Website

Improving User Experience !
of Western International
University’s Website
Company Confidential

My Role
UX Designer &
Content Strategist
Timeline
3 Weeks
User Centered Design Methods Applied:
Team
1 UX Designer,
1 Digital Producer,
1 Visual Designer Client
Western
International
University
Understanding
west.edu’s!
User Experience
& Business Goals
User Research!
Persona
Heuristic
Analysis
& Market
Research
Feature Ideation
Brainstorming
Visual Designing,!
Prototyping
Sketching &
Wireframing
Internal & !
Client Reviews

Site Problems

Client’s Ask- User Experience & Business Goals
Mission Statement- “Introduce a brand personality through the website & improve engagement”
Give the brand a new personality so that users regard the
brand of high value.
Change the user’s notion of- “Western International
University offers degrees at a lower price compared to other
universities, that might suggest that I am compromising on
quality education.”
Have users engaged through the website by providing
them the right content at the right time and in the right
context and increase leads by 50%.
1 Provide a New Brand Perception
Across The Website
2 Re-purpose the course fee structure
and degree quality structure
3 Engage Users on a Continuous Basis

Design Thinking!
Process
1. Brainstorming, sketching and whiteboarding
2. Designing using Google analytics data
3. Content preview - ‘Show and Tell’
4. Mobile User Experience

User Research

Key User Persona - Working Adults

Different Users, Different Needs
Prospective
Students
Needs!
- Cost!
- Reputation!
- Time!
- Level of effort!
- Benefits!
- Examples of success!
- What it’s like/share
tools!
- Employment opps!
- Program information!
- Support!
- Upcoming events!
- Professor info!
Registered
Students
Existing
Students Alumni Faculty &
Staff Influencers
Needs!
- Program details!
- Next steps!
- Authenticated login!
- Support
- Reputation/share
tools!
- Cost!
- Loans!
- Scholarships!
- Course information!
- Resources!
- Student services!
- Upcoming events!
Needs!
- Program details!
- School updates!
- Support
- Reputation/share
tools!
- Course information!
- Resources!
- Graduation
information!
- Social/engagement!
- Alum contact info!
- Upcoming events!
Needs!
- New course
additions!
- Alumni network!
- Alumni benefits/Re-registration
!
- School updates!
- Support
- Reputation/share
tools!
- Resources!
- Upcoming events!
Needs!
- Add/update course
information!
- Network info!
- School updates!
- Support
- Reputation/share
tools!
- Resources!
- Upcoming events!
Needs!
- Reputation!
- Brand!
- Rankings!
- News!
- Updates!
- New course
details!
- Network info!
- Share tools/Social!
- Resources!
- Upcoming events!

User Interviewing Questions
1. Is it easy to navigate?
2. Does the look/feel, overall site appeal to you?
3. What elements caught your eye?
4. Is there anything you feel is missing?
5. Does the site allow you to reach out to get your questions answered?
6. Would you consider this school if you were going back for a secondary degree?
7. Any additional comments/themes?

WhUaste rU sInetresr vTioelwd iUngs Results

Current Site’s Heuristic Analysis
Presented the heuristic
evaluation to the internal
team & the current site
problems, improvements and
what is the competition is
better at.

Market Research

Industry Best Practices
-http://myopencourses.com/
-https://www.udacity.com/ -https://www.udemy.com/
- Homepage (and/or first content tile) leads with the brand’s point of difference clearly and upfront !
- Longer scroll page paradigm

-https://www.udacity.com/
-https://www.udacity.com/
- Tiles focus on conveying one piece of information at a time!
- Enough breathing room between the various content blocks!
- Shows and tells small snippets of content for continued engagement, and content ‘flow’

-https://caspersleep.com/
- Creates content hierarchy with sizing, and introduces enough white space between the tiles!
- A sense of airiness in the homepage design!
- Just enough titles and calls to action

-https://www.udacity.com/courses#!/all
-https://www.udemy.com/
- Provides useful ‘bite-sized’ information on courses before having to dive into a deeper section!
- Allows prospects to make a soft comparison between different courses!
- Course details are easy to skim through based on summary information

Whiteboarding, Sketching, Market Analysis &
The UX Re-design Guidelines
Strategized the
re-design guidelines.
Sketching the re-design
Market research.
ideas and
experiences

Initial Website Re-design Journey

Designing Using!
Google Analytics Data

Google Analytics Data That Lead to the
Re-arrangement of Home Page Tiles
-Top Page Views !
- Start Smart/Try West!
- Online Degree Programs!
- Request Information!
- Affordability and Tuition
Comparison!
- Individual Program Pages!
- Why West!
- Live Chat
- We re-arranged these content nuggets logically per user’s engagement and the result is
the homepage tiles as you see it currently (West’s Unique Value Proposition -> Try West/Start Smart ->
Online Degree Programs -> Affordability/Tuition Comparison)

Mobile !
User Experience

Navigation: Long Scrolling Page & Sticky Nav
"The mobile revolution dramatically changed the way we consume content. With people increasingly using
Smartphones and Tablets to browse the web, websites are constantly adapting themselves to mobile browsing,
which is, inevitably, vertical. Long scroll helps us prioritize different user needs within a vertical scroll"
- Long Scroll Paradigm: “Is it easier for our target audience to scroll through your content or click
through it? This will help you figure out whether long scrolling is right for you.”!
- With increasing mobile visits, we got our mobile users back covered!
!
!
!
- A single-page view invites people to read for interest and not for need in an easier to digest way!
!
- Sticky Nav: Its easier to navigate a long scrolling page with a sticky nag!
- Also sticky navs are mobile friendly and thus help for mobile optimized websites!
!
!
!
!

Content Preview and!
Navigation

Content Preview: ‘Show and Tell’ the Content Within the Tiles
- Tiles focus on conveying one piece of information at a time!
- Provides a sneak peek of useful information before having to commit reading to an entire content
page!
- Helps for better page ranking and better SEO

Content Preview: ‘Show and Tell’ the Content Within the Tiles
- Homepage Tile - Program General Page
- Program Detailed Page
- Provides a summary of degree options before PDF download!
- Gradually introduces the degrees by highlighting the ‘What’s in it for me?’ content!
- Opportunity to explore course/credit info in unique, potentially visual way!
- Provides useful ‘bite-sized’ information on courses before having to dive into a deeper section!
- Allows prospects to make a soft comparison between different courses!
- Course details are easy to skim through based on summary information

Mobile User Experience
- Design for partial attention and interruption: !
- A good design will accommodate these interruptions by including shortcuts
that allow for simple and efficient multitasking. !
- Kept menus short and concise !
- Made it easy to go to homepage (‘Hamburger Navigation’)!
- Made site search more visible !
- Point to priority information: !
- Kept calls-to-action front and center!
- Maintained existing navigation bar (Programs, Why West & Affordability) for
quick page navigation !
- Avoid or limit free-text entry whenever possible!
- We removed ‘Live Chat’ from mobile since its designed towards desktop usage
and instead highlighted click to call and general RFI!
- Share Pertinent Information Quickly!
- Summarizing degree summary more prominently
- http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/resources/the-4-mindsets-of-mobile-product-
design
- http://www.nngroup.com/articles/killing-global-navigation-one-trend-avoid/
- http://www.affino.com/blogs/my-blog--stefan/web-design-in-2013-means-hamburgers-
960-grids-and-flexible-responsive-frameworks
- Google mobile research whitepaper: Multi-Screen-Moblie-
Whitepaper_Research Studies
- Homepage
- Program General Page
- Homepage

Wireframes !
Responsive (Mobile/Tablet/Desktop)

Final Visual Designs !
Responsive (Mobile/Tablet/Desktop)

Appendix Topics-!
Industry Best Practices!
1. Industry best practices
2. Demonstrate what makes
3. Right information, right time
4. Find a better balance of quality, price and value
5. Usability and navigation
6. Dashboard View
7. Application process

Appendix Topics-!
Heuristic Analysis of !
Current Website!
1. Industry best practices
2. Demonstrate what makes west.edu different
3. Right information, right time
4. Find a better balance of quality, price and value
5. Usability and navigation
6. Dashboard View
7. Application process

Demonstrate What Makes You Different
What we lead with
What we should lead with

Right Information, Right Time
Specific course information

Right Information, Right Time
- How does it compare to other schools? to other
pathways of success?
- What do other students, alumni, human resourcing,
professors, and influencers have to say?
- Where can I get more information?
- What is the vision for the school 5 years from now? 10?
20?
- What makes your courses unique?
- Re-visit information hierarchy
for above and below scroll

Find A Better Balance Of Quality & Price = Value
- Prominent ‘discount-only’ message
- Quality, smarter approach not immediate
- Don’t I need to take these courses anyway?

Usability & Navigation
Consider moving
Live Chat to top vs
center
Revise color to have
greater stand out
Could recognize site
visit history to recall
‘no, thank you’ action
by user.

Make drop down, and
hover states consistent

Make CTAs more
clear, less vague
Have consistent CTAs
for same content

Make mobile-friendly
Stack & allow for
progressive disclosure,
per best practices
Allow user to self-select
method of contact, or
revise wording
Scroll

Payment and degree
planning tools to be
made more ‘tool-like’ and
user-friendly
‘Try It Now’ CTA link
misleading

Make social media
icons and media
following stand out
using icons
Maintain consistency
in social across
platforms (web vs
mobile)

Make hyper-links
bigger and bolder
Color code
hyperlinks and use
hover states

Search functionality
doesn’t work with
most of the queries
Search queries should
provide relevant links

Assessments and Engagement
could be considered a 4th Step
Improper placement of links can
steer the user away from the
main content experience.

Application Process
Warm Welcome &
useful resources
Opportunity to
make next action
item more overt
Matthew Allen
From: To: Allen, Matthew
Page 1 of ---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Western International University <inquiries@west.edu>
Date: Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 2:54 PM
Subject: Welcome to Western International University
To: "mallen.mdba@gmail.com" <mallen.mdba@gmail.com>
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 12:33:40 PM Eastern Standard Time
A Message from the Office of the President
Hello Matt,
Congratulations Wednesday, on registering February for Western 19, 2014 International 12:34:16 UniversityPM Eastern ® (West) Standard Start SmartSM Time
courses!
You’ve taken an important first step to making your education goals a reality. We applaud the
commitment you’ve made to yourself and to your future.
West has issued over 10,000 diplomas—you are now a member of a growing community that shares
your drive for success.
As you begin your journey with West, know that we pride ourselves on offering students a network of
support to help them succeed.
You'll receive a series of emails to help you prepare for your West courses, including your student
website login. Please add our email address to your Contacts to ensure these reach your Inbox, and
also check your Spam folder to make sure they do arrive.
If you do not receive these emails, or if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to
contact a student advisor at 866.948.4636. You also can chat with an advisor at west.edu. Click
here for our office hours.
Please click here to view my welcome message, and know that we look forward to providing the
support you need as you embark on your path to your degree.
Best Regards,
Tracy Lorenz, President
Western International University
Quick Tip:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median weekly earnings go up and
unemployment rates go down for each level of higher education achieved.*
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 12:34:51 PM Eastern Standard Time
Subject: Fwd: Welcome to my.west.edu
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2014 10:04:26 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Gmail
To: Allen, Matthew
*US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013, May 22). Employment Projections. Retrieved December 4, 2013 from
http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
Page 1 of 2
Subject: Fwd: Important Information for New Students
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 8:21:26 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Gmail
To: Allen, Matthew
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
Date: February 7, 2014 at 4:24:15 AM PST
Subject: Important Information for New Students
Hi Matt,
Congratulations on making the decision to start your courses at Western
International University® (West)!
My name is Anastasia Jones, and I am a Senior Student Advisor. I am available
to help you get started in your first course and I look forward to working with you. I
can help you get acquainted with the my.west.edu student website, learn the
ropes of being a successful student at West, and show you the many
complimentary student resources that West offers.
You’ll be receiving a series of emails with all the information to help you get
started successfully in your courses. Please add Western International University
and inquiries@west.edu to your contacts, or check your Spam folder, to make
sure you receive all the information you need about logging in to your student
website, your online classroom tour, and course expectations.
If you provided your telephone number, I will also call you soon to go over this
information and answer any questions you have. Please free to email me, or call
me directly at (602) 429-1122.
I am happy to assist you in any way I can, and I look forward to talking with you
soon.
Sincerely,
West Advisement Team
Page 1 of 2
Subject: Fwd: Greetings from the Business Program Chair
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 8:21:43 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Gmail
To: Allen, Matthew
Sent from my iPhone
Date: February 10, 2014 at 5:21:54 AM PST
Subject: Greetings from the Business Program Chair
A Message from the Program Chair for Business
Hello Matt,
My name is Dr. Lisa Klein Pearo and I am the Program Chair for
Business at Western International University® (West).
Congratulations on making the choice to expand your expertise
in Business – one of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S.!
We selected Business as one of our degree programs because it
is extremely relevant in today’s marketplace and also because of
the expanding job market. Please click here to hear more about
West’s Business program.
As you work toward your degree, my role is to ensure that you
have an experience that is delivering on the expectations and
learning outcomes outlined in the program descriptions. In fact,
you’ll have an entire department of faculty who are experts with a
blend of theoretical and practical knowledge that will offer insight
into a variety of industry perspectives.
All of your West faculty members are here to support you. I
encourage you to reach out to your course faculty if you have
any questions, or feel free to email me at lisa.pearo@west.edu.
I wish you all the best as you embark on your higher education
journey.
Best Regards,
Lisa Klein Pearo, DBA
Program Chair, Business
Lisa Klein Pearo, DBA
Program Chair, Business
Dr. Klein Pearo earned her
Doctorate in Business
Administration in Marketing and
her Master in Business
Administration in General
Management from Harvard
Business School and holds a
Bachelor of Arts in Economics
from Yale University. She has
done research and consulting in
the areas of hospitality
marketing, online marketing, and
market research on consumer
behavior in interactive
Sent from my iPhone
From: inquiries@west.edu
Date: February 6, 2014 at 6:34:26 PM PST
To: mallen.mdba@gmail.com
Subject: Welcome to my.west.edu
Dear Matt,
Congratulations, and welcome to Western International University® (West)! Your new my.west.edu
(MyWest) university website account has been established.
Login ID: mallen58090
Password: 449566WIU
Here a few things that will make it easy to get started on MyWest.
1. Navigate to my.west.edu and bookmark the page, or save it as a favorite.
2. Personalize your password. You can do this by logging in to my.west.edu with the information
above. Then click on the Me tab, and click on the Change Password link to enter a password
you will easily remember.
3. Should you forget your password, you can go the my.west.edu home page and click on the
Forgot Login/Password link.
4. For optimal viewing, please refer to the recommended computer, browser, and mobile
device requirements.
5. Make a note of the contact information for Technical Support, available 24/7 by phone or
Optimize for
Preview View

Dashboard View
- Heavy information in introductory view
- Unclear on course progress, assignment due dates,
course schedule, grade stats, newly posted content.
- Some duplication in links
- Multiple text colors, unused icons
- No way to access course content
through course links on Dashboard
- Takes deeper, no-previewed
navigation to get to course content - Duplication in navigational tabs, hinders ease of
access
- Results in separate section instead of clear up front

Thank You
“Did you see the work sample
where I designed responsive
emails for west.edu?”

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