UX Research Project
Smart Ranch Redesign
Project Overview
Role
UX Researcher & Designer
Duration
2 Months
Scope
Researching, Designing, Prototyping
Who’s the Client?
Hunt’n Buddy is a software company specializing in GPS tracking technology for ranchers and hunters. This project aimed to redesign the client’s landing page to help them market their business to the hunting industry.
What’s the Problem?
Hunt’n Buddy needs an updated landing page to effectively communicate with potential business partners about their services. The current website contains information about the business and its services, but lacks a familiar design and a support page for customers to troubleshoot issues with the GPS app.
Analyzing the Website
Let’s Start with the Research
Before Hunt’n Buddy’s new landing page could be designed, it was important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the current website, and how it stacked up to competitors. I gained this insight through the following methods:
-Heuristic analysis
-Competitive & comparative analysis
Heuristic Analysis
Evaluating Usability
-I noticed that the current landing page lacked a consistent style, creating a confusing experience for users. Different typography, heading sizes, and body sizes led to a design that looked unintentional.
-Furthermore, while the primary navigation contained pages for customers to buy merchandise and find recipes, it prevented users from reading about the business and reaching out to them.
-Additionally, irrelevant images with low resolution detracted from Huntn Buddy’s goal to communicate their business strategy and services to prospective partners.
Checking Out the Competition
Seeing how Hunt’n Buddy’s landing page compared to other businesses’ was crucial in understanding users’ expectations. The client was nice enough to provide a list of competitors focused on mobile software for outdoor hobbies and lifestyles.
Competitive Analysis
Sleek Designs
onX
-Consistent iconography, typography, and relevant images
-Readable, consistent, and intentional
-Support page allows for users to troubleshoot issues and demonstrates company’s ability to help their customers
Comparative Analysis
Content Organization
Garmin
-Call to action at top of landing page guides the user to seek more content
-Clear content organization helps company communicate their message more effectively to their users
Research Insights
C&C Takeaways
Taking Hunt’n Buddy in a New Direction
-By drawing inspiration from landing pages of similar businesses, Hunt’n Buddy could deliver their message through a coherent and familiar experience.
Giving Users a Coherent Story
-Research showed that the current landing page could benefit from simplifying its approach, focusing on elements that would draw potential business partners in and guide them through key information they would be looking for.
Building a Framework
What’s the Problem?
-Users will have problems navigating the website
-Users will want to know about Hunt’n Buddy’s business strategy and brand identity
-Users will want to see how Hunt’n Buddy interacts with their customers to demonstrate engagement with product
What’s the Solution?
-Design accessible primary navigation for users to access pages easily
-Design dedicated pages where users can learn about Hunt’n Buddy’s product, business goals, and ways they help customers troubleshoot problems with service
-Design simplified layout to easily deliver key information to users
The Redesign
Wireframes
Building a Familiar Experience
-Leveraging user’s experience with similar landing pages through simplified layout
-Grabbing user’s attention with straightforward headlines and call-to-action statements
-Incorporating pre-existing mission statement and logo to communicate business goals
-Considering mobile-friendly navigation while incorporating design conventions
Final Prototype
It’s Showtime!
Let’s Prototype this thing!
The scenario:
-You are looking to partner with Hunt’n Buddy and are curious about their business goals
-You would like to reach out to Hunt’n Buddy to learn more
-You wonder how they interact with their users to provide support and keep them engaged
Conclusion
Future Iteration
Key Takeaways
-Following this project, I would recommend seeking out business owners in the hunting industry to test the prototype.
-Additionally, hearing the perspective of potential business partners through interviews can help Hunt’n Buddy gain key insight into what clients need and how they can market their services more effectively.