Profile photo

Emma McCann

Lead Product Designer

Case Study

Uncovering metric-boosting growth strategies

6 min
Change.org petition pages showing various social causes including manatee conservation and reproductive rights, displayed on a colorful activist-style background demonstrating the platform's diverse campaign ecosystem

Status

Shipped

Contribution

Growth Designer

Year

2019-2022

Team

1 Engineer, 1 PM, me

Overview

Change.org is the world's largest petition platform, empowering people everywhere to create the change they want to see. With over 500 million users across 196 countries, the platform hosts millions of campaigns ranging from local community issues to global human rights causes. I worked with Change.org's product team to test solutions that improve key metrics, all while keeping user experience top of mind.

Three versions of Change.org petition page showing A/B testing progression from basic layout (v1) to adding US flag indicator (v2) to final version with prominent 'Sign this Top 5 Petition!' call-to-action button (v3), demonstrating conversion optimization techniques

3 different versions of a petition page, each testing different approaches to trending petitions

Increasing 3 key metrics

We ideated and tested strategies that help amplify Change.org's reach, monetize its user base, and grow its membership program.

Circular growth loop diagram showing Josh signing a petition, leading to more people signing and sharing, which leads to Josh sharing it, creating a continuous viral cycle of petition engagement

Amplification

Strategies to increase petition reach and visibility through enhanced social sharing, viral mechanics, and algorithmic optimization to help campaigns gain momentum faster.

Change.org monetization interface showing supporter profiles and tiered pricing options for petition promotion, with donation amounts ranging from $3 for 38 views to $40 for 1,000 views, demonstrating platform monetization strategy

Monetization

Optimizing donation flows and payment experiences to increase campaign funding while maintaining user trust and platform integrity.

Three people celebrating together on a hillside at sunset with raised arms, representing community building and membership growth

Membership

Building stronger community engagement through personalized experiences, recurring participation incentives, and long-term user retention strategies.

Improving conversion by 46%

Hypothesis

Users are more motivated to rally behind an issue when they see significant proof that others are doing the same.

Execution

We introduced a user activity feed in one product area, then successfully applied it across the platform to help visualize the movement that stands behind campaigns.

Outcome

We saw a 46% lift in conversion in our first test, followed by a cumulative 260% lift across follow up rounds.

Test
Test
Control
Control

Drag the slider to compare

Reducing member churn by 60%

Hypothesis

Members want to be appreciated and see the impact of their support.

Execution

We served 50% of existing Change.org members personalized member stories content. The remaining 50% received the control experience.

Outcome

3 months into the test, we saw a 60% reduction in 30-day churn. This was a significant lift in building a sustainable membership program.

Test
Test
Control
Control

Drag the slider to compare

Increasing conversion by 8%

Hypothesis

We can increase conversion rates by elevating more convenient payment methods.

Execution

We redesigned the checkout experience for users chipping in to support petitions. We added one-click payments and redesigned payment buttons.

Outcome

We saw an 8% increase in conversion.

Test
Test
Control
Control

Drag the slider to compare

Results & impact

During my three years working with Change.org, I successfully boosted numbers corresponding to key KPIs through strategic growth initiatives and data-driven experimentation.

Amplification

45%

Increase in petition signatures

Monetization

120%

Increase in paid contributions from petition supporters

Membership

100,000+

Active members

Takeaways

Mission-first growth: The most successful growth strategies were those that aligned closely with Change.org's mission of empowering social change. Features that felt manipulative or inauthentic were quickly rejected by users, even if they showed initial metric improvements.

Global considerations: Solutions needed to work across diverse cultures, languages, and causes. What worked in one market didn't always translate globally, requiring extensive localization and cultural sensitivity testing.

Data-driven iteration: Combining qualitative user research with quantitative A/B testing provided the most reliable insights. The iterative approach allowed us to refine features based on real user behavior rather than assumptions.