Web Design With Reach and Responsibility
At KO Websites, one of the most rewarding kinds of web design projects we undertake are those that serve nonprofits, organizations whose missions reach far beyond commerce, and whose work touches lives in tangible, meaningful ways. That’s why we’re especially proud to announce the launch of the newly redesigned LifeRing Secular Recovery website. This project has blossomed into a comprehensive digital platform that supports thousands of people on their recovery journeys each month.
LifeRing is a national nonprofit, peer-led recovery community focused on abstinence, secularity, and self-empowerment. Its community spreads across local and online meetings, email groups, forums, and engagement networks. To serve that broad, distributed membership, LifeRing needed a digital home that could scale not just in terms of traffic, but in terms of connection, accessibility, and flexibility.
From the outset, KO Websites approached the project not as a typical web build, but as a collaboration with LifeRing’s leadership team and community. The goal: create a site that reflects the values of the organization, elevates its brand identity, and empowers users to engage, connect, and sustain.
Key Goals & Solutions
1. Modern Look & Feel, Aligned with Values
We refreshed LifeRing’s visual language with a clean, modern aesthetic that feels open, supportive, and intentional. The design supports readability, uncluttered navigation, and a warm, hopeful tone. Visual elements echo connection without overwhelming the experience.
2. Seamless, Large-Scale Architecture
Given the volume and diversity of content (meetings, news, resources, governance documents, volunteer pages, etc.), we architected a robust information hierarchy and modular content system. This allowed sufficient flexibility to expand over time while keeping core pathways intuitive. In addition, performance was a top priority. The entire site is optimized for speed, with careful asset management, caching, and responsive design to ensure fast load times across devices.
3. Features for Community Engagement
LifeRing’s strength is in connection, people supporting each other through recovery. To amplify that, we built interactive features including:
- A dynamic meetings directory (in-person and online) with filtering, geolocation, and RSVP or attendance verification features
- Private portals supporting leadership, regional coordinators, and tools for meeting management
- A blog/news hub with archival capacity, so LifeRing can share stories, updates, and recovery content
- Community channels surfaced through intuitive navigation to reduce friction
- Donation, shop, and engagement calls to action thoughtfully integrated without overshadowing recovery content
4. Close Partnership & Agile Development
One of the privileges of this project was the depth of collaboration. We held regular working sessions with LifeRing’s leadership network, soliciting feedback early and often. Prototypes, early wireframes, and usability testing informed iterative improvements. Because we were aligned on mission and outcomes, decision-making was smooth, and the final WordPress web design reflects that trust.
The Website Launch & What Comes Next
With the new site now live, LifeRing has a modern, scalable, mission-aligned digital platform ready for the future. It supports national traffic, heavy content volume, and the real-time needs of a living community. For KO Websites, it’s a source of pride: a nonprofit we believe in, uplifted through digital craftsmanship.
Moving forward, we’ll continue working with LifeRing to monitor performance, iterate on features, and support growth — always with an eye toward the mission of helping others connect, recover, and thrive.
If you’re curious to see this work in action, check out the LifeRing site here. And if you’re a driven non-profit organization or a business owner seeking a deeper brand impact, we’d love to talk. Contact the team at KO Websites here. Our San Francisco & Bay Area web design company has been serving the community for over 25 years.