Website Redesign
MAQ Software
The MAQ Software website hadn't been updated in 5 years and Google Analytics revealed it had low engagement. To increase engagement and win more customers, leadership tasked my team with redesigning the website. And, due to bandwidth and budget constraints, it all had to be done in one month.
My Role
Designer, developer & content creator
Team Size
3 (content design & UX design)
Tech Stack
Adobe XD, Photoshop, Visual Studio, GitHub
Results
37% increase in engagement
Style & Requirements
Technical requirements
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New HTML template, hosted on same domain
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Compatible with Blogger and GitHub
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More organized CSS and HTML
Brand guidelines
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Minimalist and professional
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Formal messaging (bullet points whenever possible)
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3-color scheme (red, white, and grey)
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White background with minimal use of accent color
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Limited graphics
Design & Development
Site map
Through behavior analysis and user testing, we found that many users struggled to navigate our website. To resolve the issue, I developed a site map that decluttered the menu, brought popular pages to the forefront, and opened up more access points.
Wireframes
Reimagining layout and content is my favorite part of the design process. As such, I took the lead in creating wireframes for each page. Leveraging both design principals and our user research findings, I designed wireframes that not only better organized content from a functional standpoint, but from an aesthetic one as well.
Content
This was the most challenging part of the project. Leadership had a strong vision for the voice and format of the content, though it didn't always match user needs. We went through many iterations that required updates to the wireframes and overall structure of the content. My team and I worked closely with leadership to understand their concerns and ultimately created content that balanced both leadership satisfaction and user needs.
Development
Per leadership request, we purchased an HTML template that mirrored the look and feel of our designs. We leveraged and customized existing elements to put the pages together and created assets using Adobe Stock, Photoshop, and Illustrator. This was an exciting challenge, as my colleague and I had only previously deployed websites using website builders and were only moderately skilled in HTML. Overall we improved our skills and it was an exciting learning experience.
Before
After
Results
Three months after launching the redesign, Google Analytics revealed that user engagement increased by 37%. In addition, numerous customers reached out with 100% positive feedback.
37%
Increase in
engagement
100%
Positive feedback
Reflection
As with all projects, there’s almost always something you could have done differently. With the guidelines and timeframe we were given, my team and I designed a higher-performing website that satisfied leadership's requirements. That being said, I think there's still room for improvement, particularly with the branding and copy. If I was given more time and leadership had been open to new ideas, I would have pitched a brand redesign that better aligns with tech and design trends and prioritized user needs/expectations.
Research & Analysis
Competitor analysis
We analyzed the websites of our top 5 competitors to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and market gaps. Through our analysis we discovered that comps consistently included more calls to action, stronger focus on customer pain points, bolder colors and design, and more social proof.
User personas
As one of my first initiatives at MAQ Software, I created user personas for our top 4 client/prospect types. I leveraged them here to ensure the website addressed their unique pain points, journeys, and consumption style.
User journeys
Using Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity on our existing website, we analyzed how users interact with pages and formed patterns in behavior. We then used this information to better structure the flow of the new design.
Heuristic walkthrough
To further identify design and usability gaps, we conducted a heuristic walkthrough both as a team and with two unbiased participants.
