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Navigating Information Overload
The Challenge
Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) faced a critical bottleneck: information fragmentation. With six disconnected systems holding over 1.6 million records, finding local sports opportunities or volunteering was a manual, high-friction process.
The organization’s goal was to scale from 14,000 to 60,000 active athletes, but the existing legacy directory shattered user engagement and created "search fatigue". Our task was to architect a unified digital ecosystem that made joining the community the easiest thing a user could do.
Human-Centered Discovery
The Strategy
The strategy centered on Platform Unification and User-Centered Discovery. During the discovery phase, the propose was moving away from static lists toward a Search-First Architecture.
The team collaborated with stakeholders to map the "Path to Inclusion," ensuring that every high-value action—from finding a local 5k to reading athlete success stories—was no more than two taps away. By architecting a "hub-and-spoke" IA. The goal: ensured that while the backend handled complex Salesforce handshakes, the user experienced a vibrant, frictionless interface.
Engineering the No-Code Engine
The Build
The core of the build was a high-performance discovery engine powered by Webflow and Finsweet. Me and the team engineered advanced search and filtering systems for sports programs, events, and volunteer opportunities, transforming thousands of data points into a glanceable, accessible UI.
We designed the entire experience with WCAG compliance at its core, defining robust typography, high-contrast colors, and intuitive sports iconography to ensure inclusion for users of all abilities.
To support the staff, I developed "The Blog," a dynamic storytelling platform using Webflow CMS. This allows the SOMA team to share uplifting stories of athletes and volunteers instantly, turning the website into a "living" media hub.
On the technical side, we built a seamless registration ecosystem by integrating Webflow and Jotforms for the front-end, using Zapier to bridge the flow into the Salesforce backend. To ensure 100% developer fidelity, we managed all layouts and components through a comprehensive Figma UI design style guide.
A Scalable Foundation for Growth
The Impact
The engagement delivered a single source of truth that fundamentally changed how SOMA operates. By centralizing fragmented services into a high-speed no-code hub, we provided the tools to recruit, retain, and sustain 60,000 athletes.
The new system reduced manual data tasks from weeks to minutes, allowing staff to focus on the mission rather than technical maintenance. Ultimately, we provided SOMA with a scalable foundation that turns digital engagement into real-world inclusion, one game at a time.
