip Strategy to Audience Needs

Identify the core demographic of CBR's supporters and understand what they truly value in a membership - whether that's transparent pricing, exclusive events, or opportunities to engage with the blues community.

Differentiate with Competitive Offerings

Analyze competitor programs to understand what drives user conversion and loyalty. Use these insights to shape tiering, benefits, and messaging strategies that resonate more deeply with CBR’s audience.

Improve CRM Usability for Older Adults

Simplify the Neon CRM onboarding expeirence to match the tech comfort level of older users. Focus on reducing friction and offering more intuitive navigation, potentially supported by inperson assistance or onboarding materials.

Research Approach

Market Research

User Surveys:

700+ responses to understand audience demographics and preferences

Concept Testing:

evaluated reactions to early-stage membership strategy concepts

Market Research Interviews:

expert perspetives on nonprofit membership models

Competitor Analysis

Competitor Interviews:

identified effective features and retention strategies

Content Review:

analyzed publicaly available materials from competing organizations

In-Situ Usability Observation

Ethnographic Observations:

Observed older adult donors in their home environments as they navigated the Neon CRM onboarding process. This revealed real-world usability issues, including confusion with account setup and navigation.

Analysis & Synthesis

Descriptive Statistics for survey results

Thematic Analysis of interviews and open-text responses

Affinity Diagramming in FigJam to synthesize qualitative insights into design opportunities

Insights

Core audience: Black and White adults aged 50–85 with limited tech fluency.

Members want transparent pricing, in-person events, and clear value—not merch.

Neon CRM’s interface isn’t intuitive for older users; in-person onboarding is critical.

Impact

Define pricing, tiering, and benefits based on user needs
Evaluate and enhance onboarding experience with Neon CRM
Build a membership that fosters community, not just transactions