The Product
A luxury furniture manufacturing company, using their website as an online catalog with the goal of creating a seamless consultation service between ELA, their clients, and their designers.
The Problem
Pre-existing website lacked responsive design and cohesive branding. Working with a website development company, their team quickly learned that iterations were expensive and the developers lacked skills in design.
Project Overview
Interface Education
Teaching members of the ELA team how to navigate the online interface software, make updates to the copyright, and add simple elements and buttons to site pages.
Collaborative Design
Weekly collaboration sessions to exchange ideas, provide design mock-ups, and receive feedback. Iterative feedback loops and constant refinement leading to the creation of a cohesive and visually appealing website while satisfying stakeholders.
Experience Strategy & Vision
To create a visually stunning, responsive, and user-friendly website showcasing ELA's collections and their sustainability goals. To provide a seamless and engaging experience, promoting the brand's modern and minimalistic aesthetic to customers.
My Role
Aimed to understand user needs, preferences, pain points, online discovery processes, and decision-making factors throughout the digital journey.
Findings Highlighted the Importance of
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Detailed product information
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Customisation options
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Seamless consultation processes
The research informed improvements in website design, navigation, and clarity of information, ensuring a smoother user experience and stronger customer satisfaction.
UX Research
Style
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Modern and minimalistic aesthetic
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Color scheme: black, brown, and white
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Have products be the center of the design
Homepage
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Carousel of ELA’s collection highlighting what is in their products section
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Clear navigation & language tools
Products Page
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Shop by "Collection" & "Function" in addition to Shop "All"
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Interactive images; hovering over the product will showcase lifestyle images of the piece
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Seamless search feature where customers can further personalise ELA's catalogue to their needs
Vision for Redesign
Functionality vs. Aesthetics
Showcasing over 100 products from 6 different outdoor furniture collections while maintaining a modern and minimalistic design posed a challenge. The insight gained was the need for thoughtful information architecture and strategic visual presentation.
Finding a balance between providing necessary product information and maintaining a clean and visually appealing design required careful consideration of layout, navigation, and visual hierarchy.
First & Foremost: Informational Architecture
Striking a balance between the brand's desired aesthetic and functionality using Editor X was challenging at times.
The design needed to align with the company's modern and minimalistic brand identity while also meeting user needs for intuitive navigation, clear product information, and a visually appealing experience. Iterative feedback loops and effective communication were crucial to finding a design solution that satisfied both aspects.