Xanadu Group
My Role
UX / UI designer & researcher
Wireframe designer
Prototype designer
Constraints
Tight deadline: One day for research, design, and presentation.
Limited resources: Small budget, small team, few tools.
Stakeholder expectations: Balancing demands and limits.
Technical limits: Compatibility issues.
Accessibility: Ensuring accessibility quickly.
Tools Used
Figma
Slack
Project Overview
Xanadu Group, a collective of innovative organisations in Australia, provides simple solutions to business and personal challenges across various industries. From disability care services to technology solutions, Xanadu Group's brands offer a wide range of services. They aim to enhance their website's user experience by showcasing diverse brands without cluttering the main landing page, making it visually appealing and user-friendly.
The main challenge was the tight timeline: redesigning website segments and presenting the design solution to stakeholders within a day. This restricted in-depth UX research and the full UX design process. The objective was to ensure the final product was visually appealing, user-friendly, showcased diverse brands effectively, and was easy to navigate and accessible for all users.
Challenges
Limited timeframe hindered comprehensive UX research and multiple design iterations.
Balancing visually appealing design with ensuring accessibility for all users was challenging due to time constraints.
CHAPTER ONE
Think
Research Objectives
Identify pain points and usability issues with the current website design.
Understand user preferences and expectations when interacting with brand representations on the main landing page.
Explore best practices for creating accessible and user-friendly interfaces.
Gain insights into the target audience's demographics, preferences, and behaviors.
Market Research Summary
Companies avoid cluttering websites by showcasing all brands in a single section.
Successful websites prioritise user experience with clear navigation.
Interactive features enhance user engagement and exploration.
Accessibility is increasingly important for inclusive design.
Competition drives continuous website refinement.
Mobile responsiveness is crucial for accommodating diverse user devices.
Effective brand representation contributes to brand recognition.
Relevant, high-quality content boosts user engagement.
Persona
Creating a persona was crucial for ensuring a user-centered design approach, allowing me to empathise with the target audience and tailor solutions to their needs. It helped align design decisions with project goals, resulting in a more intuitive and effective website interface that prioritised user satisfaction and engagement.
How might we design a user-friendly interface that caters to the diverse needs and preferences of our target audience?
02
How might we enhance user engagement and navigation through interactive features?
03
How might we ensure accessibility for users with disabilities without compromising design aesthetics?
04
How might we streamline brand representation on the main landing page to reduce clutter?
Problem Statement
Xanadu Group's website currently struggles to effectively showcase its diverse range of brands without overwhelming users. The cluttered main landing page fails to provide a streamlined user experience, hindering navigation and exploration. Additionally, accessibility for users with disabilities is not adequately addressed, further exacerbating usability issues. As a UX/UI designer tasked with redesigning the website segments, the challenge lies in creating a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that encapsulates all brands while ensuring easy navigation and accessibility for all users.
CHAPTER TWO
MAKE
Initial Wireframes
The initial wireframes ignited creativity to develop a solution incorporating all research insights while meeting diverse user needs. Each element was meticulously crafted to enhance the user experience. Through iterative refinements, we aimed to create a cohesive and intuitive interface for seamless navigation and effective brand communication. The focus remained on exceeding user expectations, resulting in a functional and visually appealing design.
Improving On Ideas
In reaching the final design solution for the rotating menu selection, various layout options were assessed, with a focus on the impact to user experience. After thorough consideration, the concept of a rotating menu, envisioning users hovering over each option to reveal more information, was selected.
This choice streamlined navigation while injecting interactivity. Through iterative design refinements, the layout and functionality was optimised to ensure a seamless experience. Following some discussions with stakeholders and minor design changes, agreement was reached for the final design.
Style Guide / Assets
With the graphic designer's support, we created a style guide for the Xanadu Group website, brainstorming ideas to improve user navigation. This guide ensures a consistent look and feel for future additions, simplifying navigation and maintaining a seamless website experience. As Xanadu Group grows, these assets will ensure a professional and unified online presence.
CHAPTER THREE
FINAL DESIGN
Once the design was agreed upon, we focused on adding necessary details and selecting company logos for the home screen. Collaborating closely with the graphic designer, we ensured seamless logo integration that matched the website's aesthetic. The final design included images that fit neatly into the rotating menu and central circle, enhancing visual appeal. This careful coordination resulted in a sleek, user-friendly interface that effectively showcased the brands.
Staff Page
On the staff page, each team member is shown with their name and photo. A small circle under each photo indicates the company they work for. Each brand has a distinct colour, making it easy for users to identify staff members through the filter option. This improves navigation and user experience.
Card Design
The card design was simple and clean, featuring the company logo, a brief summary, and an image for each brand. Hovering over a card reveals a quick brand summary. The design focused on accessibility, allowing users to read summaries without extra clicks, ensuring an inclusive and user-friendly experience.
Project Summary
The project with Xanadu Group required an efficient approach to redesign segments of the website, showcasing multiple brands while maintaining a user-friendly interface. Through careful research and stakeholder collaboration, we created a compact main landing page with an interactive hover feature. Unique pages for each brand offered accessible summaries, and the final design included a rotating menu for easy navigation. By prioritising user experience and accessibility, the website's functionality and visual appeal were enhanced, providing a seamless browsing experience. Visit Xanadugroup.com.au to see the designs in action.
Lessons Learned
Working with a very short deadline taught me valuable lessons in efficiency and teamwork. The pressure to deliver a comprehensive redesign in just one day was intense, but it brought out the best in each team member, resulting in a great outcome. Despite the tight timeframe, we managed to collaborate effectively, ensuring that every detail was meticulously considered. The successful launch of the redesigned website led to a 14% increase in traffic, with users expressing satisfaction at the reduced number of clicks needed to navigate. This project underscored the importance of clear communication and adaptability in high-pressure situations, and demonstrated that even under constraints, a dedicated team can produce outstanding results.
Most important lessons learned:
What's Next?
The next steps for the project involve conducting usability testing to gather feedback from users and stakeholders. This feedback will be invaluable in identifying areas for further design improvement.
Additionally, the refining and optimising of the website based on user feedback and emerging trends in UX/UI design will be an ongoing process. It is essential to ensure the website remains accessible and responsive across different devices and screen sizes.
Finally, ongoing collaboration with the Xanadu Group team will be crucial in implementing any necessary changes and ensuring the website continues to meet the organisation's goals and objectives.
DISCLAIMER
The following case study pertains to the application designed during my tenure at Xanadu Group. All rights, including intellectual property rights, associated with the designs, screens, and concepts presented herein belong solely to Xanadu Group. As the designer involved in the project, I do not retain any ownership over the mentioned screens or designs. This disclaimer is provided to ensure clarity and to prevent any misinterpretation that the showcased work is my own. It is hereby acknowledged that the work presented herein is the exclusive property of Xanadu Group.
