*Content Warning: The following case study includes references to sexual assault and related trauma. These details are included to provide important context for RAINN’s mission and impact. Please use discretion when reviewing this section.*
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. For more than 30 years, RAINN has operated the only national, free, confidential, 24/7 hotline for survivors of sexual assault and works to support survivors, prevent violence, and bring perpetrators to justice.
Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. One out of every six American women has been the victim of attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
The Situation
RAINN needed to make it easier for survivors to access help while also modernizing its brand to better resonate with younger audiences and clearly communicate the full scope of its work on RAINN.org.
To prepare for this effort, AGP conducted a series of audience and stakeholder interviews, reviewed site analytics, and completed a comprehensive website content audit to understand how visitors were engaging with RAINN’s content and what they valued most. We also performed a partner landscape analysis to examine how peer organizations communicate trust, safety, and support in digital environments.
Through this research and a series of collaborative stakeholder workshops, we identified several critical challenges. Survivors often experience fear, hesitation, and uncertainty when seeking help online. It was essential that the website clearly and repeatedly communicate that RAINN’s hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7, and that visitors understand exactly what to expect when reaching out.
Insights from interviews underscored the importance of emotional safety and connection. Survivors wanted reassurance that they were not alone, and visual and language choices needed to move away from anything that felt overly institutional or “law enforcement–focused.” At the same time, donors wanted to see RAINN’s continued emphasis on supporting survivors front and center.
These findings established a clear mandate: RAINN’s website needed to deliver a trauma‑informed, survivor‑centered experience that prioritized access to help, reflected the organization’s values, and supported a younger, mobile‑first audience.
The big thing I craved was a sense of community. I wanted to know I wasn’t alone.
The Work
AGP partnered with RAINN to reimagine its digital experience with a trauma-informed, survivor-centered approach, grounded in research and collaboration.
A compelling brand narrative
To develop a new narrative framework for RAINN’s brand, we facilitated collaborative workshops with RAINN’s communications team and extended stakeholders to create a values-based narrative strategy that could unify communications across the organization.
Because roughly 80% of survivors are under the age of 30, the narrative strategy intentionally focused on connecting with younger audiences while remaining inclusive and supportive of all survivors.
Survivor-centered user experience
Research highlighted the need for clarity, reassurance, and accessibility. Survivors wanted to understand exactly what to expect from the hotline and needed repeated, explicit reassurance that the service is confidential and free.
We used a content-first design approach to redesign the homepage and hotline page, ensuring critical information and value propositions were clear, empathetic, and easy to understand. The experience was designed to be mobile-first, reflecting the fact that approximately 80% of RAINN’s traffic comes from mobile devices.
Visual direction and content choices were carefully considered to feel supportive rather than intimidating, reinforcing that survivors are not alone and that help is available.
Clear navigation and scalable design system
To help survivors reach the hotline as quickly as possible, we reorganized the site’s navigation around users’ mental models rather than RAINN’s internal organizational structure. Trauma-triggering labels were avoided, and pathways to support were made clear and prominent.
To simplify content editing and reduce ongoing maintenance, we built the site using an intentionally limited set of flexible components. This approach allows RAINN’s team to efficiently publish content while maintaining consistency, clarity, and accessibility across the site.
The Results
RAINN’s redesigned website delivers a clearer, more supportive, and trauma-informed digital experience that prioritizes survivor needs while modernizing the organization’s brand. The new structure, navigation, and content framework make it easier for visitors to understand RAINN’s mission, access confidential support, and engage with the organization’s broader work.
AGP proved to be exceptional collaborators and true thought partners in the design and launch of RAINN’s new website. Their expertise and creativity not only delivered a powerful digital platform that will support millions of survivors and allies, but also helped shape the brand narrative strategy that strengthens RAINN’s mission. They are trusted colleagues and outstanding partners who consistently elevate the work through partnership and skilled execution.
Director of Marketing, RAINN
