Website Redesign -
Sponsored project
The goal of this project is to create an engaging and informative website experience.
FordLabs is a specialized team within the Ford Motor Company which partners with Ford Businesses to solve problems.
Primary goal of FordLabs is to collaborate closely with various divisions and units within Ford to address and resolve substantial challenges or issues by designing and creating digital products and services that are efficient, user-friendly, and centered around human needs and preferences.
My role
Team leader
Research - Interviews, Data Analysis
Strategy - Planning Co-Design and Brand identity workshops
Ideation
Wireframing
Prototyping and Delivery
Duration
16 Weeks -
Aug to Dec 2022
Context
Sponsored Project
Client - FordLabs
Purdue University Graduate Experience Studio - Fall 2022
Advisors
Dr. Austin Toombs
Samrudhhi Kokate
Starting with our goal and what do we hope to achieve ?
The goal of this project is to create an engaging and informative website experience that not only promotes a deep understanding of how teams at FordLabs work but also effectively conveys FordLab's innovative design process, fostering a vibrant work culture that inspires prospective and current employees to explore open positions and become part of our dynamic team.
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While FordLabs has published articles on how they work, they wanted a more comprehensive and effective way to communicate that information on their website.
A visual Design system refresh
Engaging Design System
Promote intrigue and interest in exploring the site
Employee Testimonials
Educate users on how FordLabs works while remaining personal
Display Case Studies
Showcase ideology and methodology and demonstrate important work
Link to careers page
Lead prospective employees directly to available positions
Final Designs
Clear and concise
navigation bar
Old six category navigation bar
Projects page
FordLabs projects and Case study display which conveys their innovative design process.
Project display with vertical scrolling
Work culture
Work culture along with sneak peak into FordLabs activities
Old our culture section
Team page
Team members displayed in a visually appealing grid formal and an added filter function
Old team page
Revised How we work and methods section
Showcasing team members testimonial in more visually appealing and engaging format. The interviews with the team members will help potential employees of FordLabs understand and know about the real people they will be working with after joining FordLabs.
Footer
Intentional footer - a meaningful ways to capture the attention of the users.
Ok pause, but how did this happen ?
Our process started with thorough exploration of design requirements, Through initial discussion calls with our client, we delved into their expectations for the redesign, probed the existing website's pain points, and identified its shortcomings.
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These conversations crystallized our primary objective: to revamp the current website with a dual focus. First, we aimed to ensure that potential employees gain a comprehensive understanding of FordLabs' mission and offerings before they apply. Secondly, we set out to streamline the message for Ford teams, enabling them to grasp FordLabs' core functions more effectively when considering project proposals.
Stakeholders
1. Prospective employees
2. Ford teams who want to collaborate
Secondary research... knowing more about the website and competitors
Understanding the current website experience
Our first goal was to gain a deep understanding of the existing website. We sought to uncover what elements were working well and where improvements were needed. Additionally, we aimed to unravel the decision-making processes that had shaped the website's current structure.
Understanding the competitor website experience
Our second research goal led us to explore what worked effectively in competitor websites. We tried applying this information to help us understand how to translate the FordLabs experience.
Competitive Analysis
1
We initiated our research by meticulously examining over 50 competitor websites. Our aim was to decipher their navigation and user flow patterns. Through this extensive analysis, we identified emerging trends and best practices that were prevalent in the industry. This initial phase was instrumental in benchmarking our project against industry standards.
Content Inventory Study
2
A deeper dive into the digital realm involved studying the content inventory of both the FordLabs website and its competitors. We meticulously assessed content types, tones, and messaging strategies. The insights we garnered helped us to understand the digital content landscape, providing valuable direction for content improvements.
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UI Audit
3
our ultimate goal was a website redesign, a thorough UI audit was imperative. We established a set of criteria and guidelines to assess the existing user interface. This audit unveiled areas that required immediate attention and those that were performing commendably. These findings became the building blocks of our redesign strategy.
"Larger companies exemplify a cohesive experience and exhibit their process AND the people behind them"
"FordLabs content inventory highlights a significant gap in effectively conveying FordLabs' work culture and design innovation, indicating a clear need for a comprehensive website redesign"
To summarize our secondary research insights in simple and few words ...
An in-depth UX evaluation revealed - dated visuals, clutter, and navigation challenges on FordLab's website. The scrolling experience was exhausting, with unclear information hierarchy and inaccessible design. Medium articles were hard to find, and images appeared distorted without clear purpose. The absence of a concise value proposition further hindered user understanding. Through our redesign we hope to address these issues and elevate the overall user experience.
Understanding our users ... How they feel about the website
1
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The first goal was to improve the transparency of the FordLabs experience. In order to do this, we need to get a better understanding of the work culture within FordLabs.
We conducted 5 interviews of current employees to understand their work culture. We also need to tried understanding what the best way is to display this information.
What did we understood in short ..
Most employees rarely visit the sit because the website is outdated
"The only reason I interact with website is to look at my team"
Employees described the work culture as fun, innovative and collaborative
"The team is great and it boils down to great work-life balance."
2
Our second goal is to understand what prospective FordLabs employees are looking for in the FordLabs website. To get more information about this we conducted 8 interviews of students.
We found some insights which students value the most
color coded insights *
Green - Implemented
Orange - Partially implemented
Red - couldn't implement
What next? A collaborative approach to the redesign ...
Understanding style, work and sentiment
Prior to initiating the redesign, a crucial step involved delving into the work culture at FordLabs. Recognizing the importance of understanding employee perspectives on workplace ethos, we conducted a brand identity and codesign workshop. This collaborative approach allowed us to gather valuable insights directly from employees, informing the redesign strategy and ensuring alignment with the company's ethos.
Brand Identity alignment
1. Adjective sorting
Process
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From the large list of adjectives, move over the cards that your cards. think describe your brand well, the cards that you don’t think describe the brand, and some iffy cards
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If you do not see any words thatyou want, feel free to add your own.
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Think about when you describe your workplace to your friends, family, etc
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Think about how you wantFordLabs to be perceived by others
Takeaways
Experimental , Creative, Non-Traditional as Ford Labs tries to be different, but not just for the sake of being different. Likes to work differently than the greater ford companies do.
2. Brand Identity spectrum
Process
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Place 7 sets of opposite adjectives on either side of the spectrum .
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Discuss as a group where you believe the company is currently and where you want it to be.
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Reflect on these findings as a group. Pinpoint areas that you excel in and areas that you want
to improve on.
Takeaways
“Serious and Fun - We are close to ‘serious’ because of our remote work style, but people outside think we are
fun. So we're pretty much both.”
“Energetic and Calm" - I find it difficult to believe that anyone would describe us as 'calm and collected'. If you walked into FordLabs of the first time, you would find a lot of energy.
3. Vision statement
Takeaways
“Passionate people collaborating to bring feedback to the Ford business and awesome outcomes for our customers.”
“Help teams at Ford to create innovative
tech solutions for their teams"
“Have all of Ford work in an iterative and customer focused way."
4. Mission statement
Takeaways
“We help Ford rapidly de-risk assumptions and identify positive digital customer experiences for both business
and end users.”
“creating innovative tech solutions in a customer-focused way to demonstrate desirability, viability and feasibility of Ford ideas”
And we decided to focus on...
How might we convey FordLabs innovative design process and work culture to the people ?
Design opportunities
Re-designing the employee page so that it is easier for co-workers to find their team and include testimonials from current employees to help prospective employees learn more about who they are.
Connecting everything throughout the website experience and leading people to want to find out more about their process/projects.
Landing page
Crowded navigation bar
What - Streamlined navigation from six to three key areas for a more user-friendly experience, focusing on clarity and simplicity.
Why - To enhance user engagement by reducing cognitive load and emphasizing essential content.
How - Optimizing the main navigation for core information and presenting a design opportunity to prioritize user needs & encourage exploration of key sections.
Lack of transparent team and employee insights
What - Enriching the team page experience by introducing employee testimonials and case studies, strategically grouped by roles.
Why - To enhance transparency and also highlight diverse talents and individual contributions, for a more engaging and informative user experience tailored to our client's needs.
How - Departing from static team photos, we aim to personalize their workforce, forging a deeper connection with their audience.
Team Page
Overcrowded and complex how we work section
What - To redefine our 'How We Work' section within the team navigation, recognizing the diverse and independent approaches of teams at FordLabs.
How - We introduced a team filter to tailor the content, allowing visitors to explore individual teams' methods.
Why - This decision not only acknowledges the varied working styles but also provides a personalized user experience, emphasizing our commitment to transparency and adaptability.
How we work Page
Wesite Flow
Visual style guide
Text
Color
A sneak peak into the visual brainstorming
Reflection
Leading the website redesign project with Ford Labs was truly a transformative experience. Collaborating with a dynamic team and engaging sponsors added a valuable dimension to the process. The highlight was the enriching Brand Identity Workshop code sign workshop, fostering a flow of insights and thriving creativity throughout the process. This journey not only elevated the project but also became a profound learning curve, shaping my skills and perspectives in ways I hadn't anticipated. Grateful for the experience and the growth it brought!
Acknowledgment
A heartfelt thank you to my exceptional squad, the driving force behind this UX adventure. Without you it would have been a map without destination!!
And Special Thanks to Purdue UX students, Fordlabs employees, Purdue UX faculty and student staff !
