Wanderlance

Project Overview

Roles: UX Researcher, Product Designer, Developer

Methods: Contextual Inquiries, User Interviews, Journey Mapping

Deliverables: Branding Package and WordPress Website,

Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, WordPress, Figma

Problem

Wanderlance sought to establish a digital presence through a website tailored to sell their groundbreaking book, amplify its promotion, foster a robust mailing list, enable blogging, and cultivate a vibrant community within the blogging feature. As a fledgling startup, the challenge extended beyond mere functionality; it necessitated the delineation of a cohesive brand identity, meticulously implemented to bolster brand recognition.

outcome

This project seamlessly blended user-centric discovery, ideation, and design phases, culminating in a responsive WordPress website harmonized with a distinctive brand identity. The successful fusion of UX methodologies and creative design not only met the project goals but also laid the groundwork for a dynamic platform that resonates with the values and aspirations of its ideal users.

1. Discovery

Client Interview

To understand Wanderlance’s goals and expectations, I focused on its perspectives – who is Wanderlance, what would they like the site to convey, their competitor sites’ pros and cons, and what kind of experience they wanted to offer their clients.

Brand Personality
Inspiring, bold, alternative, community

Site Keywords

Sleek, fresh, dimensional, easy-going

Pages

Home, What is Wanderlance, Thought Leadership, The Wanderlance Manifesto, Contact Wanderlance

After empathy mapping,

I started to see users’ needs, goals, and pain points, ensuring that I was on the right track.

Emma, The Remote Trailblazer

She’s passionate and inspired, with clear goals and the confidence to achieve them.

Discovery Summary

Key Decision
The primary decision revolved around defining the optimal user experience for Wanderlance’s target audience. This included determining the most effective layout, content structure, and interactive elements to fulfill user needs and aspirations.

Research Questions
1. How do users currently interact with platforms at the intersection of wanderlust and freelance?
2. What are the specific pain points and preferences of our target audience in their freelance and travel endeavors?
3. How can the website’s information architecture be designed to best showcase diverse freelance opportunities and sustainable living content?

Company OKRs
1. Increase user engagement and retention on the Wanderlance platform.
2. Establish Wanderlance as a leading brand in the intersection of wanderlust and freelance.

Approach

Research Methods
1. Contextual Inquiries: To understand users’ current behaviors and challenges.
2. User Interviews: To gain deeper insights into user preferences, motivations, and pain points.
3. Journey Mapping: To visualize and analyze the user’s interaction with the current and desired website, identifying critical touchpoints and pain points.

Key Learnings

Key Themes
1. Users value a seamless blend of freelance opportunities and sustainable living content.
2. The importance of a visually engaging and intuitive platform for enhancing user engagement.
3. Specific pain points related to navigation and content discovery on existing platforms in the niche.

Next Steps

1. High-Fidelity Design Iterations: Refine and iterate on high-fidelity designs based on user feedback.
2. Usability Testing: Conduct usability testing to validate design decisions and identify any remaining pain points.
3. Collaboration with Development Team: Work closely with the development team to implement the finalized designs.
4. Launch and Monitor: Launch the updated platform and closely monitor user engagement and feedback.

2. Ideation

I started by sketching out some layout ideas for the home page, emphasizing a user-centric approach that prioritized intuitive information architecture. I focused on creating a visually engaging hero section to capture immediate attention, followed by clear and concise navigation elements, adhering principles of visual hierarchy. Iterating through wireframes allowed me to refine the user flow and ensure a seamless journey, considering factors such as F-pattern reading habits for optimal content absorption.

I translated my sketches into low-fidelity representations, emphasizing key UX elements such as information hierarchy, navigation pathways, and content prioritization. Applying principles like content-first design and user flow optimization, the wireframes served as a blueprint, fostering a user-centric foundation for the subsequent high-fidelity design phase.

3. Design

My design process commenced with creating a mood board to portray the brand. From there, I distilled these inspirations into a cohesive brand identity, complete with comprehensive brand guidelines.

Then I developed the high-fidelity website designs, ensuring a seamless visual translation of the brand’s essence into an engaging and user-friendly digital experience.

4. Takeaway

Reflecting on the Wanderlance project, the iterative journey of user research, ideation, and design underscored the importance of adaptability and responsiveness to user needs. If the project moves forward, continuous user feedback and analytics would drive ongoing improvements, ensuring Wanderlance becomes a dynamic and user-centric platform at the forefront of the intersection between wanderlust and freelance.