Date
2022-2023
Responsibilities
Information Architecture
UI Design
User Research
The Brief
Overview
Hello Alice’s marketing site was designed to connect small business owners with resources and funding opportunities, but over time, the experience became difficult to navigate. Key information was buried, making it harder for business owners to find funding and for partners to understand how they could get involved. The site needed a clearer, more intuitive structure that better served both audiences.
Approach
I worked closely with the product team to rethink the site around how users actually navigate and find information. We used user research to identify key pain points, aligned the site with Hello Alice’s evolving design system, and introduced new components to create clearer pathways and a smoother overall experience.
Impact and Results
Boosted new user acquisition by 20% with cohesive, informative design strategies.
Aligned design foundations with product, strengthening branding continuity.
Phase 1: Understanding the Audience
I interviewed five participants, including small business owners and partners, to evaluate the Hello Alice website and identify navigation challenges. Through interviews and usability tasks, I assessed how easily users could find grant programs, credit card information, and partner resources.
Participants appreciated the minimalist design but struggled with navigation and content organization. These findings highlighted the need for clearer pathways for each audience, improved subnavigation, and easier access to key resources and initiatives.
Phase 2: Reorganizing the Website
Building on the user research, I developed a plan to reorganize the website’s information architecture, creating clearer navigation and more intuitive pathways for small business owners and partners.
Card Sorting
Using feedback from the five small business owners, I conducted a card sort to understand how users naturally grouped and categorized website content.
Created a Sitemap
Hello Alice had no existing sitemap, so I created one to establish a clear content hierarchy. Based on the research findings, I developed a revised information architecture with clearer content groupings and subnavigation to improve navigation and content discovery.
Task Flow
I mapped key user journeys for owners and partners to define clearer paths to relevant resources and tasks.
Phase 3: Design Mobile Mockup
Using research insights and previous flows, I created mobile mockups showing the user’s journey from email to funding page featuring a new dropdown menu. This visualization helps refine our design for a smooth, engaging experience.
What's Next?
After implementing the website reorganization, I used FullStory and Google Analytics to evaluate its impact on user engagement. I reviewed session recordings, tracked new-user growth and sign-up conversions, and gathered direct feedback through surveys to identify areas for improvement.
The analysis showed a 20% increase in new users. These insights helped validate the reorganization and inform the next steps for refining the user experience and improving sign-up conversions.
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