Website Redesign

The Problem

1. We want to improve the user experience

2. We want to better represent the Law Centres movement

3. We want to increase traffic

The Approach

Interviews

• During the Discovery phase, we conducted user interviews with a wide range of user groups in order to get a better understanding of the problem.

• We combined semi-structured interviews (general questions about their circumstances and their previous experience using the current site) with concept testing using a prototype site (built using SquareSpace). This format allowed us to ask a lot of 'why' questions, leading to greater insight into their needs.

• We interviewed more than a dozen users, across various user groups.

• These interviews were supplemented by website audits of similar sites and desk research about the experience of help-seekers, like this Legal Help Journey Map.

• We were most curious about the content (which messaging appealed most) and the extent to which help-seekers wanted to be guided through the process.

• These insights highlighted:
• The importance of providing clarity ("Can you help me or not?") and connecting with other services that can provide complementary services
• The importance of colours, especially for people that are in a heightened emotional state ("Yellow make me alert; I would prefer more calming colours")
• The importance of emotive language ("None of this makes me want to reach into my pockets and give you money").

Sketches > Wireframes > Clickable prototypes

• To better understand how our users might find and interact with the service we created a User Journey Map. This process enabled us to identify opportunities. Maps were then developed to outline the actions that help-seekers might take when accessing the service.

• At the beginning of the design process, we created sketches to demonstrate different concepts to the rest of the website design team. These helped to stimulate discussion and we used these as a basis for developing wireframes.

Lessons

• To extract value from the research we conducted, we analysed the research through various lens. At first, we wanted to understand the trends/patterns. We then pulled out the most significant quotes that highlighted these trends and presented these in context to the rest of the website team. We have since then, relied on these insights to make subsequent decisions relating to the information architecture.

• Cut out the noise and deliver simple insights to senior stakeholders. I have learned that instead of presenting the entire spectrum of research, deliver simple, clear-cut insights with one or two pieces of evidence (from desk research or user research).