CASE STUDY:
From unsure to information architecture
Arkitektbedriftene is an organisation that serves and represents architect companies in Norway.
Organisation's large, content-heavy website needed an upgrade. We delivered a comprehensive UI component library, for their in-house developer to implement.
My contribution was website redesign and an interactive Figma prototype.
/ web design
Tons of useful information and tools, but unclear navigation made them difficult to access. This resulted in a lot of extra workload: daily questions about where to find things and how to conduct various processes that are supported by the organisation.
Organisation aims to represent architecture and educate about its modern role. However, outdated web design was not living up to the modern usability standards and high aesthetic standards of the industry.
Organisation runs an important project called Arkitektur Skaper Verdi (eng.: Architecture Creates Value). However, having it's own website and visual identity, the project did not get much visibility on the organisation's homepage.
Things to solve
Whom are we serving and what do they need?
I started with mapping all user groups that the website serves.
I asked the client to list all website related questions received on daily basis. This gave insight into current usability issues. Also, a better understanding on what information is most often used.
Recently conducted research gave a good overview of the expectations members have towards the organisation.
Based on the insights gathered, I defined the needs of each user group and noted the most common actions they are likely to complete on the website.
Site structure: the heavy lifting
Then came a long process of listing, reviewing, grouping and arranging the website content in a way that meets the needs of website visitors.
Existing navigation, consisting of tens of pages and sub-pages was scrapped and replaced with a two layer menu that distinguishes between public and professional content.
A lot of functions that are relevant exclusively for paid members were removed from public view. They were gathered and organised under "My page", available upon log in. Content under "My page" differs slightly for regular employees and administrators of each architect company.
Wireframes: slowly taking shape
Once site structure was sorted out and confirmed by the client, I started looking for best ways to arrange content within each page.
Laying content into wireframes also allowed to check if new site structure meets previously defined user needs. How many steps does user need to accomplish their actions? Is it intuitive to look for it under this menu label? Is it easy to find information within each page?
Once wireframes were approved, it was time for the final website design. Typography, colour schemes and general vibe are consistent with organisations brand identity.
Website aesthetics is clean, minimal and predominantly black & white. The goal was to look modern, but remain relevant for years to come. A big task was to visually organise large amounts of written content. I relied on different font sizes, font weights and nuanced use of text colour in order to create clear hierarchy. Strict use of grid contributes to the general sense of order. White space is important and used with intention. It directs focus to the content and contributes to creating a high-end feel.
The very top of the homepage is used to display beautiful, high quality images from Arkitektur Skaper Verdi (with links to projects own website). This gives visibility to the project. It also serves as a good example of how Arkitektbedriftene contributes to the public discourse on architecture, which is one of the big roles of the organisation.
Final design
Do you have questions about this project? Or perhaps you'd like to discuss yours? I'll be happy to hear from you.