I created visual designs based on wireframes, built a prototype for user testing, and developed a design system to streamline future projects.
Design System
Prototyping
Web Design
Agency
GALE Partners
Role
Senior Designer
Becker is a leading provider of CPA preparation and professional education for accounting and finance careers. They recognized a need to enhance the user journey on their CPE Product page, aiming to make it easier for users to find and filter courses that suit their needs. The goal was to improve the overall experience on the site, ensuring that users could navigate the platform more efficiently and quickly access the courses they were looking for, ultimately increasing user satisfaction and course enrollment.
During our research and wireframing process, we identified that the main issues were with the user flow and filtering system, which were making it harder for users to find and narrow down courses. To address these challenges, we redesigned the flow to make it more intuitive and streamlined, ensuring that users could quickly navigate the page and easily apply filters. We then created interactive prototypes to test and validate the new design, using real user feedback to fine-tune the experience. This iterative process allowed us to refine the flow and ensure that the final design would not only meet user needs but also align with business goals.
To set the project up for success, we needed to audit what we had, identify what we needed, and determine how to address any gaps. After auditing the files and having conversations with the client, we pinpointed the key areas to focus on in order to make the necessary updates and build for future projects, as the client anticipates more future projects.
Since the website was created by a different agency, I didn’t have the advantage of an existing design system, so I created one from scratch. I began by analyzing the website to identify the elements already in place, such as text styles, buttons, icons, and other components. From there, I established and built a solid foundational design system. Additionally, I imported relevant assets from a previous design system in Sketch and filled in any gaps as necessary.
With the addition of the new design system and the client's brand guidelines, I was able to create visual designs based on the wireframes while collaborating with the UX Designer.
Additionally, the client requested that a few journeys be prototyped for focus group user testing. This was important to note because it allowed me to prepare visual designs in advance, streamlining the prototyping process. Some of the preparations included ensuring consistent layer names, as this was a key element for support. I also identified reusable components to prototype effectively during the design system audit.
During the prototyping phase, we were able to identify functionality issues that didn’t make sense in real-life situations. I collaborated with the UX Designer to update the wires accordingly.
After the journeys were completed by users in the focus groups, we received minor feedback, such as requests for larger buttons and colour swaps to make key elements more noticeable. It was beneficial to have this prototype, even before formal user testing, as it allowed us to work through the kinks using mock situations.
A few months later, the client requested further improvements to another aspect of their website: the checkout user journey. I was able to leverage the foundational design system and build upon it for this project, which proved the value of investing time in setting up a strong design system. This experience highlighted why doing the extra work upfront pays off in the long run.
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