SBA Website

Introduction

In celebration of Sophia Business Angels' 20th year anniversary, I was entrusted with two pivotal tasks: designing and developing a brand-new website with a strong focus on user experience, and revitalizing the company's brand voice, tone, and image.

Problem Statement

The existing website suffers from an outdated design that fails to effectively represent the company and its current members. Additionally, it presents significant challenges in terms of user flow and navigation architecture. Moreover, the lack of technical maintenance over an extended period raises concerns about overall security and makes implementing changes extremely difficult.

Project Objectives

The objective is to rebrand Sophia Business Angels in a manner that best captures the essence of the company and its members. The official website will be redesigned to exude a fresh and approachable feel while improving user journey and task flow to deliver a clear and well-informed user experience.

The website will prominently showcase SBA's activities through up-to-date investment success stories, accessible insights from current angels, and a calendar of events for all visitors.

Discovery

Working closely with the Communications Director, I began by conducting a heuristic analysis of the current website to identify usability issues. This analysis enabled effective communication wit the client regarding necessary improvements and facilitated a rethink of the website navigation and user task flow. Additionally, I conducted design research on other venture capital websites to gain insights into industry trends.

‍

‍

Once the new information architecture and user task flow were established, I proceeded to design low-fidelity wireframes while simultaneously working on defining the new style, voice, and tone for Sophia Business Angels.

‍

High-Fidelity Wireframes and Prototype

Building upon the approved designs, I proceeded to develop and publish the website using WordPress. To address the previous security concerns, I proposed a switch to a different hosting plan that automates website security and plugin updates, thereby minimizing future risks. The plan also includes notifications to ensure timely maintenance.

Design Rationale:

Given the two main user flows on the website—Entrepreneurs and Prospecting Investors—I designed the "Apply for an Investment" page to provide necessary information in a digestible manner. The content is presented in clear steps accompanied by illustrations, enhancing its appeal and accessibility.

For the "Who We Are" page, which showcases member profiles, I collaborated with the client to incorporate short 100-150 word summaries highlighting each member's professional career and experience. To effectively present this information, I opted for a flip card style, making the page interactive while facilitating easy delivery of substantial textual information.

To enhance the display of the company's startup investments, the "Portfolio" page was moved to the main navigation bar. Additionally, a section was added at the top of the page to highlight the latest startup success stories. This change aims to demonstrate the company's commitment and support for investment applicants, providing meaningful insights into the impact Sophia Business Angels is making.

Notably, a significant improvement was the inclusion of a newsletter subscription option in the footer of each page. The previous subscription process was difficult to find, resulting in a low number of monthly subscribers. The addition of this prominent feature enhances accessibility and encourages greater engagement.

SBA Business Cards

Upon completion and publication of the website, I also undertook the task of designing business cards for all Sophia Business Angelsmembers. Furthermore, I assumed the role of temporary web administrator, ensuring smooth website maintenance and ongoing functionality.

‍

PROJECT SUMMARY

The existing website's outdated design, navigation challenges, and lack of maintenance prompted the need for a fresh and approachable redesign. Through thorough research and collaboration, I implemented improvements to the user flow, task flow, and visual design, ultimately delivering a website that showcases SBA's activities, investment success stories, and insights from current angels. Additionally, I addressed security concerns and proposed a new hosting plan. The redesigned website, built on WordPress, enhances the user experience, accessibility, and engagement, while a redesigned business card complements the brand image.

‍

‍

‍