UI-design
Designing a new website
CLIENT:
Småtrollens föräldrakooperativ
DURATION:
2 weeks
TEAM:
The project
The main objective of the project was to create a brand-new website for Småtrollens Parent Cooperative with a user-centered design. We relied on heuristics as a guiding principle. While the client had a few specific requirements, they also gave us creative freedom to design the website.
The requirements included:
- Sustainable over time
- Easy for visitors to navigate
- Expression of interest application
- Footer on every page with contact information and symbols
- Image-oriented
Ideate
The customer had offered recommendations for websites they liked and clarified their preferences. They sought a website with a warm, image-focused vibe. The entire team shared a common vision for the website’s appearance, but the next step was to finalize details and identify which pages were essential. To achieve this, we conducted a workshop where we brainstormed ideas and organized the website’s structure while providing rationales for our design choices.
Color palette
Although the customer had proposed a color palette that they thought would match the desired tone of the website, we had the option to alter it. However, we needed to modify the color palette to enhance the website’s legibility due to the contrast issues among the various colors they had suggested.
Logotype
The customer proposed a logotype for us to use, but we had to modify it because the color was too light and the font was too thin, making it challenging to read. To enhance its visibility and readability, we decided to darken the color and choose a thicker font.
Prototype
We made efforts to enhance the readability of their text by rephrasing it and carefully adjusting the spacing, making sure that all the text was left-aligned for optimal legibility. Furthermore, we incorporated images as requested to create a warm website. To achieve this goal, we included playful icons next to each heading that conveyed a clear idea of what each section was about. We followed heuristics as a guide throughout the process to keep the users in mind.
If you want to view the complete prototype, please click on this link.
Reflection
Designing for a real client for the first time was both challenging and enlightening. From this experience, I learned the significance of justifying design choices and being willing to compromise. One can tinker endlessly, yet there’s a deadline to meet, and the design must be ready by then; hence, satisfactory is adequate. Presenting our design to the client was an enjoyable and educational experience. During the presentation, we presented our design while explaining the reasoning behind our design choices.
