Website Redesign
I’ve done 3 design projects for this client (all connected): the website redesign, a frontend application and a backend application (I designed the frontend, but we refer to it as backend application). Here, I will showcase the process for the website redesign.
For some context first, this project was supposed to be a redesign of some templates provided by VITA. However, in our first discovery call, the client was very disappointed with them, and in the end, we agreed internally and with the client that they could go instead with a Samplesite redesign.
This has been my favorite client work so far, as I had more time to do actual research and had more freedom to brainstorm with the client. They provided brand guidelines and user stories. I gathered everything I had about this project in a Milanote board, researched about them, and gathered questions for our discovery call.
After our discovery call, I had a better idea of what the client wanted, and started creating wireframes in Balsamiq, and writing a Design Specification Document, where I included all design decisions made so far, like brand guidelines, content type details, etc.
After the client approved the wireframes, I searched multiple sources to find references I thought were relevant to the client. I put those together in a moodboard, along with some possibilities for color combinations, and some different layout options so the client could give me feedback about which option was on the right track.
Now, doing this wouldn’t be the best option for some clients. Having too many choices can be counter-productive, I’m aware. But, because I could tell this is a very active client who consistently wants to provide feedback, I could be as creative as I wanted and expect consistent feedback in return to reach a nice solution faster. For other clients who just want a final solution, such as Compensation Board (we can discuss this in a call if you’re interested), I had to reduce the presented choices to just one or two to not overwhelm the client. It’s not a one process fits all clients, so I try my best to fit their needs.
After the client provided feedback on those options, I created more design options for them to choose from, with content examples that they requested. I like to present different versions side by side, to make sure the client can test which they like more and provide more accurate feedback. When you have a specific vision, it can be easier to comment on something you’re seeing than trying to come up with a request that may be hard to explain, so this worked really well for the client.
After multiple iterations of feedback and redesign, this was the final design that made the client very happy. Another positive point this client mentioned while working with me is that I tend to work “live” while sharing my screen. If the client mentions a simple change, I don’t waste time and do it right then. This, in my experience, lets them see it clearly while their focus is still on that topic, it’s much more efficient than waiting a few hours and having to communicate changes through email, and so far has led me to reach the design they envisioned faster.
Once the homepage hero and banner were finished, I had a clearer vision for how to proceed with the rest of the redesign, as it was mostly changing colors, fonts, and borders. Our goal with this redesign was to keep as much of the Samplesite code as possible. For us, to keep the project within budget, and for the client, to be able to keep a tighter deadline.
For some of the content types, I designed multiple versions again, and after some feedback iteration, we reached the final designs.
Applications
If you’d like to see a preview of one of the other projects I mentioned, this is from the frontend application:
