Objectives
Hft needed a partner that could design and build them a new website that would showcase Hft as a high-quality learning disability support provider, improve the overall perception of the charity as an authority in the learning disability sector, and most importantly ensure that the UX was accessible for those with learning disabilities, while also being fit for purpose for other key audience segments such as support works and statutory bodies.
- New accessable website
- Fit for purpose for key stakeholders
Our Approach
Prior to the project starting, a user testing study was completed, to understand how existing users were moving through the site towards the goal of support worker applications. This gave us key user feedback on how people digest support worker information, what the core user journeys towards this goal are, and what key barriers to conversion existed.
A key part of the UX design phase was the information architecture. Our first step was to conduct SEO situation analysis to better understand the ideal content hierarchy and identify opportunities. This was especially useful for the client, as they had initially taken the decision to remove a lot of content. The data behind the SEO analysis was crucial for forecasting the impact of this action and providing an alternative recommendation on integrating this content.
Once we had the feedback from our UX research, we ran a workshop with Hft’s core stakeholders to gain feedback on the findings and understand their needs. This allowed us to construct IA that considered user, SEO and stakeholders needs – building a solid foundation to support the needs of the various user groups.
The next phase was to wireframe the key pages within the core user journeys. We created fully interactive Axure wireframes to allow Hft to get a true feel of what the user experience would be like, and to ensure there was a thread from the main landing pages to the support worker application portal. Key wireframes included the homepage, the locations page, and of course the job search page.
Off the back of these wireframes, designs were created across desktop and mobile to fully visualise how the UI would look and feel. This was an essential phase to ensure that content was accessible for the learning disability audience. The finished product was a 500-page fully responsive site, built to maximise client accessibility and empower hft to make quick, agile changes post go-live. Consisting of multiple blogs, a comprehensive knowledgebase and complex integrated features such as a jobs system & location database connected to interactive maps, all integrated within a CMS.
Results
Hft were thrilled with their brand new website which checked all the boxes for the in terms of design and aesthetics but also delivered them the conversion results they desired.
- Increased job applications
- Increased the number of event sign-ups
- Maximised site speed
"Re-designing and re-building our website was a big project with a wide range of complexities, but we’re delighted we chose to work with equimedia. They worked closely with us to build out a site architecture that protected our SEO value and provided an opportunity for growth, and the insights we got from the customer behavioural analysis were vital to inform our site UX and design. We now have a vibrant fully responsive website that’s geared towards our KPI’s and we’re already reaping the benefits. Needless to say, we’re delighted!"
Nick Smith, Digital Communications Manager
74% increase in job applications
67% increase in event sign-ups
mobile site speed 99/100
Interested in seeing what we can do for you? Get in touch and let us know about your requirements today.
