New England Invents
My role
UX lead
Timeline
3 Weeks
Tools
Figma
Platform
Wordpress
Project Overview
New England Invents (NEI), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support and guidance to independent inventors.
Their goal is to foster inclusive innovation and make product innovation and development accessible to all independent inventors across socioeconomic groups and educational backgrounds, especially those in underserved communities.
Business Problem
The existing New England Invents website lacked a user-centered design, impacting inventors' ability to easily access available resources, interact with materials, and connect with mentors effectively
The Goal
Redesign the website to create an intuitive, informative, and engaging platform that provides comprehensive support and guidance to independent inventors while fostering collaboration and innovation.
Key design outcomes
Before
Home page
After
Home page
Before
About us page
After
About us page
Before
Become a member page
After
Become a member page
Impact
Positive feedback from inventors indicated improved user satisfaction and a stronger sense of community.
35%
increase website traffic
40%
increase event registration
25%
increase brand recognition
Discovery through user research
This was a fast paced project where we had limited time to redesign the website prior to launch. I started by interviewing stakeholders and three independent inventors to understand their goals, needs, and pain points while seeking support and guidance developing their invention and bringing it to market .
Through my research and interviews I identified the following:
Outdated Content
Users encounter outdated content on various pages, causing confusion
Complex navigation
Users struggle to navigate the existing website due to a cluttered menu structure and unclear labeling of sections, making it challenging to find specific resources or information.
Limited interactivity
Lack of interactive elements and engagement features make users feel frustrated
Limited mobile experiences
Mobile users experienced difficulties accessing and interacting with the website's content.
Lack of Clarity
The website did not have a clear pathways for inventors to access resources, connect with mentors, and access educational information.
Meet the Users
In order to better understand these pain points, I created a user persona and user flow for our target user. I tried to visualize the process for our target users, primarily inventors and entrepreneurs who would be using the platform to participate in workshops and access educational material and guidance on how to bring their inventions to the market.
Visualization of the process
Learning from our competitors
I analyzed four innovation and incubation centers: CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center), Founder Institute (FI), FinTech Sandbox, and Greentown Labs. These centers provide resources, support, and services to startups and entrepreneurs to help facilitate their growth and success. The main difference I immediately noticed is that none offer educational programs specifically for inventors.
Information Architecture & Wireframes
We reorganized the website structure and layout to prioritize inventors' wants and needs by highlighting "Events" "Mentorship," and "What we offer." These changes helped to streamline access to vital information for inventors and sponsors.
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User Testing
Because of constraints related to time and resources, we opted to conduct user testing after the initial launch website launch. I developed a user testing plan, crafted various tasks, and observed users completing these tasks screen sharing on Zoom. During these sessions, I encouraged users to provide feedback. Their responses varied;
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“I would like to book a coaching section easily and have a calendar for workshops. It would help me to save some time”
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The website seems trustworthy and professional."
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It would be great to have a section for success stories of inventors who've benefited from this organization's support."
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"I like the clean and modern design of the site."
I integrated these suggestions into the final design.
Final Design
The redesign of the New England Invents website transformed it into a user-centric platform that effectively supports independent inventors while engaging potential sponsors and inventors . Here's how this transformation was achieved.
Event & consulting calendar
Integrated an events calendar featuring webinars, workshops, and networking events, ensuring inventors were aware of upcoming opportunities.
Created a dedicated "one on one consultation" section and incorporated a calendar for easy booking. This helped to streamline the process.
Differentiation
Added a "what we offer"section to highlight and explain New England Invents unique value proposition and services offered. Users can quickly find the information they seek.
Simplify and organize
Based on user feedback, I added a "Why become a member" section that uses cards and icons to easily navigate and scan.
Accessibility
Recognizing that users accessed the site from various devices, we implemented a responsive design to ensure a seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile and used accessibility standards, including semantic HTML, color contrast, and keyboard navigation.
By implementing these changes, the New England Invents website transformed into a user-centric platform that not only provides valuable resources and support to independent inventors but also fosters a vibrant community. It effectively engages potential sponsors by demonstrating the tangible benefits of supporting inventors through the organization. This comprehensive approach ensures that the website serves as a dynamic hub for inventors at all stages of their creative journeys while creating opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Even though the website has been launched and the organizaiton has started to work with sponsors and clients, we are still iterating and incorporating changes to improve accessibility and expand services and offerings.
What I learned
Redesigning a website using a new platform” wordpress” and collaborating closely with a client has been an immensely valuable learning experience. First and foremost, it has reinforced the importance of effective communication and adaptability. Understanding the client's vision, objectives, and feedback, and then translating those into design decisions, required clear and ongoing dialogue. This process sharpened my ability to ask probing questions and actively listen to their needs.