Digital creative direction and UX
FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF JEWELLERY
Project overview
Challenge: To acquire new students, the British Academy of Jewellery needs a website that enables users to filter, sign up for, purchase, and easily access courses and information.
Solution: A responsive website that enables prospective students to purchase or apply to courses as easily as possible. The visual design communicates the purpose of the company as an academy, builds trust and reflects brand values of creativity and inclusion.
Research
UX research: I observed users; conducted interviews with key stakeholders and ran quantitative surveys to identify pain points with the website
Data analysis: identified problem areas on the site via Google Analytics e.g. leakage and bounce rate per device
Competitor analysis: researched competitor sites in arts and jewellery education to use as benchmarks
Needs analysis: identified the key requirements for the website (branding and functionality) to achieve the overall company objective of student acquisition:
- branding must convey the aim and mission of the company as an educational institution and reflect the brand values of creativity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility
- site features must enable students to find and filter courses within their chosen subject or level
- site must have automation features
- etc.
Design
Sketched layout explorations and wireframes
Planned CRO as a core element of the design
Ensured responsive design on mobile (70% of site views via this device)
Visuals aligned with brand values and the company's recent rebrand
Execution
Project planning: identified resources necessary to execute the plan and put these in place
- Development agency
- SEO & GPDR support
- Budget requirements
- Created timeline
- Graphic design
Implementation of heat maps and on-site customer feedback widget Hotjar to enrich future evaluation and data analysis
Testing
Remote usability testing via Maze with a high-fidelity prototype built by developers
Prioritising the three main task flows:
- Browsing and filtering courses
- Learn more about a course (download a prospectus, sign up for a webinar)
- Begin the application or purchase process
Evaluation of feedback for next stage
Highlights
Detailed course information. Users can easily see the qualification, price, delivery and timetable format of each course. Prospectuses are available for download
Extensive filtering. Users can filter courses and events by location, delivery and other options.
Testimonials from real students. Users can see student work showcases from each course and read authentic reviews.
Ecommerce option for short courses. Users can purchase courses directly from the site.