Problem
How might KM attract more clients and talent?
Discovery
Who is this for?
Established engineers seeking new job opportunities: To attract top talent to join the KM team.
Engineering students entering the workforce: To attract top talent to join the KM team.
Construction firms: To showcase KM's projects, skills, and services, and provide information about their team members and their expertise.
What do users really want?
Through stakeholder interviews and a user survey, I identified two key insights that guided my design decisions:
Through stakeholder interviews and a user survey, I identified two key insights that guided my design decisions:
1. Work-life Culture: Younger engineers entering the workforce were primarily interested in understanding the work-life culture of potential employers. They wanted to know about the company culture, work-life balance, and the types of projects the firm worked on.
2. Projects: Established engineers were more interested in KM's completed projects, as well as the credentials and experience of team members. They wanted to review team bios to assess the expertise and capabilities of KM's employees.
3. Attracting Clients: One of KM Engineering's standout qualities is their expertise in landscape design, which sets them apart from other civil engineering firms. KM recognized the importance of highlighting this talent to attract potential new clients.
Solution
Process
I followed a structured approach to ensure the success of the project:
I followed a structured approach to ensure the success of the project:
1. Stakeholder Interviews: I conducted interviews with the KM Engineering Firm to gain insights into their goals and expectations.
2. User Survey: I designed and conducted a user survey to identify pain points, areas for improvement, and user needs. The survey revealed that showcasing the company culture was crucial to both stakeholders and users.
3. Competitive Analysis: I evaluated three market competitors by performing specific user tasks critical to achieving the project's goals.
4. Design Approval: To obtain client approval for the design direction, I created a prototype of the new website.
View Original Prototype
Design
Considering the project's simplicity, I opted to skip wireframing and directly proceeded to the design phase. To create an architectural feel, I incorporated grids and hairlines throughout the website.
Photography
Photography played a vital role in this project as it was essential to showcase KM's work at the highest level. Aerial photos were even captured to highlight the large-scale project sites.
Photography played a vital role in this project as it was essential to showcase KM's work at the highest level. Aerial photos were even captured to highlight the large-scale project sites.
Customizable Photo Grids
To exhibit project work and work culture effectively, I developed a CMS framework that allowed KM to easily create unique photo grids while maintaining overall styling.
To exhibit project work and work culture effectively, I developed a CMS framework that allowed KM to easily create unique photo grids while maintaining overall styling.
Job Application
Attracting new employees was the primary objective of KM's website redesign. Therefore, I designed a simplified and user-friendly job application process to facilitate easy and seamless applications.
Attracting new employees was the primary objective of KM's website redesign. Therefore, I designed a simplified and user-friendly job application process to facilitate easy and seamless applications.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the KM Engineering Firm website redesign project was a major success. By convincing my boss to allow me to oversee the project from start to finish, including the discovery phase and pricing, we accurately bid on the project and executed it smoothly. Through stakeholder interviews, user surveys, competitive analysis, and the creation of a design prototype, I ensured that the final website catered to the needs of both established engineers and engineering students, while also showcasing KM's landscape design expertise. The design incorporated architectural elements, customizable photo grids, and a simplified job application process. This case study serves as a testament to my ability to lead a project effectively and deliver a successful UX/UI solution