Givelify is a multi-platform tool that gives primary users the ability to give money to non-profit organizations through their phone on a one-time or scheduled basis. Secondary users include volunteer staff, administration, and book keepers that manage a non-profit’s finances. Givelify gives the secondary users the ability to manage financial reports and collect from remote patrons.

The Goal

Givelify developed new reporting options to import non-profit donation information to QuickBooks Online and other reporting software. This saves the secondary users time and effort reconciling in-person donations with online donations. I worked with a team of designers to develop tool tips to inform users of the addition of these new features. The original copy was full of industry jargon that might be confusing to those who run the organizations seeking donations.

Introducing QuickBooks Online Tool Tip

I accessed personas and user flows to determine the language needed to communicate these changes. Currently, too much description and an inactive voice made the notifications difficult to read. Often the course of action wasn’t clear and industry jargon would challenge our chosen persona. I chose to simplify language, create an active voice, and mention activities that would appeal to our user - such as bookkeeping, accuracy, saving time, and reconciliation of donations.

First, you’ll see some choices that could be used by Givelify and notes I sent to explain changes. The process prior to this point included competitive analysis of similar tool-tips, a discussion with designers, a review of all user research materials, gorilla user surveys of everyone I came in contact with (Does this make sense? What do you think it does? How would you change it?), and multiple drafts using Torrey Podmajerski’s four-phase microcopy drafting technique.

Second, you’ll see the original copy and the chosen draft selection. More editing happened later, but this was the end of my involvement as I was placed on a new assignment working on the website’s dashboard.

Original Copy:

• The graphic needed to be removed

• Too much information at once

• Typos and jargon needed to be removed

Revised Copy:

• Clear and easy to understand

• Active voice - new copy starts with an action.

• Jargon and typos are removed

“Import Friendly Files” Tool Tip

Original Copy:

• Too much jargon

• Need a direct action

• Parenthetical Phrase is unnecessary

Revised Copy:

• Jargon is removed

• Action and purpose is clear

• Copy is more concise

“QuickBooks Online” Tool Tip

In Conclusion

Making the tool-tips more accessible to the user was the main focus of this project. I feel the removal of all jargon was instrumental in making the tool-tip functional for the chosen persona.