The organization believes that there is an opportunity to improve their websites usability, functionality, and accessibility. They are also looking for changes to the architecture and engagement. Our team worked on ways to design a modernized website to serve all stakeholders, thinking about the needs of our target group. We considered the QCCC union members, who need quick access to the website on a day-to-day basis, as well as non-members who are looking to learn more about the organization. We also took into consideration the students to are looking to become members in the industry, who need access to the training programs the organization provides, to find and apply for jobs in the field. 

We used the interview and immersion method to ask existing or potential users questions to gain an understanding of their preferences and thoughts. Our team decided that direct questioning was the most beneficial way to gather information from the source. 

Immersion involves entering entering the context of who you are designing for. It provides a greater degree of insight into the needs of the users. Our team had the opportunity to spend a day shadowing and observing employees at the company and have them walk us through their decision making process. In the study, participants were utilized to assess their interaction with the website and evaluate how they would use its features. 

• Navigation Challenges

  • The absence of inherent website navigation often results in the users devoting significant time searching for specific content, navigating through multiple tabs, and experiencing frustration. This can lead to users resorting to calling headquarters for assistance. ​

• Login Complexity 

  • Users currently face the inconvenience of having to manage multiple usernames and passwords for accessing various websites related to the company. Simplifying this process would enhance efficiency and user experience.

• Information Accessibility​

  • Users encounter difficulties accessing information on the website due to the length and complexity. Streamlining information presentation and providing a more user-friendly interface would significantly improve user engagement and understanding. ​

The next phase of our design process is ideation. Now that we have identified the main challenges the website faces, we can pinpoint key themes from our findings to understand what is important for the new website design. Our goal as we moved into this next phase was to make sense of what we have gathered and start designing prototypes to tackle the many issues the website and organization faces. We were then able to translate our findings into tangible design strategies while gaining insight and feedback from the company.