OVERVIEW
Boston New Technology (BNT) is a not-for-profit, community-supported startup, with a mission is to help local business launch and grow, especially early-stage startups!
Problem
BNT faced several challenges with its website, including poor navigation, an overwhelming amount of content, and a lack of visual appeal. The site struggled to effectively communicate BNT's mission and values, leading to difficulties in attracting new members and retaining existing ones.
Outcome
The redesign of the BNT website led to significant improvements in user engagement and site traffic. Key outcomes included:
Increased Traffic: A 144% increase in unique visitors each month, from 326 to 798.
Better Navigation and Content: Simplified navigation and improved content discoverability reduced member queries by 70%, empowering users to independently find key content such as events, perks, and blogs.
Timeline
8 weeks
Tools
Figma, FigJam and Framer
Contributors
3 Project Advisors, 1 Product Manager, 3 [Designers + Site Architects (including me)]
DESIGN APPROACH
Research → Design → Prototype → Iterate → Launch
I am proud of this project because we conducted user research, designed mockups in Figma, created prototype using Framer and did usability testing, incorporated feedback – all within 8 weeks of volunteering as a Site Architect.
Here is how the work was broken down:
Week 1 -> Research
My team and I ran a quick survey to understand current experiences with a total of 20 BNT community members.
Week 2 and 3 -> Design
I designed the first few set of screens to define the information architecture and set a base for visual style in Figma.
Week 4, 5 and 6 -> Prototyping
Once the overall basic designs were set, we prototyped all the pages in Framer, collaborating all the time.
Week 7 and 8 -> Feedback and Launch
We received feedback on our prototype directly from our users (community members) on Framer, and we iterated on the pages accordingly. Finally we were ready for launch post incorporating feedback.
USER INSIGHTS
Voices from the Community
Through our quick survey with 20 community members, we heard firsthand about the frustrations and aspirations of BNT's users. By listening to their stories, we gained a deeper understanding of what they needed from the website—what worked for them and what didn't.
Here are the results:
78%
of users struggled with navigation and felt the website was disorganized.
Users reported difficulty finding relevant resources and information quickly due to unclear menus and an overwhelming amount of options.
95%
of users found the content overwhelming and preferred more visuals.
The abundance of text made it hard to identify vital information, and users suggested simplifying copy and introducing visual elements to improve usability.
72%
of users felt the website didn’t clearly communicate BNT’s mission.
Users noted that outdated videos, articles, and poorly structured pages made it difficult to understand BNT’s purpose and value.
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Launched version
Final Designs
With that, here is the prototype hosted on Framer. We also got 50+ comments on Framer as feedback which we took into consideration and iterated accordingly.
PROJECT TAKEAWAYS
Reflections on Growth and Impact
This project was such a rewarding experience for all of us. It really pushed us to listen closely to the users, understand the problems they were facing, and work together as a team to brainstorm and exchange ideas.
Lastly, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such an amazing team. The picture below takes me back to our "Community Contributions" page from the earlier version of the website. A reminder of the dedication, creativity, and unique journeys that each of us brought to this project.
