CONTEXT
As one of my first big projects in the beginning of my professional career, I was thrilled to work on bringing about new life to a well-used website for the Australian Criminal Law Group (ACLG). Even more profound is that I entered this endeavour as an intern and continued it as a permanent team member. It was a proud moment to have been given the opportunity to work extensively on this redesign and be able to successfully deliver my part.
Research & Discovery
Archival Analysis
The project began with a comprehensive archival process of the existing ACLG website. This involved cataloging and analyzing user behavior through heatmaps and analytics data. By understanding user interactions, we identified key pain points and areas for improvement. This detailed archiving process allowed the team to gain a better understanding of primary and secondary screens, template layouts, and content feasibility.
Competitor Research & Analysis
Next, we conducted extensive competitor research, examining a range of websites from large-scale firms to specialised criminal law practices. This research provided deep insights into industry trends, user expectations, and best practices. We analysed design choices, common website elements, and features that competitors incorporated but ACLG lacked, such as a blog section.
To gather user insights, we conducted light discovery UX research by sending out surveys to a group of people. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, we couldn't access the law firm's actual clients or get direct intentional contact with users who require this law firm's particular services. Despite these constraints, the feedback from these surveys provided valuable perspectives on user expectations and preferences. Feasibility constraints limited the depth of our research, but the gathered data still informed our design decisions and helped shape the overall user experience.
Design Conceptualisation
Ideation & Brainstorming
Armed with insights from our research, we began the design conceptualization phase through collaborative workshops and brainstorming sessions. We explored various creative directions, focusing on translating research findings into actionable design elements. Iterative design prototypes were created to visualise different layout structures, visual styles, and interactive components, ensuring alignment with ACLG's brand identity and user expectations.
Wireframing & User-Centred Design
Structural Framework & Navigation
Using industry-standard tools like Sketch, we moved into wireframing. This phase outlined the skeletal framework of the website, defining user navigation paths, content hierarchy, and interaction flows. Each wireframe iteration underwent rigorous usability testing and feedback sessions with stakeholders and potential users. This iterative process allowed us to refine the user experience based on real-world insights, ensuring an intuitive, accessible, and responsive design.
Visual Design & Iterative Prototyping
Bringing Designs to Life
Building on the wireframes, we transitioned to visual design, bringing the website to life with aesthetics that complemented ACLG's professional image. Through iterative prototyping, we refined visual elements such as typography, color schemes, imagery, and UI components. Each design iteration underwent usability testing to validate its effectiveness in enhancing user engagement and satisfaction. Our goal was to create a visually appealing and cohesive design language that resonated with ACLG's brand values and provided a seamless browsing experience.
Development & Quality Assurance
Implementation & Testing
The final design was handed over to the development team, initiating the next phase of rigorous quality assurance testing. This included validating functionality, performance, and cross-browser compatibility. Throughout this phase, I facilitated ongoing communication between the design and development teams, ensuring that design decisions were implemented effectively and feedback was promptly addressed. This collaborative approach ensured that the final product met high standards of usability and accessibility.
Final Product
View the redesigned website:
View the redesigned website:
Key Takeaways & Future Directions
Participating in this comprehensive website redesign project provided invaluable insights into UX principles and methodologies. From research and wireframing to visual design and testing, each phase exemplified our dedication to user-centered design and excellence. Navigating through aligning to industry standard practices and regulations allowed me to grow significantly. Balancing the designs to be on par with the competitor space and address the needs of this particular user base was an enriching lesson I'm happy to take on further.
Moving forward, I am eager to apply these learnings to future projects, advocating for continued innovation and user-focused solutions that elevate digital experiences across diverse industries.
Designed at Thinkun with Gawshika Aumkaran as part of the Design team