ChoiceLight, Inc.

Website redesign for a fiber infrastructure company

MY ROLE

I was the sole designer / developer for this redesign

TIMELINE

May - July 2023

TOOLS

HTML, CSS, Miro, Squarespace

VIEW LIVE SITE

Overview

My Process

Overview

MY ROLE

I conducted initial and competitor research, and designed a portion of the various prototypes.

TIMELINE

May - July 2023

TOOLS

HTML, CSS, Miro, Squarespace

ChoiceLight, Inc. is a fiber infrastructure nonprofit company based in South Bend, Indiana. They provide and lease "dark fiber" to over 250 businesses and organizations in the South Bend - Elkhart region. These subscribers then "light" their fiber themselves or partner with an Internet provider of their choosing. The network's extensive reach of over 500 miles, designed with an underground concentric ring layout for reliability, connects vital commercial, educational, medical, and governmental hubs.

My Process

1

Research

Problem Statement

Focus Group

2

Synthesis

Persona

User Flow

3

Ideation

Paper Prototype

4

Solutions

3 Pain Points

3 Solutions

5

Reflection

Impacts

Lessons Learned

Future Considerations

Research

Focus Group

In order to chart the optimal course for my redesign, I conducted a focus group session involving my colleagues. With the aim of gaining a holistic understanding of the user experience, I asked probing questions that delved into the heart of customer interactions with the ChoiceLight website.

From this discussion, some main tidbits emerged, shedding light on the user journey and highlighting the key areas where improvements were warranted.

Here are some comments I gathered during the focus group, highlighting where I should focus on improving the user journey:

What was the problem?

ChoiceLight was unhappy with how the current design of their website was:

"The website is too plain"

"We found it difficult for subscribers (customers) to navigate."

The original homepage was "plain" and not very useful

The website didn't adhere to their brand guidelines of Professionalism, Localness, and Innovation. So, I decided next to research into the specific issues that the website was giving ChoiceLight and its subscribers.

Focus Group

From this discussion, some main tidbits emerged, shedding light on the user journey and highlighting the key areas where improvements were warranted.

Here are some comments I gathered during the focus group, highlighting where I should focus on improving the user journey:

1

"People call the Network Operations Center (NOC) number when they shouldn’t. The number is for service issues, not for getting internet service."

1

"People call the Network Operations Center (NOC) number when they shouldn’t. The number is for service issues, not for getting internet service."

2

"We want people to know that they can contact us, even if we can’t help them."

2

"We want people to know that they can contact us, even if we can’t help them."

3

"We want people to know the latest news about ChoiceLight and other things we have going on."

3

"We want people to know the latest news about ChoiceLight and other things we have going on."

4

"We provide fiber infrastructure, not internet service. Potential subscribers don't understand this a lot of the time."

4

"We provide fiber infrastructure, not internet service. Potential subscribers don't understand this a lot of the time."

5

"The FAQ section is too convoluted."

5

"The FAQ section is too convoluted."

6

"We would like an easier way to contact Jamie, the Business Development Manager."

6

"We would like an easier way to contact Jamie, the Business Development Manager."

Synthesis

Persona + User Flow

Conducting the focus group allowed me to understand the audience that I would be designing the website for. Using information gathered from it, I created a persona who would fit the description of a typical ChoiceLight subscriber.

Ideation

Paper Prototype

Next, creating a paper prototype of the redesign allowed me to visualize the website layout, test user experience elements, and gather early feedback from stakeholders to decide the direction I needed to go to discover the best results.

Pain Points and Solutions

Taking into account the feedback given from the original website and the focus group, I redesigned ChoiceLight's website using Squarespace and CSS. Here are some pain points that I solved:

Pain Point 1:

HOME PAGE

1️⃣ The old homepage didn't have a clear place to start from, as the hierarchy of information is confusing.

2️⃣ There is a two minute introductory video to what ChoiceLight is. People will not take time to sit through this.

SOLUTION 1:

1

Emphasized the "localness" of the company in the tagline "Local Expertise, Global Connectivity" to build trust.

1

Emphasized the "localness" of the company in the tagline "Local Expertise, Global Connectivity" to build trust.

2

Added a line that explains the naming convention of ChoiceLight.

2

Added a line that explains the naming convention of ChoiceLight.

3

Instead of having to watch a video to know what ChoiceLight is, users have the quicker option of reading a more detailed and informative description.

3

Instead of having to watch a video to know what ChoiceLight is, users have the quicker option of reading a more detailed and informative description.

4

2 buttons ("Get in Touch", "View Network") were added in accordance to the two main ways people use the site.

4

2 buttons ("Get in Touch", "View Network") were added in accordance to the two main ways people use the site.

5

Added news feed so subscribers can keep up with the latest in fiber news.

5

Added news feed so subscribers can keep up with the latest in fiber news.

Pain Point 2:

NAVIGATION

One of the biggest issues the team had with how navigation worked is that they would get unnecessary calls from potential customers asking if ChoiceLight provides internet service. This is not the case. Customers would think that "Get Service" meant "get internet service".

SOLUTION 2:

1

To emphasize the branding guideline of "localness", I renamed the "About" link to "About Us", making it feel more personable. I renamed the sublinks as well to make it feel more conversational.

1

To emphasize the branding guideline of "localness", I renamed the "About" link to "About Us", making it feel more personable. I renamed the sublinks as well to make it feel more conversational.

2

I changed "Get Service" to "Our Services", which displays that we offer services for fiber infrastructure, and that this link is not for a help portal.

2

I changed "Get Service" to "Our Services", which displays that we offer services for fiber infrastructure, and that this link is not for a help portal.

3

Combining the links for options regarding ChoiceLight's services help customers to quickly compare what options they have without having to click on separate links.

3

Combining the links for options regarding ChoiceLight's services help customers to quickly compare what options they have without having to click on separate links.

4

I added a dedicated Help navigation link for issues, questions, or anything else.

4

I added a dedicated Help navigation link for issues, questions, or anything else.

Pain Point 3:

CONTACT PAGE

1️⃣ This button doesn't necessarily take you to a page to report an issue. It takes you to a guide to help fix issues yourself.

2️⃣ Although it's a contact page, it didn't feel personal, which runs contrary to the theme of ChoiceLight being "local". To them, local means that you can get to know ChoiceLight. They aren't just a faceless corporation.

SOLUTION 3:

1

Changed button name to more accurately describe where it will take you.

2

Added a photo of the person who handles the initial point of contact. This makes ChoiceLight looks more personable and friendly.

SOLUTION 3:

1

Changed button name to more accurately describe where it will take you.

1

Changed button name to more accurately describe where it will take you.

2

Added a photo of the person who handles the initial point of contact. This makes ChoiceLight look more personable and friendly.

2

Added a photo of the person who handles the initial point of contact. This makes ChoiceLight look more personable and friendly.

Reflection

Impacts

After making these changes, I informally showed it to my coworkers, who loved it. There were also 40% less calls to the emergency hotline number, and a higher satisfaction with users of the website.

While I didn't test the website with users, if I were to, I would design a usability test with tasks that tested the main features of the website, such as finding the network map and reading the steps to fix your fiber connection.

Lessons Learned

• Iterate early and often. After receiving feedback on my paper prototype, it was clear that some changes were necessary. If I had created a high fidelity mockup that needed big changes, a lot of time would've been used up.

• Always ask for clarification. Since I had no experience in the fiber infrastructure space, there was a lot I had to learn in order to understand the user base of the website and company at large.

• Planning is everything. A well-thought-out plan can save a lot of time and resources down the line. It reduces headaches too!

Iterate early and often. After receiving feedback on my paper prototype, it was clear that some changes were necessary. If I had created a high fidelity mockup that needed big changes, a lot of time would've been used up.

Always ask for clarification. Since I had no experience in the fiber infrastructure space, there was a lot I had to learn in order to understand the user base of the website and company at large.

Planning is everything. A well-thought-out plan can save a lot of time and resources down the line. It reduces headaches too!

Future Considerations

• Conduct usability tests. The next step I would take would be to test the website with users. I would design it with tasks that tested the main features of the website, such as "finding the network map" and "reading the steps to fix your fiber connection".

Conduct usability tests. The next step I would take would be to test the website with users. I would design it with tasks that tested the main features of the website, such as "finding the network map" and "reading the steps to fix your fiber connection".