### Transforming Community Impact Through Digital Experience

CHALLENGE Goodwill OC was widely recognized as a thrift store, but their community impact and 100-year commitment to their mission wasn’t clearly articulated. Their critical work in workforce development and community empowerment was obscured, creating barriers for them to continue connecting people with opportunity. Meanwhile, the website failed to meet modern accessibility standards and struggled to serve its diverse audiences: donors, job seekers, businesses, and partners. The brand needed a platform that could surface its impact and drive action clearly, inclusively, and at scale. GOAL We were determined to reposition Goodwill OC as an impact-driven cornerstone of the OC community, not just a storefront. Our goal was to create a digital platform that reflects the organization’s full mission, meets accessibility benchmarks, and drives engagement across audiences. We wanted to inspire users to act—whether it's donating, volunteering, partnering, or seeking support. STRATEGY We restructured the website’s content architecture around the most important user journeys, designing tailored pathways for job seekers, donors, businesses, and partners to ensure each audience could quickly find relevant information and opportunities. The introduction of interactive tools, such as the Impact Calculator and Donation at Work, deepened user engagement and offered a more immersive, personalized experience. Accessibility was a core pillar of our approach, with WCAG-compliant inclusive design principles applied from the foundational codebase to every UI element. To drive meaningful action, we built conversion-led flows with strategic calls-to-action, guiding users seamlessly from interest to key outcomes like donations, volunteering, and partnership inquiries. Throughout the site, a cohesive and contemporary visual identity unified the brand experience, reinforcing Goodwill OC’s mission and values at every touchpoint.

### Reconnecting An Online Therapy Brand to Genuine Empathy

CHALLENGE BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform, faced a critical disconnect between its brand and the empathy-driven mission at its core. While the platform had seen substantial growth, its digital experience felt fragmented, transactional, and inconsistent in tone, overemphasizing features and credibility at the expense of warmth and support. This gap not only limited engagement with a diverse, global audience (including marginalized groups and first-time therapy seekers) but also threatened to erode trust and undermine BetterHelp’s reputation as a true leader and advocate in mental health. GOAL Our goal was to completely reimagine BetterHelp’s brand and digital platform to position it as the most trusted, accessible, and empathetic therapy provider. We set out to drive significant user growth and engagement by resonating with a wider, more diverse audience, including those who may be hesitant to seek help. The aim was to create a unified, welcoming experience that balanced compassion with credibility, improved key metrics like bounce rate and session duration, and established BetterHelp as the benchmark for both digital and real-world mental health care.

### Demystifying Digital Payments for Construction Professionals

CHALLENGE PayeWaive needed a website that could translate a highly complex, technical product into a clear and engaging digital experience. The challenge was to communicate intricate platform features and workflows in a way that would quickly resonate with contractors and decision-makers, many of whom were unfamiliar with digital construction payment solutions. The site had to balance education and persuasion, reducing confusion and driving qualified leads. GOAL The primary goal was to create a website that distilled PayWaive’s sophisticated offering into an easily digestible and visually compelling narrative. The aim was to highlight key benefits, foster trust, and encourage visitors to take action—whether by requesting a demo or reaching out for more information. STRATEGY The approach centered on simplifying complex ideas through clear messaging, purposeful visuals, and interactive charts. The website was structured to guide visitors through the value proposition step-by-step, using custom graphics and thoughtfully organized content to explain features and benefits. Lead generation elements, such as contact forms and gated demo videos, were strategically placed to convert interest into action. Each page was carefully designed to be approachable, ensuring that users could quickly understand PayWaive’s value, regardless of their technical background.

### How an AI Startup Drove 37% Monthly Growth with SEO

Aurora launched an AI workspace without brand awareness, traffic, or historical data. The goal was clear: create sustainable growth and product signups without paid media or large budgets. By investing in an organic-first strategy, Aurora turned search visibility into a long-term acquisition channel, one that compounded month over month and became a reliable driver of growth.

### How a Luxury Jewelry Brand Achieved $84,000+ in Revenue with a Paid Social Growth Engine

TVON, a luxury jewelry brand, had built a loyal customer base through live television sales. However, rising media costs required them to shift their audience's buying behavior to digitally native channels. Within one campaign cycle, digital became a validated revenue stream.

By: Tara Lookabaug, GSVlabs

Overall, the experience working with 500 Designs was extremely positive. Their professionalism, creativity, and responsiveness made the project both productive and enjoyable.

By: Benjamin K Leiken, Bid Ops

The entire process felt efficient and well-coordinated. The team communicated clearly and delivered work that met a very high standard.

By: Tyler Carter, Fit3D

Throughout the project, the team stayed flexible and solution-oriented. They worked closely with us to ensure the final result reflected our priorities.