Creating a multi-award winning digital experience which reflects the prestige, heritage and warmth given by the Abbey to its visitors
Lead UX Researcher & Designer @ M&C|XD [Freelancer]
I discovered that the Abbey’s digital presence was failing to connect with its target audiences. It did not reflect the grandeur of the destination, was not optimised for mobile devices and was generally difficult to navigate.
It was sorely lacking in functionality, had poorly optimised journeys and was failing to hit commercial targets. I wanted to ensure that users could achieve their primary goals quickly and easily as well as enrich the entire experience of visiting the Abbey by making the website a companion before, during and after a visit.
It was vital not just to show how majestic the Abbey is and showcase its rich history but make the website part of the visitor experience.
Content Requirements and Information Architecture
I ran a workshop and did some initial work in discovery to rationalise and prioritise content on the current site. This helped (in part) in the development of the Information Architecture (IA).
Wireframes
Home page wireframes for Westminster Abbey
Final UI
The final UI was delivered as a design system which is both responsive and made from reusable components to scale for the needs of the business.
Deliverables
Digital strategy aligning to the Abbey’s long-term vision
User research and testing
Defining user archetypes
Creating user journeys/user flows
Creating a new information architecture/taxonomy
Responsive wireframes of key pages and templates
Prototypes for testing
GA measurement framework
UX development support
Post live analysis
Awards and press coverage
The project was featured in the .net magazine 2018 as a showcase of the design and build. It also won the Digital Communications Award for best Website & Microsite as well as a Gold Stevie Award for best Non-Profit Organizations website
Outcomes
Increased traffic to the website and better performing SEO
More pages engaged with per user
Conversion up by over 15+%
Winner of 2 awards
Showcase coverage in NET Magazine
Ongoing consultancy work 4+ years later advising the Abbey on their digital strategy, customer experience and UX analysis and enhancements
Helped create the foundation for our client to achieve their digital ambitions.