Interpreting The World
Introduction
The team at ITW had done several rounds of research that concluded that the front page of their website needed a reconfiguration. They didn’t have much in the way of branding, so a large part of the challenge is to reestablish a strong front page while introducing a strong sense of branding.
The Challenge
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No strong branding
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Homepage was confusing and cluttered
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Needs to be more modern
Design Roles
UX, Research, Web Design
Deliverables
User Data, Wireframes, Design System, Hi-fi Mockup
Process
15 Months
Analysis
While the page wasn’t in an entirely broken state it needed work to streamline and refine assets and layout. Issues to address were:
Poor Color Contrast
Messy Logo
Unclear Services List
Wireframe
After an in-depth brainstorming session with the team, as well as some paper prototypes, I began to address the layout of the page directly with several goals; Reduce visual clutter, and allow for more accessible sections.
After a round of feedback the third option showed the greatest ease of use with users.
Too Busy
Lacks Variation
Well Balanced
Design System
Logo: Did away with the logo entirely
Blue: feels cool, is welcoming, agrees with company’s creed of being a safe place.
Font: Noto Sans
Hi-fi Mockup
New Challenges
During the initial redesign the company presented several new services that they would like to be featured on the site. A hurdle to reevaluate, challenge accepted.
It did, however, change the overall direction as the representatives communicated that they wanted to remove older services entirely while focusing their efforts on the newer services.
Team Interviews
The team indicated that they wanted a section that included three points of interest:
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General NJ DMV Info
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Info regarding a group drivers ed class
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Study Material availability
Wireframe Pt. 2
After a round of user testing, data concludes that the second option was most effective.
"Not enough variation for new content"
"Each card is succinct and compact"
Final Hi-Fi Mockup
Final Thoughts
In all things you must remain flexible. While the design process went smoothly for the most part, the inevitability of life is that things will always change. New information is discovered, directions are adjusted, and in the case of ITW new features/products are added to the arsenal and need to be accounted for in the process.
Luckily the time resource was abundant at the time the team needed adjustments made so I was able to do so without immediate risk to my work sanity, but maintaining a pipeline that's ahead of schedule and requesting more time than might be needed can compensate for the risk of diversion. "Under estimate and over perform."