Empowering churches with
a simplified CMS
Empowering churches with
a simplified CMS
Lead UX designer
8 months
Desktop app
10+ person cross-functional team
MY ROLE
Led the end-to-end product design process from research to delivery.
Facilitated ideation workshops to identify pain points and opportunities across personas.
Conducted usability testing with church directors to validate early concepts.
Delivered a component-based CMS interface and responsive editing experience.
Collaborated with product and engineering to ensure smooth implementation.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Mobile App Studio (MAS) is a content management system used by churches to create and manage mobile apps for their congregation.
The redesign aimed to simplify content creation, improve usability and improve engagement through better communication tools such as push notifications and church app creation
THE PROBLEM
How might we make it easier for churches to build apps?
How might we make it easier for churches to build apps?
Church communication directors were struggling to build and manage church apps due to MAS’s outdated interface and poor usability. Congregants also found it hard to stay engaged due to limited and unreliable communication tools.
Vodafone customers can’t manage or add companions through
the My Vodafone app The only way to access this feature is by visiting
a store or calling customer support.
EXISTING CHALLENGES
Remote worship
Covid-19 restrictions made in-person services impossible and forced churches to shift to online platforms.
Tech barriers
Many church staff lacked the tools or experience to manage digital platforms effectively.
Low engagement
Without face-to-face connection, it became harder to keep congregants involved and informed.
Outdated systems
Legacy tools like MAS didn’t support modern communication needs or offer intuitive user experiences.
THE SOLUTION
Build and manage your church app with ease
Build and manage your church app with ease
We redesigned MAS into a simpler, more powerful tool that helps churches easily build and manage their apps, send timely updates and keep their congregations engaged wherever they are.
We redesigned MAS into a simpler, more powerful tool that helps churches easily build and manage their apps, send timely updates and keep their congregations engaged wherever they are.
THE RESEARCH
Create. Connect. Grow.
Turning challenges into
measurable outcomes
To understand the needs of both church staff and their congregations, I ran stakeholder interviews with communication directors and conducted usability testing with existing MAS users. This helped uncover pain points around the outdated interface, limited communication tools, and the steep learning curve.
To understand the needs of both church staff and their congregations, I ran stakeholder interviews with communication directors and conducted usability testing with existing MAS users. This helped uncover pain points around the outdated interface, limited communication tools, and the steep learning curve.
BUSINESS & USER GOALS
Improve adoption
Make it easier for churches to onboard and use the platform, reducing support queries.
Improve adoption
Make it easier for churches to onboard and use the platform, reducing support queries.
Drive engagement
Use features like push notifications to increase app usage and keep congregants active.
Drive engagement
Use features like push notifications to increase app usage and keep congregants active.
Simplify content management
Allow church staff to easily create and update content without technical skills.
Simplify content management
Allow church staff to easily create and update content without technical skills.
Stay connected
Ensure congregants receive timely updates and feel part of the community, even remotely.
Stay connected
Ensure congregants receive timely updates and feel part of the community, even remotely.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
I reviewed other church CMS platforms and mainstream content tools to assess their strengths in usability, navigation and feedback.
Key findings:
- Users took 2–3x longer to complete content tasks in MAS than in benchmarked tools.
- Navigation structure and unclear labels caused frequent backtracking.
- Lack of preview functionality made users hesitant to publish.
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify usability issues in the existing Mobile App Studio (MAS) platform.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
I restructured the information architecture of the Mobile App Studio (MAS). The original system had a flat, cluttered structure that made key features hard to find, especially for new users.
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
This session was designed to understand observed experiences with MAS, from the perspective of an internal expert. The insights gathered were intended to help with broader user research and help inform a clear, user-centred design direction.
THE IDEATION
Smarter tools for smoother publishing
Companion Plans for
everyday connection
I started by mapping out rough concepts through quick wireframes and sketches to explore different layout and interaction ideas. This allowed me to test multiple directions without getting bogged down in the details too early.
I started by mapping out rough concepts through quick wireframes and sketches to explore different layout and interaction ideas. This allowed me to test multiple directions without getting bogged down in the details too early.
SKETCHING
USABILITY TESTING
The goal of the usability testing was to observe how real communication directors interact with our product, identify pain points, and gather actionable insights to improve the overall experience.
I ran remote sessions with church communicators based in the United States, focusing on how they create and manage content using MAS.
THE MVP
A faster way to build and manage your church ap
A faster way to build and manage your church ap
We launched a simplified MVP for MAS that made it easier for church teams to create and manage app content, laying the foundation for better communication, improved usability, and future feature growth.
ONBOARDING
Users were greeted with a personalised welcome message and a guided overview of what they
could accomplish inside the CMS, reducing friction and support queries.
EDITING EXPERIENCE
Introduced a clean, drag-and-drop editor with real-time responsive preview,
allowing users to visualise app changes instantly and confidently.
PUSH NOTIFICATIONS
Recognised as a core engagement driver. The new design allowed church admins to send targeted,
scheduled messages and event reminders, strengthening community involvement.
THE EXPERIENCE
Streamline app building with Mobile App Studio
A walkthrough of key features like drag-and-drop editing, real-time previews, and simple push notifications—showing how MAS helps church teams create apps easily and stay connected with their communities.
THE CONCLUSION
Designing for long-term value
Designing for long-term value
The MAS redesign helped simplify content management and improve communication tools for churches. It highlighted the impact of user-centred design in solving real usability issues and set a strong foundation for future product growth through collaboration and early user insight.
Vodafone customers can’t manage or add companions through
the My Vodafone app The only way to access this feature is by visiting
a store or calling customer support.
WHAT I'D DIFFERENTLY
Earlier engineering input
Involve engineering sooner to surface feasibility issues before designs are locked in.
Faster testing cycles
Start usability testing as early as possible to validate ideas and shape direction with real feedback.
Early alignment
Prioritise cross-functional check-ins from the beginning to build shared understanding and momentum.
Explore other projects
DESIGN LEADERSHIP
8+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
UX RESEARCH
INTERACTION DESIGN
DESIGN STRATEGY
DESIGN SYSTEMS
DESIGN LEADERSHIP
8+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
UX RESEARCH
INTERACTION DESIGN
DESIGN STRATEGY
DESIGN SYSTEMS
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