Problem Statement
Heuristic Evaluation
By reviewing the navigation of the website I could identify major features that can be improved and change.
Value Proposition
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How might we create an engaging, user-friendly platform that showcases the vibrancy of the arts community while making information easily accessible to all users?
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How might we Streamline navigation and create a modern, captivating design that will allow users to find and explore events, exhibitions, and resources quickly?
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How might we create a dynamic interface with multimedia features that will better highlight local artists, public art programs, and government-sponsored events, increasing awareness and participation.
The current NEA website fails to effectively engage its target audience due to an outdated, cluttered design, poor navigation, and a lack of visual appeal. The website struggles to represent the creativity and vibrancy of the art community it serves, making it difficult for users—such as artists, art enthusiasts, tourists, and the general public—to easily access important information about exhibitions, events, and government-supported initiatives.
User Research
Through the research phase, I was able to establish a solid foundation for my redesign strategy.
To identify pain points, usability problems, areas of strength, and opportunities for improvement with the National Endowment for the Arts website, I conducted 5 user interviews.
Research Goals:
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Understand how accessible and user-friendly the website is.
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What usability challenges or frustrations do users encounter as they complete tasks on the website? Conversely, what is working well?
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What, if any, features do users expect, or would like to change and/or are missing?
Empathize / Exploring user's needs
Interview Findings & Takeaway
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Confusing Navigation, difficulty finding relevant information.
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Overly Text-Heavy website, leading users to feel overwhelmed or uninterested, especially when looking
for visual art-related content.
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Inconsistent Layout, Interviewees noticed that the design feels outdated, and lacks visually appealing elements, making the site less engaging and intuitive.
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Minimal Imagery and Multimedia, Users commented on the absence of high-quality images, video content, and interactive elements that help to display art engagingly. A dull aesthetic that detracts from the very creativity the site is meant to promote.
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The website does not reflect the creativity and dynamism of the art community it serves. Interviewees mentioned that the website fails to evoke the feelings or experiences that art should communicate.
DEFINE / Establishing the User's Needs and Problems
Persona Development
From my research, I noticed some patterns among my participants, to tailor the new design for the NEA website and satisfy user needs, I created a persona named Liam Oakley.
Liam is a 36-year-old, visual artist, located in Chicago Illinois, he had always known that his path was meant to be in art. Now in his late thirties, with several exhibitions under his belt, Liam felt stuck. His talent had been recognized locally, but he craved more—bigger audiences, larger canvases, and most of all, the freedom to create without limits.
One evening Liam sat in his studio, and that’s when he saw a post about the federal grant program at the NEA agency. It promised mentorship, global exposure, and financial support for ambitious projects. It was exactly what he needed.
Ideate / Creating the Framework
Moodboard & inspiration
Once the research was completed and the problem was understood from the users' point of view, a brainstorming session was conducted, thinking about what possible solutions could be delivered to alleviate the various pain points.
User Errors:
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Navigation is confusing and misleading
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The distribution of categories is mixed up making it unclear.
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The mission behind the agency isn’t described on the homepage which makes it difficult for the user to identify key information.
Pain Points:
Despite the website’s emphasis on art and creativity, it feels unengaging. The homepage showcases great images, but there’s a lack of clear context.
Pain Points:
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There is a lot of information at the bottom of the footer, and information that is repeated at the top of the page
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There’s a lack of imagery and dynamic icons which make the design simple, basic, and dull.
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There’s to much text and icons are desalinated
The NEA website color design follows basic and reliable colorimetry rules appropriate for a governmental agency site, to elevate and enhance user experience and engagement, taking in consideration that is an artistic and creative organization a variant and multicolor palette came as a potential solution.
Color Accessibility
This phase allowed me to create a strong foundation for my design strategy.
To identify pain points, usability problems, areas of strength, and opportunities for improvement with the National Endowment for the Arts website, I conducted 5 user interviews.
Research Goals:
-
Understand how accessible and user-friendly the website is.
-
What usability challenges or frustrations do users encounter as they complete tasks on the website? Conversely, what is working well?
-
What, if any, features do users expect, or would like to change and/or are missing?
Project
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent federal agency and the largest source of funding for the arts and arts education across the country, serving as a catalyst for both public and private support for the arts
The NEA website has a dull outdated design, it's basic layout with minimal use of color and graphics results in an unappealing and monotonous appearance.
There’s a lack of engaging interactive elements, such as dynamic content or user-friendly forms. Navigation can be confusing, there's a lot of text
and links to affiliate sites.
The Problem
By experimenting with bold and unconventional color palettes, graphics, and dynamic interactions that align with the website's artistic theme, a cohesive, enjoyable, andengaging visual experience can be created to encourage users to explore the diverse options the institution offers.
The Solution
Impact
95% of users could not find
Federal grant applications quickly.
After redesign 98% success as I added
CTA button in the"Grants for art
projects"page as part of my redesign.
After redesigning the layout, introducing interactive galleries, and incorporating visually appealing images, 92% of users remained engaged for longer and
better understood the
website's content.
Overview
Product Design (UX/UI)
Role / Individual
Tools
The Process
Sketching
User Jouney Map
User Flow
Why User Visit the Site?
Liam wants to know what programs are available for the artist communities through the National Endowment for the Arts website to apply and enroll for a federal grant.
Card Sorting
I reorganized the header structure to make it more user-intuitive by gathering subcategories related to each other and created 8 dropdown menus to allow users to find related information in each section. Incorporated Arts, Movements, Community, and Network/Media categories merging existing categories to allow users to identify functions easier. I decided to leave only three sections on the footer to maintain a simple and clean design, giving more protagonism to the iconography and visual aspect of the site.
Simplified SiteMap
I created a sitemap that's easy to navigate, organizing everything into clear categories and subcategories. It ensures users can find what they need quickly and efficiently, covering all services and information comprehensively.
Prototype / Let's make the Design!
Low-Fi Prototype (Desktop)
Low-Fi Prototype (Mobile)
I conducted 4 usability tests, 2 for the desktop version, 2 for the mobile.
Identified issues in the current layout, and reorganized buttons and icons to make sections cohesive.
After testing I made changes to my Final wireframe design
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Restructured features to balance the visual interaction
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Reduced the menu icon size and aligned it with the logo
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Maintain a consistent design language throughout the app to create a cohesive experience
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Used a grid layout to align elements neatly and ensure consistency across different screen sizes
5 Seconds Usability Test
Branding & Style Tile
Final Design
Test / Time to test the Prototype!
I conducted 10 usability tests to identify issues in the current layout, responsiveness, visual engagement, color and contrast perception, cohesiveness, and accessibility guidelines.
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Arranged the direction of the dropdown menu arrow in the navigation bar when hovering to point down
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Increased the size of the search icon
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Reduced the size of social media icons
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Increased the color contrast of the text below the main titles to align it up with accessibility guidelines
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Aligned text properly using grids, reduced text content in secondary pages
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Increased the quality and size of pictures on some pages
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Aligned pagination dots on sliders
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Reduced gradient frames and bright colors in some elements of the design to simplify and make it polished and clean.
Usability Test Findings
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The National Endowment for the Arts redesign project has been an eye-opening experience because shows how important is for a brand, agency or organization to maintain an updated and modern website that users find exciting and engaging especially in times where online presence is the path to reach every potential user, creating a unique experience is a differentiator.
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Ensuring the design aligns with the agency’s strategic goals, reflecting the agency's mission and supporting its objectives is crucial for the website to remain effective and continue to meet user satisfaction, balancing unique design and an interactive experience is the key.
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By simplifying, reorganizing, and identifying crucial information, the user experience of a website can be enhanced and elevated, complexity doesn’t mean successful design, it is about effectiveness, reliability, and dynamism.
Implement / Final thoughts & Next Steps
Final Thoughts
