{"id":687,"date":"2026-02-23T13:43:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T13:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/?page_id=687"},"modified":"2026-06-16T13:33:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:33:55","slug":"rbo-charity-membership-study","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/rbo-charity-membership-study\/","title":{"rendered":"RBO \u2014 Enhancing the Charitable Experience and Membership Flow for The Royal Ballet and Opera"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group pbs-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\">\n<section class=\"wp-block-tph-group article-hero\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-tph-group article-hero__media\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:var(--wp--preset--border-radius--md);border-top-right-radius:var(--wp--preset--border-radius--md);border-bottom-left-radius:var(--wp--preset--border-radius--md);border-bottom-right-radius:var(--wp--preset--border-radius--md);background-color:#c80f2e;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"880\" height=\"588\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Frame-22978.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Frame\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Frame-22978.jpg 880w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Frame-22978-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Frame-22978-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-tph-group article-hero__text\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading article-hero__title\">Enhancing the Charitable Experience and Membership Flow for <em>The Royal Ballet and Opera<\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"article-hero__excerpt\">Conducted a comprehensive usability evaluation that identified critical friction points in membership and donation flows, resulting in strategic recommendations that RBO successfully implemented.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-tph-group article-main\">\n<aside class=\"wp-block-tph-group article-sidebar pbs-article-styling\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading pbs-article-project-snapshot\">Project snapshot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Timeline<\/strong><\/td><td>March 2025<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Role<\/strong><\/td><td>Sole UX Researcher<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Tools<\/strong><\/td><td>Miro, Excel\/Sheets, Google Meet, Figma<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Scope<\/strong><\/td><td>Evaluation of Donation, Membership and About pages<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project was my <em>Evaluating Interactive Systems<\/em> coursework submission and has received 83\/100. It was very validating to see my recommendations taken on board an implemented by the RBO team.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-tph-group article-body pbs-article-styling\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Context &amp; Objectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Challenge:<\/strong> The RBO operates with a dual identity as both a business and a charity. The organisation needed to evaluate their website to ensure users could easily navigate, understand, and engage with their charitable activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Research Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improve the findability of key information regarding RBO.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Examine the usability and clarity of the &#8216;About&#8217; pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assess the discoverability and usability of the donation journey and pre-donation information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explore the usability of the membership flow and user recognition of the fee as a charitable donation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Participants: <\/strong>A total of six individuals (one pilot tester and five participants) who reflect the target audience of occasional visitors and performing arts supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Format: <\/strong>Moderated usability testing, utilising a mix of remote and in-person sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tasks:<\/strong> Participants completed 14 specific tasks designed to test information discovery, donation journeys, and the &#8220;Becoming a Friend&#8221; membership process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Findings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#1 Friction when Comparing Memberships \ud83e\uddd0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Users struggled to identify the correct membership plan due to a <strong>confusing layout and ambiguous naming conventions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Only two out of five participants successfully identified the correct plan<\/strong> for their needs. Additionally, users experienced a disruptive redirect to a vague sign-in page during the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#2 Pre-donation Content was Insufficient \u274c<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While the donation feature itself was highly discoverable, the pre-donation <strong>content lacked necessary details.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participants noted the content&#8217;s vagueness regarding fund allocation and <strong>had to rely on a comprehensive annual report PDF<\/strong> to find the impact metrics they needed to feel confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#3 Dual Identity as an Entertainment Venue &amp; Charity \ud83d\udc83<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The website struggled to clearly differentiate between RBO the business and RBO the charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two participants <strong>staunchly identified the RBO strictly as a business<\/strong> due to its reputation as a well-known venue, <strong>missing the charitable aspect entirely.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#4 Content Comprehension \ud83d\udcd6<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While large titles and imagery aided navigation, <strong>complex language<\/strong> hindered information extraction on the &#8220;About&#8221; pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cognitive load required to parse the <strong>complex language resulted in some task failures<\/strong> and an average <strong>Single Ease Question (SEQ) score of 3.6.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Analysis:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I transcribed the session audio using WhisperAI and annotated the text with key behavioural observations from the screen recordings. From this, I extracted positive insights and friction points using a custom coding framework\u2014which can be seen on page 1, in the following image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"435\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-44-1024x435.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-703\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-44-1024x435.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-44-300x127.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-44-768x326.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-44.jpg 1504w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I transferred the initial findings into Miro and used affinity diagramming to group related issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CleanShot-2026-02-23-at-3-.04.50-1024x511.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CleanShot-2026-02-23-at-3-.04.50-1024x511.png 1024w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CleanShot-2026-02-23-at-3-.04.50-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CleanShot-2026-02-23-at-3-.04.50-768x383.png 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CleanShot-2026-02-23-at-3-.04.50-1536x766.png 1536w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CleanShot-2026-02-23-at-3-.04.50-2048x1021.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I analysed the quantitative metrics, including task navigation paths and Single Ease Question (SEQ) scores, to measure overall usability performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I compiled the final usability problems into a rainbow spreadsheet. Each issue was ranked using a standard severity scale to help stakeholders prioritise future design iterations effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-45-1024x714.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-45-1024x714.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-45-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-45-768x535.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-45-1536x1070.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-45.jpg 1894w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>#1 <\/strong>Redesign the membership layout to feature a comparison table, making it easier for users to view ticket availability and key benefits at a glance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large alignwide\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"769\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-769x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-769x1024.png 769w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-768x1023.png 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-1153x1536.png 1153w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-1538x2048.png 1538w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-27-scaled.png 1922w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>#2:<\/strong> Replace the disruptive sign-in redirect with a clear choice page featuring both a registration form and a sign-in button to align with user expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-38-1024x620.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-38-1024x620.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-38-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-38-768x465.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-38-1536x931.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-38-2048x1241.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>#3<\/strong> Create a distinct brand identity, such as an &#8220;RBO Foundation&#8221; with a separate logo, to visually separate the business operations from the charitable mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-39-1024x620.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-699\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-39-1024x620.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-39-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-39-768x465.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-39-1536x931.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-39-2048x1241.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>#4<\/strong> Integrate a high-level summary of fund allocation and impact metrics directly onto the donation page to foster immediate donor trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-40-1024x620.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-40-1024x620.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-40-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-40-768x465.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-40-1536x931.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Frame-40-2048x1241.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Delivered critical, evidence-backed design solutions that were adopted and implemented by the client to improve their digital charitable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Using a combination of both study-level and task-level measures, like the SEQ, helped provide a holistic view of the user experience and what aspects of the site contributed to poor scores.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Annotating every small interaction in the transcripts allowed for scientific rigour but also took a lot of time and did not always lead to useful insights. In future, I will be more selective with what I log so the time can be used more effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Since the scope of this study was restricted to desktop devices, as an important next step I&#8217;d recommend testing the mobile experience. The complex navigation and large imagery will likely create different challenges on smaller screens.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get in touch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope you enjoyed this case study and revisiting this chapter with me. If you like what you see here and want to get in touch, I&#8217;d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-5459b461 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/contact\/\">Get in touch<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/#portfolio\">See all projects<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1112,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-portfolio.php","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"RBO \u2014 Enhancing the Charitable Experience and Membership Flow for The Royal Ballet and Opera - Peter Simon","description":""},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-687","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1349,"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/687\/revisions\/1349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterbsimon.com\/work\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}