( TRANSPLANT HOUSE OF SEATTLE )

FROM OUTDATED TOOLS TO DONOR-READY SYSTEMS

Transplant House is a Seattle-based nonprofit that provides vital housing for transplant and immunocompromised guests that are traveling to Seattle for life-saving treatment. As their programs expanded and community impact grew, their digital presence needed to reflect the same level of care, clarity, and credibility that define their mission. Portland-based designer Renee Garcia brought me in to lead the web & systems part of the project, and together we created a dynamic team that blended strong visual identity with a donor-ready digital foundation.

The challenge & the before

Transplant House had all the right ingredients — a powerful mission, decades of Community trust, and a small but mighty staff but their digital tools and dated designs were slowing them down. They needed more than a new website and logo. They needed systems that work for them, not against them.

The existing website no longer supported the organization’s day-to-day needs. Staff struggled to make updates, and critical guest information was missing creating friction for families trying to confidently book housing during already stressful circumstances.

Core systems had evolved without coordination. Donation pathways relied on multiple steps and third-party redirects, leading to disrupted processing and delayed deposits. Newsletter and communications tools overlapped, creating inefficiencies and unnecessary administrative burden and cost.

Digital communications lacked consistency and ownership. Social channels were largely inactive, original content was minimal, and outreach efforts were reactive rather than strategic — limiting engagement with donors, partners, and the broader community.

( HOW WE APPROACHED )

We began by listening. The Transplant House team had decades of heart and impact behind them but an outdated website, scattered tools, and brand inconsistencies made it hard to tell their story clearly. Through early onboarding calls, audits, and mood boards, we uncovered what they really needed: a unified system that reflected their compassion online and off and made daily tasks easier behind the scenes.

From there, we rebuilt the foundation. With Renee leading the purpose-driven branding identity, I designed and developed a custom Squarespace site that tied brand and function together — accessible, donor-ready, and easy for staff to manage. We built bilingual landing pages, optimized SEO and accessibility, and customized their booking platform to fit the flow of guest applications. Every layer connected seamlessly, from donation processing to analytics. The new brand system translated beautifully across web, print, and social, grounded in the warmth and texture of the Pacific Northwest.

Once the new foundation was live, we focused on momentum, building an ongoing communications system with monthly newsletters and social content managing strategy, copy, design, and implementation. We also launched the Adopt-A-Night #GivingTuesday campaign for the 2025 holiday giving season, managing strategy, copy, and design rollout. All along the way, staff training and process documentation played an integral role in setting the internal TH team up for success. What emerged was a sustainable rhythm of storytelling and systems and a digital ecosystem designed to grow alongside their mission.

( CLIENT FEEDBACK )

“Oh my goodness, this is absolutely perfect! Renee and Lauren, you have completely understood our vision and brought it to life BEAUTIFULLY! Renee, thank you for creating beautiful patterns and icons, such a wonderful touch! Lauren, the testimonial collage brought tears to my eyes. Everything has been so thoughtfully curated and displayed, I am so proud of all of the work you have done to help revamp our brand, THANK YOU!!”

— HANNAH JONES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR