Join us as we hammer out the details within our website relaunch and learn how to iterate on your digital experience so you can drive growth.
With the digital marketing space moving at a rapid pace, having an outdated website can have a negative impact on your business. It’s important to understand and acknowledge the critical role your website plays in your customer acquisition efforts and the overall impact that it has on sales and revenue. For marketing to be effective, every touch point with a prospective customer must be in alignment.
We decided to redesign our website to align our expertise and our narrative. Our goal was to elevate every touchpoint in order for merchants to easily access info about Imagination Media, partners, portfolio and services. As we begin wrapping up our final phase of our website redesign we figured we would share some insights with you from this process.
1. Hi, Bisi! Could you introduce yourself before we dive deeper into the topic of website redesign? What is it that you do at Imagination Media?
My name is Bisi and I am a UX/UI Designer here at Imagination Media. I work not only with websites and e-commerce but also with applications and systems to create the visual part, interface, and the user experience. I also work as a Product Designer, connecting with other layers of branding to help companies deliver the best visual experience for their customers/users.
2. What was your role in our website rebuild?
As a UX/UI Designer I recreated the visual experience of the site along with the help of my team. The first question I asked myself once I was challenged with this task was whether or not our brand and the assets corresponded to the experience we wanted to transmit. The rebranding process has several stages which include the discovery stage, sketching stage, prototyping stage, and several other stages. Throughout all of these stages this new UI will pass through a series of tests and data readings where we will continue to make improvements. My role within the website rebuild was to create user-friendly interfaces that enable us to use complex technical products.
3. How do you work cross-functionally with others?
I work cross-functionally with developers, copywriters, project managers, etc and each position has its own process. Once a task is finished it generates a result that often interferes with someone else’s process. For example, there are times when finished text is displayed on the site that does not align with the narrative of the user experience. We work together to make changes within the prototyping stage, where we can test the screens to validate the structure and look. Moving forward, we deliver the project into the hands of the development team, where I act as a facilitator delivering the design system and all components necessary for the project to be built with the best practices.
4. What approach to design and development did you decide to take?
We decided to take the iterative approach to design because it allows us to have a fully tested product. Iterative development of user interfaces involves steady refinement of the design based on user testing and other evaluation methods. We completed a design and noted the problems several test users have while using it. This approach allows for rapid resolution of misunderstandings within our team and it helps establish clarity early in the development lifecycle.
5. What are some things to keep in mind when designing a website?
The user experience is critical to keep in mind when designing a website because it helps fulfill the user’s needs. It aims to provide positive experiences that keep users loyal to the product or brand. Additionally, a meaningful user experience allows you to define customer journeys on your website that are most conducive to business success. Many times, designers are tempted to start the structure looking to present the product/service in a way they believe sells best, and that is where things can go wrong. There are several different sizes and qualities of screens, and keeping in mind the responsiveness and legibility of the information is vital. Building and testing the design system with good practices in choosing fonts and colors is an important step for determining good performance in the design process of a visual interface.
6. What are your final thoughts on website redesign?
The effort we put into redesigning an interface is huge and we advise you to have a good reason to move forward with the decision to redesign. Scalability is important, we would recommend you create a design system and components that can be easily updated and evolved without compromising the structure. As the digital environment changes quickly, it is imperative to be prepared to bring these ever evolving trends into the design process. Knowing how to conduct research and how to integrate it into each user experience helps you build a product that is matched to the company’s business and user needs where both sides win.
Here at Imagination Media we know that websites are not one-size-fits-all. Each business is unique, and each website should be just as unique as the company behind it.
That being said, Imagination Media offers a range of website redesign service options to fit any kind of site. Whether you're interested in a simple or a complicated site, Imagination Media can make it happen with the help of our team and services. With a custom design, you have options to integrate all the bells and whistles your heart desires.
