Overview
Introduction
In response to Thatcham Research’s strategic rebranding and transformation initiatives, the corporate website underwent a significant overhaul. The existing website no longer resonated with the new brand identity, and it fell short in delivering an optimal user experience.
Redeveloping the website, with a strong emphasis on comprehensive research techniques, effective stakeholder collaboration, and the application of user-centred design principles. The goal was not merely to superficially update the website but to strategically align it with the renewed vision, effectively reflecting Thatcham Research’s brand transformation.
Objective
To revamp the corporate website, aligning it with the company’s rebranding efforts, strategic goals, and ultimately providing a superior user experience that caters to the evolving needs of the audience.
tools
- Figma
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- WordPress
skills
- UX Research
- Usability Testing
- User Testing
- Webdesign
- Information Architecture
- Sketching
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Graphic Design
problem
The existing corporate website faced several pressing challenges:
- A confusing and unintuitive navigation structure and duplications.
- No clarity on what the company actually does.
- Outdated visuals that did not reflect the company’s new identity.
- A misalignment with the rebranding and strategic objectives.
- Inconsistent user pathways, hidden sections, and redundant content.
- A substantial divergence from the rebranding and strategic vision.
The primary issue was the profound disconnect between the website’s structure and the evolving direction of the company.
As you can see in the video and sitemap, the IA was confusing and lacked logical structure.
I mapped the information architecture for the website to look at where improvements could be made and how it connected to the holistic digital space for TR.
research
Project Initiation and Research
- Gain understanding of the company’s rebranding and strategic goals.
- Analysed the current website’s content, structure, and user experience.
- Gathered stakeholder insights and expectations.
- Conducted user research.
- Analysed the website analytics.
Collaboration with stakeholders and industry experts enriched the project’s direction and content quality. The multidisciplinary approach identified areas for improvement and enhanced the overall project quality.
Competitor Analysis and Benchmarking
- Researched and evaluated competitors’ websites for best practices and trends.
- Identified gaps and opportunities in terms of design, functionality, and user experience.
In order to assess the competitive landscape and benchmark www.thatcham.org, I conducted a comparative analysis against a selection of competitors from various industries.
User Research and Persona Development
- Conducted user interviews, surveys, and usability tests.
- Iterate on user personas to guide design decisions based on user needs and preferences.
- Developed User Journey
Stakeholder Buy-In and Strategy Alignment
- Presented research findings, user insights, and proposed solutions to stakeholders.
- Aligned the design strategy with the company’s rebranding and business goals.
Redevelopment
Restructuring the information architecture
- Defined a clear and logical site structure based on user journeys.
- Created wireframes for key pages, focusing on content placement and functionality.
Restructuring the information architecture improved usability by simplifying navigation and highlighting essential information. Collaboration with stakeholders and experts led to a user-centric content strategy that effectively conveyed the brand’s essence.
Content strategy
- Planned and assisted in creating high-quality, engaging content that aligns with the new design.
- Optimised content for SEO and user readability.
- Organised and assisted with asset creation (photography & graphic design)
Developing a robust content strategy was vital in conveying the new brand identity effectively. This included refining messaging, creating narratives, and using multimedia to enrich the experience. I offered User Experience support on this and insight into how to keep users engaged.
Ideate
Brainstorming, affinity mapping & Workshops
Brainstorming sessions led to innovative design concepts. Affinity mapping followed by rough wireframing, ensuring alignment with business goals and user expectations.
The ideas generated in brainstorming sessions were translated into tangible design elements, content strategies, and user experience enhancements. The iterative process ensured that the most promising ideas evolved into actionable features and improvements on the website.
Design
Visual Design and Prototyping
- Developed a visually appealing design consistent with the new brand identity.
- Created interactive prototypes to visualise user interactions and flows.
The design phase successfully transformed wireframes into visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces. It incorporated user insights and stakeholder collaboration to create designs consistent with the new brand identity. The design phase also emphasised interactivity, responsiveness, and readability, resulting in an optimal blend of functionality and aesthetics.
User Testing and Iteration
- Conducted usability testing with prototypes to gather user feedback.
- Iterated designs based on user insights and refined user journeys.
Development and QA
- Performed thorough testing to ensure functionality, compatibility, and performance.
I translated the approved design into a functional website. I ensured that design elements were implemented accurately and that the website performed seamlessly across various devices and browsers. Thorough testing was conducted with the QA team.
Home
About
Research
Products
The Academy has slightly different branding elements to the rest of the site as a separate brand was developed due to a different customer base.
Accessibility testing
- Ensured the website met accessibility standards for all users.
- Tested responsiveness on various devices and screen sizes.
- Included future recommendations
A comprehensive accessibility report was created for legal purposes to review, emphasising inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. The report focused on adherence to industry guidelines while prioritising a user experience that caters to diverse user needs. A combination of manual testing and automated testing was used to ensure bias around assessing my own work was avoided.
Launch and Post-Launch Monitoring
- Deploy the new website and monitor its performance. (October 2023)
- Address any post-launch issues and continuously gather user feedback for further improvements.
Training and Handover
- Provided training to relevant stakeholders on managing and updating the new website.
Feedback and Continuous Improvement
- Encourage users to provide feedback and monitor analytics to identify areas for continuous improvement.
- Stay updated with design and technology trends to ensure the website remains current.
conclusion
Overall
The project has successfully transformed our corporate website, aligning it with rebranding and strategic objectives. The comprehensive approach, combining research, collaboration, and user-centred design, has resulted in a seamless and impactful web presence that effectively communicates our renewed brand identity.
Improvements
While the project achieved significant success, there is always room for improvement, particularly in content delivery which did cause a delay, I did also make recommendations to use shorter copy but it was decided to move forward with the slightly longer copy. Ongoing monitoring and user feedback will drive continuous enhancements to ensure the website remains current and effective in meeting user needs and business objectives.