Case Study

ArcStone redesigned Minnesota Habitat for Humanity’s website to improve the ReStore shopping experience and simplify statewide content management.

Minnesota Habitat for Humanity Work's new website on monitor screen.

Minnesota Habitat for Humanity serves as the state affiliate coordinating local Habitat organizations across Minnesota, working to eliminate poverty housing through volunteer-driven homebuilding initiatives and advocacy. The organization operates multiple ReStore locations throughout the state, which sell donated building materials, furniture, and home goods to fund their affordable housing mission while providing sustainable shopping options for community members.

As part of the global Habitat for Humanity network, Minnesota Habitat partners with families to build strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership opportunities. Beyond construction, they coordinate volunteer programs, educational initiatives, and policy advocacy efforts that address systemic housing challenges across Minnesota communities, ensuring that decent, affordable housing remains accessible to working families throughout the state.

Our Role

WordPress Redesign & Development
Enhanced Location Mapping & Navigation
ReStore User Experience Optimization
Performance Optimization & Speed Improvements
Backend Management Simplification
Content Management Training
Ongoing Support Services

The Challenge:

Minnesota Habitat for Humanity inherited a clunky, poorly managed CMS that created significant barriers for their diverse user base. ReStore shoppers struggled with fragmented store access and poor navigation, making it difficult to locate nearby stores or browse current inventory and deals. Meanwhile, potential volunteers faced obstacles in finding relevant opportunities, and visitors couldn’t easily locate their local Habitat affiliate or understand how to get involved with the organization’s various programs.

The complex, outdated backend system compounded these user experience problems by making it nearly impossible for staff to maintain accurate, current information across the statewide platform. Internal teams struggled to update ReStore inventory, volunteer opportunities, and location details across multiple Minnesota communities, creating a cycle where poor content management led to increasingly frustrating user experiences and reduced engagement with the organization’s mission-critical programs.

Our Approach

ArcStone implemented a comprehensive WordPress redesign that prioritized user experience improvements for Minnesota Habitat’s diverse audience base. We developed enhanced location mapping functionality that makes it simple for community members to find their nearest ReStore location, browse current offerings, and access store-specific information like hours and contact details. The navigation restructure focused on creating clear pathways for different user types, ensuring that bargain hunters, volunteers, and organizational partners could quickly find relevant information without confusion.

The technical foundation of the new platform emphasized performance optimization and mobile responsiveness, recognizing that many ReStore shoppers and volunteers would be accessing the site on mobile devices while out in their communities. We implemented faster loading times through optimized images, streamlined code, and efficient content delivery, ensuring that the enhanced user experience wouldn’t be compromised by technical limitations that could frustrate users or drive them away from engagement opportunities.

Backend management simplification formed a crucial component of our strategy, transforming the administrative experience for Minnesota Habitat staff. We created an intuitive content management system that enables internal teams to efficiently update ReStore inventory information, volunteer opportunities, and location details across the entire statewide network. This streamlined approach reduces the administrative burden on staff while ensuring that website content remains current and accurate, supporting the organization’s mission by maintaining reliable digital touchpoints with their community.

Habitat for Humanity Minnesota's redesigned donation page.

Reviewing The Results

Minnesota Habitat for Humanity now operates a user-friendly website that significantly improves the ReStore shopping experience while better serving volunteers and partner organizations. The enhanced location mapping makes it simple for community members to find their local ReStore or volunteer opportunities, while the streamlined backend reduces administrative burden on staff managing statewide content. The performance-optimized platform loads faster and provides a better experience across all user types, supporting Habitat’s mission of building affordable housing throughout Minnesota.