My Role
I redesigned the UX and visual design of the site.
I also developed new elements for the site’s WordPress system.
Context
The Writing Centre is a writing support group at Emily Carr University. They requested a new website after facing usability issues.
Problem Statement
How do we remove obstacles for students looking for Writing Centre services?
To learn more about obstacles on the existing website, I interviewed and conducted usability tests with staff and students at the university.
Research and insights
In-person research revealed that Writing Centre offerings needed to be more discoverable.
The website previously introduced the purpose of the Centre and why it might be useful to students.
The Centre was familiar to many students now.
They access it when they need services like support or to join activities.
The goal now is to offer quick access to these services.
This includes surfacing what services are available (eg, writing tutor appointments) and further choices (eg, which tutors are available)
Design Highlights
A refreshed homepage shows users what they need at the moment.
Research Insights
The previous site showed non-essential information to students, like a Manifesto on the front page.
A new ‘Services’ page shows what the Writing Centre offers at a glance.
Research Insights
Users wanted to compare the different services offered by the Writing Centre. This previously required opening multiple links.
Tutors can be browsed using tabs, for quick comparison.
Research Insights
Users wanted to compare tutors to check which one could help them best.
Events, groups and programs are now all in one place.
Research Insights
Previously, events, groups and programs were found on separate pages. Students had difficulty finding items as they didn’t know which page to look under.
Resources are now easy to browse and filter quickly.
Research Insights
One user used Cmd-F to find a resource document during a test of the old website. This showed the need for resource filtering.
Development
I rebuilt the site, making it easier for the client to update on a familiar WordPress CMS.
The staff at the Writing Centre had issues organizing their website pages.
All pages were saved in a single list. There were no templates for content like events, tutors or services.
Following interviews with staff, I organized content types in sections, making management quick.
Content like Events now can be updated in one place. Changes reflect across the site.
Research and insights
In-person research revealed that Writing Centre offerings needed to be more discoverable.
