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The Client

Whitehead-Ross Education and Consulting (WREC) is an educational and social welfare organisation that provides independent, free, government-funded courses and training programmes. From vocational training and adult education to social service provisions and job security for the currently unemployed, WREC offers a multitude of opportunities.

The Brief

Despite the variety of programmes available, WREC’s website was underperforming. A lack of engagement across the website meant traffic to the site was slow, reactively lowering the number of new users and potential leads interacting with WREC and its services.

To solve these issues regarding UX, WREC approached Arke with a desire to redesign its website so that users’ experience and interactions with its many services were efficient and easy to attain.

The initial approach towards this redesign was to modernise the website with a user-first focus. This would create a smoother journey for audiences looking to apply to programmes and courses run by WREC.

WREC wanted a website design that was visually pleasing whilst distinctively highlighting the vast selection of services they offer.

Production

Research

WREC’s openness for experimentation and exploration into its website’s redesign excited us immensely.

Though the overall audience reach was expansive, young people who were no longer in the education system, employed or in training (NEETs) were the essential audience to optimise for as they align with the services/courses WREC offers.

Additionally, due to the expansiveness of course selection, we sought to create a design accessible to all demographics who may need assistance navigating across a broad range of choices. Through the simplicity of the design, we can efficiently prompt a call to action.

From this, our research formed by looking into website designs that were eye-catching but not overwhelming – immediately engaging our audiences and encouraging greater scroll depth.

As our eyes drew to the simplicity and spaciousness of website design, we began exploring the fundamentals of the Bauhaus Movement.

Due to the amount of content on the website, we form a grid system that brings structure and consistency to the website. This grid system creates focal points across the website, from which the audience’s attention becomes drawn. Practically, we form a map for content, ensuring information is carefully laid out and easily accessible to view.

Through our use of The Bauhaus Movement, WREC’s website would become drastically easier to navigate, improving UX and accessibility for new and returning users.

Website Flow Architecture

To highlight the streamlined navigation of WREC’S redesign, we created a website flow architecture to visually simplify and guide WREC through the site’s layout, underlining where and how each page is interlinked.

WREC Tree - Final

Wireframes

The wireframes elaborate on the website flow architecture’s design and form each page’s foundations.

Wireframes act as a visual guide for asset implementation throughout production. They are imperative when working on expansive web design concepts as they create visual consistency across each page we redesign throughout the creative process.

Additionally, wireframes help layout the design before production begins, which keeps amends down and improves the overall efficiency and investment required for the project.

Wrec Wireframe

Production

Ensuring simplicity and navigational ease across WREC’s redesigned website, we used blocks to place and present information. To bring information to the forefront of each box, bold, black fonts were used contrastingly against pastel-light colours.

Our design choices elevated the accessibility of WREC’s website, as each piece of information became easy to read and distinguishable from the next.

The straightforward approach to the redesign creates an easily digestible and modernised identity for WREC’s website. Each box highlights vital information, leading users effortlessly to the next page. The redesign also makes each course feel unique and individually important.

The Outcome

– Increased web traffic by 269%
– Increased user engagement by 135%
– Increased user action/events by 150%
– Increased new users to site by 305%

The creative approach to WREC’s redesign was well received. So much so that the design and visual theme persisted.

The campaign included statics and lightweight motions focusing on the expansive range of courses WREC offers; the block and colour scheme kept creative consistent, allowing us to develop a singular visual narrative as the audience interacted with the campaign at various touchpoints throughout the conversion funnel.