01. The challenge

The primary objective of the original platform was to create an engaging experience that granted users access to a series of seminar sessions.

The combined sessions would form a certification program in which users could achieve an industry recognised CPD certification. This project was born of the necessity to develop innovative ways to engage with the brand audiences and clients due to the feedback and lack of engagement.

At the time of the project, the brand was undergoing a transformation which presented unique opportunities for creative solutions that enabled the company to connect with their users, reinforce their position as industry leaders and drive business growth.

02. Research & Discovery

Stakeholder Input, UX Research and Competitive Analysis

The information collected during the project's discovery phase not only revealed user pain points, but also underscored a crucial business goal: interoperability and the effective use of existing tools and data whenever possible. This insight helped steer the decisions for the framework and structure of the solution, ensuring the build was tailored to accommodate this from the beginning. Collaboration with the developers at this stage was essntial to ensure system capabilities were communicated and available data was scoped for.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of users, I utilised multiple sources of information, including a review of user feedback for the existing CPD process, user-focused sessions with the client, a review of data and analytics from various interactions and a competitive analysis of both financial and non-financial sectors. This holistic approach enabled me to develop clear user personas, gain insights into audience preferences and expectations and identify opportunities.

03. The Solution

System & Information Architecture

Working closely with the development team ensured the user experience was designed with seamless integration in mind, tailoring user flows to create a guided journey through the narrative at every stage of the product interaction. When designing the journeys, I identified the key interaction points that were of most value to the users, as well as opportunities for the company to gather feedback and leverage audience data and related statistics. This allowed for the creation of more comprehensive user profiles within their CRM and the delivery of a more personalised content beyond the learning experience.

Understanding the system structure also influenced how information was surfaced within the interface. Key considerations included minimising data calls to optimise page load and capturing essential analytics to develop an effective reporting console. These factors significantly impacted how I approached the overall design and scoped the functionality and interactions within the experience.

User Flow & System Flows

Defining the user flows throughout the content ensured that all touchpoints and scenarios were appropriately scoped, validating the usability and intuitiveness of the experience. This step was crucial to the process, facilitating effective internal communication and promoting a unified approach within the team.

Gamification

The experience also incorporated gamification features and personalisation to motivate and encourage users to progress. Integrating polls and surveys allowed users to see how their perspectives and score ranking compares with those of their peers, adding further value and a competetive element to the experience. Additionally, the feedback survey presented once the user has completed all sessions not only enables them to share their thoughts, but also helps to inform and refine future iterations.

Design

The final design aligned with the brand style guide while incorporating layouts tailored to the content type, creating a more immersive experience. The horizontal orientation not only accommodated common use cases but also provided the ideal format to showcase the webinars.

The end product delivered an experience that blends the structure of an event with a certification course, all while leveraging the benefits of a cloud-based system. Furthermore, the experience was not only rooted in user-centric principles, but provided added value to the client through effective data collection and high levels of user engagement.