ROLE
UX Researcher
Product Designer
RESPONSIBILITIES
Conduct comprehensive research
Lead redesign initiatives
Enhance User Experience
BizzyWeb is a full-service digital marketing agency that focuses on web design, digital marketing, inbound marketing, and growth-driven design. They are also the company I work for (no pressure, right).
Their website wasn’t meeting the high standards the organization aims to deliver, creating a gap between their mission and actual performance. The site failed to convey the company’s values of integrity, fun, and education, and despite recent updates, it still felt outdated.
CHALLENGE
BizzyWeb underwent a significant brand refresh in 2022, and understood that the engagement on their site would take a hit. But the numbers never quite bounced back as expected after the redesign. Additionally, the company was expanding and refocusing it service offerings, leading to a lack of cohesion across the website. I was tasked with investigating what wasn't working and offering design solutions.
PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS
The new design must remain firmly within established brand guidelines, both written and implied.
The initial task is to redesign the homepage, but the overall project is to revamp the entire site. The design choices must be optimized for any and all pages site wide, either existing or future builds.
ONE
RESEARCH
In this project, I conducted in-depth research to uncover usability gaps and inform the redesign process.
Through competitor analysis, I examined how similar organizations successfully attracted and engaged users, prompting them to take action. Utilizing Lucky Orange, I performed heat-mapping analysis to pinpoint user pitfalls on the homepage, gaining insights into device usage, referral sources, and user interactions on the site. Additionally, I assessed the existing personas and recommended that the company reevaluate them.
This research not only illuminated key areas for improvement but also laid the groundwork for developing a more engaging and effective user experience.
TWO
GETTING BUY-IN
Once I compiled my findings, I presented them to the company’s key stakeholders. One significant issue I discovered was that many users were inadvertently clicking on section titles, as they were the same color as buttons. Additionally, while the imagery was relatively recent, it felt outdated, and there were several photos featuring employees who were no longer with the company. I noticed that many competitors in the industry utilized more illustrative graphics instead of traditional photos, and I recommended incorporating this style into the site’s new design to enhance its visual appeal and cohesiveness.
THREE
DESIGN
Building on the existing color palette and typography, I began experimenting with various layout options to enhance the site's usability. My primary goal was not to completely reinvent the design, but rather to reorganize the current content in a way that was more intuitive and user-friendly.
I collaborated closely with the development team to brainstorm innovative solutions to the identified issues. We explored different approaches to layout and functionality, ensuring that each iteration aligned with our overall design objectives. This collaborative process allowed us to refine our ideas and incorporate feedback throughout the design and implementation phases, ultimately resulting in a cohesive and improved user experience.
By maintaining a focus on usability while staying true to the brand's visual identity, we aimed to create a design that not only looked appealing but also effectively met the needs of the users.
FOUR
CONTINUOUS GROWTH
After testing and implementing the new look and feel of the homepage, I applied the updated design aesthetic to other pages, focusing specifically on the service pages with similar hero sections. I created new images for these sections to align with the fresh, illustrative style I'd developed for the homepage, ensuring a consistent and cohesive user experience site wide.
Next, I was tasked with designing a new landing page based on the persona I had recommended during the initial research phase. I focused on addressing this persona's pain points through the layout's immediate, intuitive structure. The landing page was so well-received that I was then assigned to develop content and design a page for a second persona— the HubSpot Admin, a new addition requested by the leadership team.
As the project evolved, the site's imagery style continued to mature. This gave me the opportunity to revisit the original graphics on the homepage and refine them, ensuring they aligned with the new, cohesive design direction for the entire site.
RESULTS
The new design resulted in a significant increase in conversion rates, thanks to well-defined typography and intuitive navigation. The cohesive site design strengthened brand recognition, particularly through the unique and vibrant imagery style. This fresh approach to visuals also sparked eye-catching marketing campaigns, driving new leads and deals. The streamlined site architecture enhanced the user experience, making navigation smoother for both new and returning visitors. Throughout the process, all changes stayed true to the established brand guidelines, ensuring the site is now the most polished and effective version of itself.
