Website Redesign / New York Transit Museum

Website Redesign / New York Transit Museum

Website Redesign /
New York Transit Museum

This 5 month redesign project aimed at improving the discoverability on the New York Transit Museum website. With a team of two other UX Designers, I focused on improving the site navigation experience and building high fidelity prototypes for the pre-visit planning experience on the website.

This 5 month redesign project aimed at improving the discoverability on the New York Transit Museum website. With a team of two other UX Designers, I focused on improving the site navigation experience and building high fidelity prototypes for the pre-visit planning experience on the website.

This 5 month redesign project aimed at improving the discoverability on the New York Transit Museum website. With a team of two other UX Designers, I focused on improving the site navigation experience and building high fidelity prototypes for the pre-visit planning experience on the website.

Problem Statement

Problem Statement

Problem Statement
The New York Transit Museum requires a website overhaul due to its recent expansion without a clear organization strategy.

Inconsistent visual design and a bloated website structure makes it difficult for users to find relevant information easily.

The New York Transit Museum requires a website overhaul due to its recent expansion without a clear organization strategy.

Inconsistent visual design and a bloated website structure makes it difficult for users to find relevant information easily.

The New York Transit Museum requires a website overhaul due to its recent expansion without a clear organization strategy.

Inconsistent visual design and a bloated website structure makes it difficult for users to find relevant information easily.

Solution

Solution

Solution

An enhanced information architecture that aligns with existing user mental models, combined with a cohesive visual redesign, offering an intuitive and consistent user experience across both web and mobile platforms.

An enhanced information architecture that aligns with existing user mental models, combined with a cohesive visual redesign, offering an intuitive and consistent user experience across both web and mobile platforms.

An enhanced information architecture that aligns with existing user mental models, combined with a cohesive visual redesign, offering an intuitive and consistent user experience across both web and mobile platforms.

My Design Process

My Design Process

My Design Process

01

01

01

Exploratory Research Phase

Exploratory Research Phase

Understanding User behavior

Understanding User behavior

Understanding User behavior

Finding out what users main motivations and goals are while interacting with the website

Finding out what users main motivations and goals are while interacting with the website

Finding out what users main motivations and goals are while interacting with the website

Process:

Conducted 6 structured user interviews and surveys, moderated user testing on current website

Understanding Website Content

Understanding Website Content

Understanding Website Content

Familiarizing ourselves with the current content on the website and how it is organized

Process:

Content evaluation and indexing to understand content grouping and interlinking on the current website

Understanding the Context

Understanding the Context

Understanding the Context

Exploring similar organizations in this space and seeing how they addressed similar challenges

Process:

Landscape reviews of 9 similar organization's websites (6 direct and 3 indirect competitors)

Key findings from our exploratory research

Key findings from our exploratory research

Key findings from our exploratory research

Navigation needs to be more intuitive

Navigation needs to be more intuitive
Navigation needs to be more intuitive

Users were often confused by the jargon/vague page names even if they were returning visitors

Users were often confused by the jargon/vague page names even if they were returning visitors

Users were often confused by the jargon/vague page names even if they were returning visitors

Information must be scan-able

Information must be scan-able
Information must be scan-able

Users expressed that they had to spend a lot of time finding relevant content on the website

Users expressed that they had to spend a lot of time finding relevant content on the website

Users expressed that they had to spend a lot of time finding relevant content on the website

Efficient checkout process is needed

Efficient checkout process is needed
Efficient checkout process is needed

Users want to check out quickly and easily once they decide they want to visit the museum

Users want to check out quickly and easily once they decide they want to visit the museum

Users want to check out quickly and easily once they decide they want to visit the museum

02

02

02

Evaluating our user's mental models

Evaluating our user's mental models

Evaluating our user's mental models
A key issue brought up by the client and our user research was that users could not easily navigate through the website.

To test what is intuitive for our end users, we conducted a card sorting exercise. We asked participants to organize the existing content into groups that made sense to them.

A key issue brought up by the client and our user research was that users could not easily navigate through the website.

To test what is intuitive for our end users, we conducted a card sorting exercise. We asked participants to organize the existing content into groups that made sense to them.

And then proposing a new site map

And then proposing a new site map

And then proposing a new site map

Our solution involved proposing a new organization structure, which we refined through three rounds of tree testing. We asked users to complete common tasks on the website using these site maps, refining the structure until we were satisfied with its intuitiveness and ability to clearly present the website's content.

Our solution involved proposing a new organization structure, which we refined through three rounds of tree testing. We asked users to complete common tasks on the website using these site maps, refining the structure until we were satisfied with its intuitiveness and ability to clearly present the website's content.

Our solution involved proposing a new organization structure, which we refined through three rounds of tree testing. We asked users to complete common tasks on the website using these site maps, refining the structure until we were satisfied with its intuitiveness and ability to clearly present the website's content.

Key improvements in the new Information Architecture

Key improvements in the new Information Architecture

Removed confusing terminology in the navigation menu

Removed confusing terminology in the navigation menu
Removed confusing terminology in the navigation menu

Labeling site pages clearly by purpose, like "Educational Videos," makes navigation easier and more intuitive.

Labeling site pages clearly by purpose, like "Educational Videos," makes navigation easier and more intuitive.

Labeling site pages clearly by purpose, like "Educational Videos," makes navigation easier and more intuitive.

Encouraged exploration through a Discover tab

Encouraged exploration through a Discover tab
Encouraged exploration through a Discover tab

Promotes engagement, awareness and exploration of content that is not immediately discoverable on the home page

Promotes engagement, awareness and exploration of content that is not immediately discoverable on the home page

Promotes engagement, awareness and exploration of content that is not immediately discoverable on the home page

Removes ambiguity by categorizing programs by age instead of type

Removes ambiguity by categorizing programs by age instead of type
Removes ambiguity by categorizing programs by age instead of type

Sorting information by it's content type can be confusing, subjective and require prior knowledge to understand.

Sorting information by it's content type can be confusing, subjective and require prior knowledge to understand.

Sorting information by it's content type can be confusing, subjective and require prior knowledge

03

03

03

Design development phase

Design development phase
Wireframing and lo-fi prototypes
Wireframing and lo-fi prototypes

We started out with some quick iterations through paper sketching and lo-fi prototypes on figma

We started out with some quick iterations through paper sketching and lo-fi prototypes on figma

Usability testing with target users
Usability testing with target users

We conducted user testing with 6 participants to help us refine our prototypes and account for user expectations

We conducted user testing with 6 participants to help us refine our prototypes and account for user expectations

Making a style guide and hi-fi prototypes
Making a style guide and hi-fi prototypes

Built a style guide and a component library to make sure all our designs were consistent across mobile and web

Built a style guide and a component library to make sure all our designs were consistent across mobile and web

Final Designs

Final Designs

Final Designs

Key Flow 1
Improving discoverability of exhibits

Key Flow 1
Improving discoverability of exhibits

Key Flow 1
Improving discoverability of exhibits

More visuals and white space that allows for quick scanning

More visuals and white space that allows for quick scanning

More visuals + white space that allows for quick scanning

Conscious visual design decision to allow for easier scanning and to help visitors save time

Conscious visual design decision to allow for easier scanning and to help visitors save time

Conscious visual design decision to allow for easier scanning and to help visitors save time

Multi-level drop down navigation menu

Multi-level drop down navigation menu

Multi-level drop down navigation menu

Dropdown menu design that clearly shows the range and types of content within each menu item

Dropdown menu design that clearly shows the range and types of content within each menu item

Dropdown menu design that clearly shows the range and types of content within each menu item

Card format with key info for content shown on the home page

Card format with key info for content shown on the home page

Card format with key info for content on the home page

Only shows critical information to visitors that then inform them on relevancy and build curiosity

Only shows critical information to visitors that then inform them on relevancy and build curiosity

Only shows critical information to visitors that informs them on relevancy and builds curiosity

Key Flow 2
Improving efficiency in the checkout process

Key Flow 2
Improving efficiency in the checkout process

Key Flow 2
Improving efficiency in the checkout process

Quick select dates (today/tom) based on our user preferences

Quick select dates (today/tom) based on our user preferences

Quick select dates (today/tom) based on our user preferences

User research highlighted most visitors plan visits on the day or day before their visit

User research highlighted most visitors plan visits on the day or day before their visit

User research highlighted most visitors plan and book visits on the day/day before their visit

Progress bar and sticky cart to reduce cognitive load

Progress bar and sticky cart to reduce cognitive load

Progress bar and sticky cart to reduce cognitive load

Reduce confusion/errors by clear indication of their progress and status of any of their inputs

Reduce confusion/errors by clear indication of their progress and status of any of their inputs

Reduce confusion/errors by clear indication of their progress and status of any of their inputs

Build awareness with a "don't miss out on" section

Build awareness with a "don't miss out on" section

Build awareness with a "don't miss out on" section

Encourage visitors to explore and be more aware all the museums offerings

Encourage visitors to explore and be more aware all the museums offerings

Encourage visitors to explore and be more aware all the museums offerings around the time they visit

Let’s Collaborate!
DESIGNER | INNOVATOR | STRATEGIST |
Let’s Collaborate!
DESIGNER | INNOVATOR | STRATEGIST |

Reflection

My first project in grad school became a pivotal opportunity to seamlessly apply design thinking and collaborative principles to address a genuine use case. The culmination was presenting the outcomes to the Director of NYTM, making it an exceptionally enriching experience.

My first project in grad school became a pivotal opportunity to seamlessly apply design thinking and collaborative principles to address a genuine use case. The culmination was presenting the outcomes to the Director of NYTM, making it an exceptionally enriching experience.

My first project in grad school became a pivotal opportunity to seamlessly apply design thinking and collaborative principles to address a genuine use case. The culmination was presenting the outcomes to the Director of NYTM, making it an exceptionally enriching experience.

If I had more time..

If I had more time..

If I had more time..

I would have spent more time researching how museums set up their search systems and a potential display of events and workshops in a calendar format

I would have spent more time researching how museums set up their search systems and a potential display of events and workshops in a calendar format

I would have spent more time researching how museums set up their search systems and a potential display of content in a calendar format

My biggest challenge

My biggest challenge

My biggest challenge

Overall, it was challenging to arrive at the scope of redesign as we had to parse through large amounts of content and an un-organized website structure

Overall, it was challenging to arrive at the scope of redesign as we had to parse through large amounts of content and an un-organized website structure

Overall, it was challenging to arrive at the scope of redesign as we had to parse through a lot of content and an un-organized website

My takeaway

My takeaway

My takeaway

When dealing with a content heavy website, user behavior can reveal interesting work-arounds and priorities which can be great design opportunities

When dealing with a content heavy website, user behavior can reveal interesting work-arounds and priorities which can be great design opportunities

When dealing with a content heavy website, user behavior can reveal interesting work-arounds and priorities which can be great design opportunities

Let’s Collaborate!
DESIGNER | INNOVATOR | STRATEGIST |
Let’s
Collaborate!
DESIGNER | INNOVATOR | STRATEGIST |

©

Shreedhar Verma

2024

Let’s
Collaborate!

DESIGNER | INNOVATOR | STRATEGIST |