Project: Individual Project
Role: UX Designer
Timeline: Dec 2024 - Feb 2025
Tools: Squarespace
Background
Mission Statement
Reach Consulting Group (RCG) is an undergraduate, student-led, non-profit organization providing advisory services in technology, digital strategy, UX/UI design, and business analytics. RCG serves to create a professional and social community for students who are interested in technology consulting to bridge gaps and provide members with experience and skills necessary to succeed in a career in technology consulting.
Problem Statement
RCG lacked an official website that communicated information to existing and prospective members. There was a need for an efficient way to highlight internal events and external opportunities for current members while showcasing our club to those who are curious about the organization.
Plan
As the Head of Marketing, I designed an official website that highlights diverse aspects of our club.
The design process was organized as follows:
1. Research & Planning
2. Information Architecture & Wireframing
3. Visual & UI Design
4. Development & Implementation
5. Testing & Iteration
6. Launch & Maintenance
User Research
I aimed to identify the users' needs and the RCG's objectives. I conducted a user survey with 40 club members and alumni to understand their expectations and needs from the club website.
I defined website goals and key features as ...
1. Enhance Club Visibility: Establish a strong online presence to attract new members and project clients
2. Showcase Club Activities: Highlight professional and social events, initiatives, and achievements.
3. Strengthen Brand Identity: Ensure consistent branding and messaging that aligns with the club’s vision.
4. Facilitate Client Acquisition: Create a professional platform to showcase past projects and appeal to potential clients.
5. Centralize Information: Offer a single, accessible hub for club details, contact information, and FAQs.
6. Encourage Community Interaction: Integrate social media links and testimonials to keep visitors engaged.
I conducted competitor analysis and market research by analyzing other college organization sites to understand the feature hierarchy to provide suggestions for RCG's website.
Ideation
I outlined the website structure and navigation as well as created lo-fi wireframes to visualize layout and content flow.
Brand Guidelines
Testing & Iteration
Before the initial launching of the website, I conducted usability testing and gathered feedback from fellow executive board members of the club.
Refinements were made to features such as the project example section...
The initial design of the project examples section was organized into cards that contained the company logo, name, and description. Though I aimed to make finding the information straightforward, I received feedback that it looked wordy and overwhelming through usability testing.
Initial design of project examples section
The new design of the project examples section now shows the company logo and name to make the information more eye-catching. I implemented a more minimalistic design to alleviate the overcrowding of the page. With the arrow indicating the dropdown, I implemented an intuitive feature that stores information in a neater interface.
Revised design of project examples section
Launch & Maintenance
After the launch, constant refinements were made to improve user experience. regularly update content and optimize performance.
Takeaways
Personal Takeaways
I enjoyed having creative freedom as the sole UX designer and creating a communicative platform for a community I am passionate about. Through this project, I learned how to manage...
1. Feedback Collection and Analysis: Developing methods for gathering user feedback through surveys and user testing
2. Project time management: It was crucial to create a running to-do list and deadlines as I was the sole designer on this project. The time restriction was 1 month for the initial launch to meet the new member recruitment season.
3. Digital Marketing and SEO: Understanding the strategies involved in digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the site’s visibility and attract more traffic
In the first month of the launching of the website, I received various feedback from prospective new members about how the website provided them with a hub for club details throughout the club recruitment process.
Design Outcomes
1. Website traffic increased by 66% in the past month.
2. The bounce rate was reduced by 14%.
3. Achieved the highest number of membership applications since the founding of the club.