Wilderlands
Quick Overview
Wilderlands is seeing very little engagement with users who receive their product through B2B partnerships. My role was to understand what was causing this little interaction and provide recommendations for how best to engage their users.
About
Wilderlands is on a mission to protect Australia’s biodiversity — one square metre at a time.
They offer a unique product called a Biological Diversity Unit (BDU), a geotagged parcel of land that individuals and businesses can protect through a one-time contribution. Wilderlands recently pivoted from a direct-to-consumer model to a B2B approach, partnering with corporations who gift BDUs to staff and customers. But there was a problem — recipients often didn’t know what they’d received, and even if they did, they rarely returned after the initial visit.
This UX research project set out to understand why engagement was low — and how we might help people feel more connected to their patch of protected land.
Over seven weeks, I worked to uncover the motivations, gaps, and opportunities to deliver a more engaging, meaningful post-purchase experience. One that doesn't just inform — but inspires.
how do you increase engagement when users might not know that they've received the product let alone what it is?
Opportunity
By increasing the user engagement rate of individuals who receive
BDUs through corporate partnerships, Wilderlands will maximize the
potential for word-of-mouth growth and repeat business
partnerships. This enhanced engagement will not only foster a
deeper connection between the recipients and the cause but also
encourage advocacy and sharing of their experiences, amplifying
Wilderlands' reach and impact.
This increase in business will provide Wilderlands an opportunity to
fulfill their core mission: protecting Australia’s biodiversity, forever.
One square metre at a time.
Hypotheses
These beliefs became the foundation of the research — not as conclusions, but as possibilities to explore.
Meaningful Change
I believe users are motivated to return only if they see meaningful product change.
Therefore, improving the visual storytelling of their impact over time will increase user return rates and engagement with their BDUs.
Unaware Users
I believe that users miss vital
onboarding and marketing
communication.
Therefore, if we optimise email communication channels we will see an uptick in engagement.
Highlight Impact
I believe that users struggle to
see the impact of their
contributions.
Therefore, improving the
visibility of the user's impact
will evoke a powerful 'feel good
feeling'.
A cause people care about — but aren’t engaging with (yet)
Before diving into interviews, I wanted a broader sense of how people felt about conservation and their own role in it. So I surveyed 95 participants — unfortunately not existing Wilderlands users, but people who fit the target profile.
These numbers painted a hopeful picture. The interest was there. The willingness was there.
This confirmed my early hypotheses: users weren’t disengaged because they didn’t care — they were disengaged because the product wasn’t meeting them with the right message, at the right time, in the right way.
Interested in environmental
conservation topics
Actively share environmental conservation information to their network
Open to receiving updates on conservation programs that they're interested in
Open to donating to a
enviromental protection cause
User Interviews
To complement the survey data, I conducted five in-depth user interviews — focusing on people who received BDUs as part of a corporate gift. These conversations blended observation and usability testing, which helped highlight the thoughts and perceptions behind the data.
… I know that it's protecting land… but thisbiodiversity unit is equivalent to the six meters. I'm not too sure what that unit represents."
"I want to feel good about what I'm doing for the environment"
"I thought impressed with the look of it… But then I started to wonder whether they were going to want me to donate a whole lot of money or something."
Research Key Takeaways
Across surveys, interviews, and usability testing, one message kept repeating:
People care — they just need more help feeling connected.
They wanted to feel good. They wanted clarity. They wanted to see the impact they were making, and maybe even share it. But too often, the experience left them confused, indifferent, or unsure what came next.
Emails are vital
Connect the email subject line to the user's purchase or workplace. Emails in spam folders significantly discourage users from opening and engaging with the product.
Personal Impact
Communicate personal impact early and clearly. Users enjoy the 'feel good feeling' that comes from witnessing their impact. They are okay with their contribution being small overall as long as they see impact over time.
RE-enforce Validity
Certificates hold significant value for users who appreciate them. They enhance the perceived credibility of the product.
Persona
To make sense of our research, I created a persona to represent a typical BDU recipient. This helped ground our insights in a relatable story.
Journey Map
Cathy’s experience — from curiosity to quiet exit
Cathy’s journey helped us uncover the gaps between what Wilderlands intended… and what users actually experienced. Here's how her first interaction unfolded:
Refine Communication Channels
Simplicity Sparks Action
Why?
One out of five interviewees regularly check their junk folder and all interviewees said
they're less likely to open email that goes into spam.
Additionally, all interviewees weren't sure what they'd received after reading the email.
How?
Audit email deliverability.
Run deliverability tests
Relate the welcome email subject line to the original purchase
Communicate what a BDU is in the welcome email to ensure users have a clearer idea
of what they've received
Refine the amount of next steps in the email to reduce decision anxiety (the other
steps can be shown in onboarding)
Rename the "Profile" section in the steps to "Your Impact"
Include certificate in the welcome email
Convey Impact Through Visual Story Telling
Visuals Speaks Volume
Why?
- All participants sought personal gratification and recognition for their contributions.
They wanted to see their impact. They wanted to know that they were making a difference. - All participants valued compelling imagery and felt that this was a driving factor to evoke emotions and drive future actions for their conservation.
- Participants were unsure of what they'd received.
How?
- Introduce a visual onboarding experience that visually communicates and shows users
the impact. - Allow users to personalise their contribution (allow them to choose they
project they want to support). - Focus on UX writing updates (e.g "View your impact" instead of "learn more" CTA)
- Implement an impact overtime feature. Visually communicate project development
since the user's last visit (Protected percentage, protected species and protection
updates)
Refine Sharing Capability
Why?
- 30% of survey participants indicated that they currently share information about environmental issues that they're interested in.
However, no interview participants indicated that they could or would share the Impact page.
How?
- Create a visual infographic that users can generate and share with their network. This feature would target the users whose primary social media are LinkedIn (14% of participants) and Instagram (44% participants)
Read the full report
See how I tackled this UX challenge in more depth
