A Digital Revival at Animal History
Website Re-Design
In Short:
History is not solely about kings and castles; it involves the horses that carried warriors into battle, the cows that fed families during conflicts, and the animals that fundamentally influenced our civilizations. I created an engaging and user-friendly digital hub for animal history, achieving a remarkable 45% increase in unique visitors.
When I joined the project, Hayvanât’s WordPress website had outdated content, poor navigation, and an inconsistent visual identity. It struggled to communicate the depth of their research and was hard for users to explore. My role was to redesign the website from the ground up—understanding the group’s goals, researching user needs, and crafting a platform that would bring their stories to life.
Here is the challange:
Creating a website that effectively communicates Hayvanât’s unique mission while addressing its technical request like data search was kind of unknown to me. I didn't know how would I even do that? Is that even possible? But this platform needed to resonate with diverse users, from academics seeking resources to casual visitors intrigued by the fascinating stories of animal history. So I hacked my way out of it with low-code in a no code web site builder environment.
The Problem Statement
User Research: Understanding Personas
My first priority was to uncover who Hayvanât’s users were and what they needed. I held extensive meetings with the study group to understand their vision and audience. Questions I explored included:
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Who are the website’s users? Are they students, researchers, or general animal enthusiasts?
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What content do they find valuable? Articles? Visuals? Stories?
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What problems are they encountering with the current site?
I also conducted competitive research, analyzing websites of similar niche organizations to identify best practices.
Ideation and Early Sketches
I began by reevaluating the website’s core issues, brainstorming solutions that could simplify navigation, modernize visuals, and clarify the site’s mission to better connect with users. I experimented with visuals, tried new background colors, and explored innovative ideas to better understand the visual direction. Once I got the feeling for the aesthetic and user flow, I sketched low-fidelity wireframes to explore creative ways to enhance the site's usability and appeal. For example, I proposed:
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A visually compelling homepage with Hayvanât’s mission and an intuitive search-first approach, supported by a rich visual backdrop.
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Large, visually engaging call-to-actions, such as 'Discover Our Database,' encourage users to dive into the content while maintaining a calming and intuitive design flow.
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The redesign prioritized a mobile-first approach, ensuring accessibility and usability across all devices.
Personas
Based on our meetings, I developed three key personas:
1. The Academic Researcher: A historian or university professor looking for detailed, credible resources on animals in history.
2.The University Student: A young learner seeking accessible, engaging content to supplement their studies and research.
3. The Curious Enthusiast: An animal lover exploring compelling stories and visuals about the role of animals in shaping our world.
These personas guided every design decision, ensuring the website was tailored to the needs of its audience.
Prototyping & Testing
After sketching low-fidelity prototypes to address navigation and visual clarity, I tested initial concepts with users to gather insights. These tests informed the creation of a high-fidelity prototype using UIzard.
There was some feedback included:
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Positive reactions to the visual hierarchy; however, users noted that advanced article searches lacked intuitive filtering options.
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Recommendations focused on refining the search results display and introducing dynamic filtering to improve advanced search usability.
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A request for more visual storytelling through images and timelines.
Challenges & How I Solved Them
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Stakeholder Alignment: The study group had different opinions on content prioritization. I facilitated a workshop to align their goals and ensure everyone’s voice was heard.
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Limited Resources: Volunteering for this project with minimal resources, I leveraged Wix Studio to deliver a cost-effective, visually engaging, and fully functional website that aligned with the group's mission
Results & Impact
%45 Improvement on unique visitors
Audience Growth: Daily unique site visits, which previously averaged between 2-5, surged to consistent double-digit figures, peaking at over 40 views in one day post-launch. Engagement metrics (time on site) also improved significantly.