Discover how I redesigned the Eastern Credit Union’s website to boost user engagement, lead generation, and conversion rates.
Overview...
My Process...
UX Audit
Conducted a UX audit to identify areas for improvement in the existing website. This assessment revealed several pages needing improvement, including the Home page, Product and Services pages, About page, and more. These pages violated critical usability heuristics, lacked clear calls to action, and had overall confusing navigation.
Stakeholder Consultation
Conducted initial calls with stakeholders to understand the project's goals and target audience. These discussions helped align our design strategy with the stakeholders' vision and user expectations
User Personas
Based on the information obtained from Eastern Credit Union regarding their target audience, intended goals, needs, and pain points, I crafted personas to help influence my design decisions
Problem Statement
Clearly defined the key issues with the current website and set goals for the redesign.
"Eastern Credit Union's website fails to engage users effectively or generate sufficient leads due to its outdated design. The site's poor user experience, misalignment with brand tone, and lack of responsiveness hinder user engagement and lead generation efforts."
Desired State: Designing a user-centric website that is modern, visually appealing, responsive across all devices, aligns with Eastern Credit Union's brand, engages visitors effectively, and increases the number of leads generated. Justification: This redesign will enhance user experience, strengthen brand identity, and increase conversions, ultimately driving growth for the credit union in the digital space.
Competitive Analysis
I assessed local competitors' websites to identify their strengths, areas for improvement, and potential product opportunities that could help Eastern Credit Union (ECU) stand out. However, I soon realized that there were limited exemplary local examples, so I expanded my approach to include several international financial institutions as references for identifying effective design practices and product opportunities.
information architecture & Content Strategy Design
Restructured the website’s overall navigation to ensure it was more intuitive and useful for Eastern Credit Union’s target users. Collaborated with colleagues to rewrite the website content, capturing ECU’s brand tone and aligning it with the new project goals and target users.
Home Page Visual Concept
I first provided the client with a homepage design to ensure I had accurately captured what they had envisioned. My design decisions were based on all the information obtained thus far.
Initial Feedback & Iterations
Shared the homepage design with the client for review, incorporating feedback through several iterations until approval. This final UI design was then used as a standard for all other website pages, ensuring design consistency throughout.
wireframes
These are the wireframes produced based on all the information and design decisions made throughout the process thus far, including medium-fidelity and high-fidelity responsive designs.
USABILITY TESTING
Unfortunately, the usability testing conducted on the completed design did not include the credit union’s target users. Instead, very brief tests were conducted among key project stakeholders. Additionally, upon completing the design, a series of checks and balances were put in place to validate the design decisions, ensure usability heuristics were not violated, and confirm that the overall design would help its target users achieve their goals while helping the organization meet its business goals and objectives. These checks included:
Heuristic Evaluation - To ensure there were no immediate usability violations.
Cognitive Walkthrough - To ensure that the processes and user journeys were intuitive and useful.
Accessibility Checks - To ensure there were no color contrast issues, appropriate font sizes were used, and that the design was responsive.
Design Reviews - Conducted by key project stakeholders to gather feedback and ensure alignment with project goals.
Handoff to Development
Conducted meetings with the development team to ensure they understood the design, functionality, and project goals.
Results...
Project Outcomes and Design Strategy Decisions
Outcome: Increased User Engagement Design Solution: Redesigned the website to feature a more intuitive navigation, making it easier for users to find what they need. Included elements such as interactive icons, high-resolution AI images that depict the credit union’s target users, and ensured the design focused on achieving user goals and needs.
Outcome: Increased Lead Generation Design Solution: Included prominent call-to-action buttons throughout the website, prompting users to take action. Incorporated concise forms on pages where the organization wanted users to take specific actions, rather than having separate form pages for users to navigate to. Lastly, I designed landing pages for key products, services and initiatives to capture leads.
Outcome: Higher Conversion Rates Design Solution: Streamlined the user journey with clear calls to action and an intuitive layout, making it easier for users to complete desired actions. Also provided details on the credit union's finances aimed at building trust.
Outcome: Optimized Responsive Design Design Solution: Ensured the website was fully responsive, providing a seamless experience across all devices.
Reflection and Lessons Learned
Iterative Design Process: Valued feedback loops and continuous iteration to refine the user experience.
Collaboration: Highlighted the necessity of close collaboration with stakeholders and development teams to ensure project success
User-Centric Design: Emphasized the importance of understanding and empathizing with user needs through personas and user flows.
Next Steps
User Testing and Feedback: Conduct further user testing to gather insights for future iterations.
Feature Enhancements: Explore additional features to further improve user engagement and lead generation.
Continuous Improvement: Maintain a feedback loop with users and stakeholders to continuously enhance the website.
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Enhancing User Engagement and Satisfaction
Find out how the redesign of a financial institution’s homepage is expected to improve user engagement, lead generation, and overall satisfaction
Increased user satisfaction
Higher user engagement
Greater lead generation
Increased user retention
Let'S cONNECT
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or via email. Let's discuss how we can collaborate to create innovative and impactful digital solutions together.