Role: Lead UX/UI Designer
Timeline: 6 weeks
Team: Individual Project
Tools: Figma
Methods: User Research, Heuristic Evaluation, Competitive Analysis, Prototyping, Usability Testing
Live Site
Project Overview
Signet Education is a premier academic tutoring and college admissions consulting service that focuses on helping students achieve academic excellence and secure admission to top-tier colleges. Their team consists of Ivy League-educated tutors and coaches, offering personalized guidance in areas such as test preparation, academic tutoring, and college admissions.
Signet Education’s website serves as the primary platform to showcase their services, success stories, and personalized approach to helping students excel academically and navigate the complexities of college admissions.
Challenge Overview
Signet Education needed a website overhaul to effectively communicate its unique value proposition, which focuses on transforming academic performance and simplifying the college admissions process. The key challenge was to design a site that not only highlights their expertise but also resonates with concerned parents seeking academic and admissions support for their children. Additionally, the website needed to showcase the proven track record of their tutors and programs while delivering a seamless user experience across all devices.
The primary goal was to create a site that is highly informative, user-friendly, and capable of driving conversions through clear calls to action and an engaging user journey.
Target Audience:
Parents: Primarily professionals and business owners, aged 40-60, looking for academic tutoring and college admissions consulting for their children.
Students: High school students aiming to improve test scores, academic performance, and gain admission to competitive colleges.
Key Concerns: Academic struggles, stress about the college admissions process, concerns over standardized testing, and competitive college applications.
Research & Analysis:
User Research:
Demographics: Parents in the 40-60 age range, mostly upper-middle-class, seeking guidance for their children’s academic futures.
Pain Points: stress and confusion over the competitive admissions process, concerns about academic performance, and uncertainty about their child’s chances of getting into top colleges.
Aspirations: Parents want their children to excel academically, improve their test scores, and gain acceptance to prestigious schools.
User Insights: Through user interviews and surveys, parents expressed a desire for a structured approach that not only focuses on academics but also personal growth, character development, and building a compelling college application.
Competitive Analysis:
Competitors: Elite prep and tutoring services such as Kaplan, Princeton Review, and smaller private tutoring firms.
Key Insights:
Most competitors offered generic tutoring services without a personalized, "whole-student" approach.
There was a lack of emotional connection in competitor websites, where Signet Education could differentiate itself by showcasing a more compassionate, personalized approach.
Few competitors integrated success stories and testimonials prominently, an opportunity for Signet to build trust and social proof.
Design & Development
Information Architecture:
Organized the content into clear, easy-to-navigate sections, including Tutors, Results, Case Studies, Our Approach, and Contact.
Showcased the "whole-student" approach, emphasizing the combination of academic coaching, personal growth, and helping students discover their "Remarkable Factor" (unique strengths).
Integrated testimonials, success stories, and metrics of success (e.g., percentage of students accepted into top colleges, average test score improvements) to build credibility and trust.
UX/UI Design:
Design Aesthetic: Clean, modern, and professional design with a calming color palette to ease stress for parents and students visiting the site.
Simplified Navigation: Designed an intuitive layout with prominent CTAs, making it easy for users to find key information such as services, success stories, and scheduling consultations.
Mobile Optimization: Ensured a responsive design for seamless browsing on mobile devices, as many users access the site on the go.
Visual Hierarchy: Key sections like "Tutors" and "Results" were highlighted to draw attention, with clear headings and subheadings guiding users through the site.
Engagement Features:
Case Studies & Testimonials: Added a dedicated section for real-life success stories, showcasing the impact of Signet’s tutoring and admissions consulting services.
Tutor Profiles: Highlighted the credentials of each tutor, including their Ivy League and top-tier university backgrounds, building trust and expertise.
Video Testimonials: Embedded videos featuring student and parent testimonials, further enhancing trust through authentic stories.
Dynamic Metrics: Displayed key statistics (e.g., percentage of students accepted to their top choice, years in business, number of success stories) to reinforce credibility.
Results & Impact:
Bounce Rate Reduction: The improved UX design and mobile optimization led to a 20% decrease in bounce rates, with users spending more time exploring the site.
Conversion Rates: The streamlined scheduling tool and clearer CTAs resulted in a 30% increase in consultation bookings within the first three months post-launch.
User Satisfaction: Parent surveys post-launch indicated that 95% of users found the site easy to navigate, and 87% felt that the site effectively communicated Signet’s unique value proposition.
Conclusion:
Signet Education’s website redesign successfully elevated their digital presence, providing a user-friendly experience that resonated with their target audience. The new site not only improved conversions and user engagement but also highlighted Signet’s personalized, whole-student approach, building trust with parents and positioning the company as a leader in academic tutoring and college admissions consulting.
The project reinforced the importance of a user-centered design, showcasing the company’s expertise through strategic content, testimonials, and a seamless user experience.