Freelance
In a freelancing project, I redesigned a web application called Impalas Magazine. In the span of two weeks, I went in and redesigned the entire website with a focus on creating an effective user interface and user experience.
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Impalas Magazine is a crucial hub for low rider enthusiasts in Stockton California and has been the center of culture and style. With a network of spanning years, it's a brand that shows the passion and creativity of the low rider community. However, even iconic brands in their community need to evolve in order to meet the changing needs of their audience.
When I began on the freelance project with Impalas Magazine, the challenge was clear: revamp their online presence to resonate with today's modern audience while staying true to the low rider culture. Impalas Magazine had an established online platform, but it needed an update to continue thriving in this new era.
My role as a freelance designer for Impalas Magazine was aimed at leading the redesign of their online platform. I modernized the user interface and enhanced the user experience by addressing design and usability issues. This included revamping the visual identity, streamlining navigation, and introducing new features such as an 'Admin' page and a 'Vehicle Registration' portal. I went through multiple prototyping stages, usability testing, and maintained open communication with the owner to ensure a seamless design-to-implementation process.
Website no longer appealed to newer audience due to outdated assets
User journey became confusing, leading to frustration in customers
Current pages were inaccessible and hindered community engagement
The vision for this project was clear: redesign the platform in order to modernize the passion of low rider culture while introducing modern design elements and user-centric features.
In the following sections, I will walk you through the journey of how I transformed Impalas Magazine, making it not just a website but an immersive experience that speaks to both long-time customers and new customers. From redesigning the aesthetics to optimizing the user experience and introducing new functionalities, every aspect of the website received attention and care.
Now that we have talked about the issues and what needed to be fixed, here is the redesign of Impalas Magazine. After many days of constant iteration and prototyping, I achieved my mission to modernize every aspect of their web page, from aesthetics to functionality. Here's a glimpse of what I achieved:
I selected a contemporary color palette, leveraging neutral colors that not only modernized the style but also conveyed the essence of low rider culture. The typography choices were deliberate, striking a balance between readability and style.
To improbe user experiences, I ensured that user journeys were mapped out, eliminating unnecessary clicks. The website's layout was restructured to prioritize essential content, making it easy for users to find products, event details, and registration forms. Additionally, I implemented navigation menus and a responsive design, ensuring that users could access pages with minimal effort.
I introduced a user-friendly purchasing page, allowing users to effortlessly select, view, and buy magazines, calendars, and apparel to support Impalas Magazine with clear product descriptions and images enhancing the shopping experience. It featured a secure and straightforward checkout process, including options for payment and shipping information.
For low rider enthusiasts eager to participate in events, I designed the "Vehicle Registration" portal. The portal featured a user-friendly registration form that gathered essential information. Users could easily submit their vehicle details, event preferences, and contact information. Furthermore, I implemented validation mechanisms to ensure data accuracy and provided confirmation messages upon successful registration.
To facilitate efficient event management, I designed an admin page. Administrators gained access to an admin panel that displayed registered vehicles and user submissions. Administrators could view those who are pending, who need approval, or can deny registration requests with ease.
During the redesign of Impalas Magazine's website, several challenges emerged, each providing an opportunity for innovation and problem-solving. Here, I delve into these challenges and the strategies employed to overcome them.
The redesign of Impalas Magazine led to remarkable results and made a huge impact on the brand's online presence. Through careful design and user experience upgrades, I achieved impressive statistics that reflect the project's success.
The redesigned website witnessed a substantial increase in views, with page views surging by a large increase of 60%. Thus demonstrating the website's new appeal to a broader and newer audience.
The optimized user experience and easier checkout process led to a remarkable 50% increase in conversion rates for product purchases.
Post-redesign surveys and feedback mechanisms consistently rated user satisfaction at an impressive average of 4.7 out of 5. Users appreciated the modern design, user-friendly interface, and enhanced functionality.
My work with Impalas Magazine has been more than just a professional project, it has also been a project to develop myself personally. This project has reinforced my belief design being able to connect with users on a deeper level and the importance of empathy in crafting meaningful experiences for users.
This project has taught me the value of adapting to challenges, collaborating effectively, and finding harmony between tradition and innovation. It's not just about aesthetics; it's about creating experiences that inspire and empower. As I continue this design odyssey, I'm excited to see where the path of creativity and purpose leads next. This project has left a mark on my journey as a designer, reminding me that design is a pursuit of crafting experiences that endure and resonate with not only yourself, but most importantly, users.