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Charles Darwin Foundation

Donations

Smart redesign of the donation system for the Charles Darwin Foundation

Behavioral

My Rol: Lead Behavioral Poduct Designer

KPI Improved with Behavioral Design

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Situation

The project involved a complete redesign of the donation model within the Charles Darwin Foundation’s merchandise store, using Behavioral Design principles to overcome key psychological barriers to giving.

By identifying the main friction points that discourage donations, the new concept was crafted to reduce resistance, reinforce a sense of control, and create a more seamless and compelling donation experience.

The result is a reimagined system that not only integrates donations more intuitively into the shopping journey but also enhances overall conversion rates, as showcased in the project.

Starting Point

How did it all start?

At the end of the tour, there’s a gift shop where you can purchase merchandise through a minimum donation system. Each item comes with a tag, like the one shown in the photo, displaying a specific donation amount. The current configuration of the donation system creates friction points that reduce visitor contributions. 

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Many of the items are as appealing as this one. Each comes with a tag showing the foundation’s logo and the minimum donation amount in bold lettering.

Behavioral

Insight

How does Behavioral Design make a difference?

As an Expert Behavioral Designer, I identified at least three psychological barriers that discourage donations:

First cognitive dissonance*

The specific values on the tags ($13, $18, $54, etc.) were perceived as transactional prices rather than donations, causing confusion.

Second cognitive dissonance*

The combination of “donation” and “minimum” contradicted the sense of freedom typically associated with altruism.

Illusion of control

The lack of perceived options created resistance as visitors felt constrained by implicit donation rules.

*
Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort or psychological stress experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously, or when their behavior conflicts with their beliefs or values.

So I designed a tag that not only mitigates cognitive dissonances and the illusion of control but also drives donations by activating multiple psychological triggers.

Unlocking the opportunity

By moving away from the “minimum donation” concept, we introduced emotionally resonant messaging that highlights the positive impact of every contribution. This approach focused on creating tags that emotionally connect with users and showcase the tangible outcomes of their support.

New behavioral high impact tag

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Psychological principles applied

Below, I explain the psychological principles, biases, and heuristics applied to design a high-impact label that encourages donations, including authority bias, price psychology, social influence, familiarity, the vividness effect, gamification, and curiosity and much more.

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Larger logo

This reinforces the Foundation’s authority and credibility.

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Aspirational text
Framing the donation to a positive, enjoyable experience creates an emotional framework that reinforces the idea that your contribution is both altruistic and personally meaningful.

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Simpler donation amount
I have applied pricing psychology by rounding the amount from $18 to $20, using a softer font and a clarified dollar symbol to make it feel more familiar, approachable, and aligned with user value perception.

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Social Influence
Replace “minimum donation” with “Most common donation” to reduce friction, presenting it as something others like you are doing.

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Tangible impact + Vividness effect
The vividness effect highlights specific outcomes of the donation, turning abstract contributions into emotionally engaging results. Using phrases like "you’re helping" connects the donation to a clear purpose, boosting motivation.

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Gamification and curiosity 
The QR code leverages curiosity, a powerful motivator that activates the brain's reward system by releasing dopamine. This fosters engagement and provides a sense of control, making the donation experience more interactive and emotionally rewarding.

Key results

The proposed model aims to:

 

  • Create a clearer distinction between donations and transactional pricing.

  • Encourage visitors to engage with the donation process more actively.

  • Strengthen emotional connections by highlighting the positive impact of each contribution.

Conclusion

This case illustrates how applying Behavioral Design principles can overcome psychological barriers to facilitate desired behaviors. By understanding human psychology and implementing strategic design, we transformed a complex experience into a powerful opportunity for contribution.

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Saving Nature through Behavioral Science

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