Designing a digital home for inclusive global cities.
As a grassroots movement grounded in community organizing, SDI Kenya needed a website that reflected the power of its people—not just its programs. Working within the broader network of Slum Dwellers International, the organization has spent decades building a federation model that puts informal settlement communities at the center of urban development. Our goal was to help them tell that story with clarity, dignity, and purpose.
SDI Kenya came to us with a clear challenge: how to share the depth and impact of their work with new audiences, while staying true to the voices that built the movement. We collaborated to design a site that could hold both—the grassroots and the global, the story and the strategy.
Approach
In addition to spotlighting community-led organizing, the site showcases SDI Kenya’s technical expertise and data-driven advocacy work. We highlighted the strength of their model: combining lived experience with rigorous data collection and analysis to influence policy, shape urban planning, and drive lasting change.
What We Did
- Crafted a new site architecture and content strategy to guide diverse users—from community residents to global partners—through the organization’s mission and work
- Developed a vibrant visual identity that bridges grassroots organizing with a global audience
- Shaped copy and storytelling to reflect the history, people, and impact of the SDI Kenya federation model
- Created diagrams that illustrate their theory of change and locally driven approach to city-making
- Built a responsive, easy-to-navigate website that highlights local voices and creates clear entry points for funders, collaborators, and community members alike
Outcomes
The new site positions SDI Kenya as both a trusted local movement and a global thought leader in inclusive urban development. It gives their community members, partners, and allies a digital space to learn, connect, and join in building more equitable cities, starting from the ground up.
Team
Marisa Ruiz Asari
Meaghan Barry
Sarah Fenner | Deck Design
Katherine Chui | Motion
Photography by KYC.TV & SDI Affiliates
Each collaboration begins with a conversation.
Tell us a bit about your project, or just say hello. We’ll take it from there.