Overview

The African Organization for Social Development (OASD) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in Uganda in 2021. Their mission: to drive social development, advocate for human rights, and support vulnerable communities through inclusive, community-driven programs.

They had the mission, the field work, and the impact—what they needed was an online presence that matched their vision. That’s where I came in.

The Goal

OASD needed a website that would:

• Represent the organization’s identity with clarity and trust
• Serve as a digital archive for their articles, reports, and fieldwork
• Empower their team to publish content easily without technical bottlenecks
• Provide volunteers and visitors with insight into their causes and leadership

My Role

I handled the project from end to end—from UI/UX design to frontend and backend development, delivering a clean, modern, and purposeful website tailored to the organization’s voice.

This included:

• Designing a responsive and elegant user interface
• Architecting a clean content model in Strapi
• Building the full frontend using Next.js and SASS
• Deploying and maintaining the platform on Vercel

Website Structure

The site consists of three core sections:

1. Landing Page

An accessible, visually engaging entry point showcasing:

• A summary of OASD’s mission
• Quick links to recent causes and news articles
• Dynamic content pulled directly from the CMS

2. Causes Page

A structured library of the organization's activities and impact stories. Features include:

• Tag-based filtering by key focus areas
• Customizable articles written and managed by OASD’s own team
• Flexible layout for storytelling and progress updates

3. About Page

A full overview of OASD’s foundation, philosophy, and leadership. Designed to:

• Build credibility through professional presentation
• Highlight the team behind the work
• Make the organization more approachable to potential partners and volunteers

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js, SASS, Axios
• Backend & CMS: Strapi
• Hosting: Vercel

Key Challenges

Aligning Design with Organizational Identity

The biggest challenge was finding a **visual language** that felt modern and trustworthy, without being overly corporate or cold. I experimented with soft color palettes, editorial-style typography, and thoughtful spacing to ensure the final design reflected OASD’s humanitarian values.

Usability vs. Flexibility

The team needed a system they could update on their own, without risking the structure or look of the site. Strapi offered the perfect middle ground, letting us build a fully customized content model that’s intuitive and foolproof.

Outcome

• The site is live and actively used by OASD staff
• Content updates (articles and causes) are fully managed by the team
• Provided a professional, accessible space for volunteers and partners to learn more about OASD’s work
• Helped OASD expand their credibility and digital reach through a modern platform

Final Thoughts

Building the OASD website was more than just a design and dev challenge—it was about amplifying a voice that matters. The result is a minimal yet expressive platform that empowers a real-world mission with thoughtful, maintainable tech.