AISS Foundation
A user centered website redesign
Overview
Problem
High-achieving, economically disadvantaged students interested in STEM careers struggle to find clear, accessible, up-to-date information about the Achievement Institute’s programs.
Solution
In order to increase student enrollment we created a modern, user-friendly design that increased visibility, engagement and support for the students they deserve.
My Role
UX researcher and UI Designer on a 3 person team
Scope
5 weeks - 60+ hours
Empathize - Exploring the User’s Needs
Research Approach
To identify potential pain points for students interested in applying to the AISS Foundation, we began by exploring the website from a user’s perspective. This approach allowed us to experience the site as an applicant would, evaluating factors such as navigation, accessibility of information, and overall usability. By stepping into the user’s shoes, we aimed to uncover obstacles that might hinder the application process.
Site Exploration
While exploring the site we identified several key pain points impacting the user experience. These included outdated information, non-functional calls-to-action (CTAs), and a cluttered, disorganized layout. However, the most critical issue was the site’s navigation. It’s lack of organization made it challenging for users to locate essential information, such as application instructions, creating significant friction in the user journey. Addressing these issues, particularly through a complete navigation redesign, became a top priority to improve usability and accessibility.
Define - Identify the User’s Needs and Problems
Proto-Persona Development
From our research, we were able to put ourselves in the shoes of a student looking to apply to AISS Foundation. Most students enrolled in AISS come from low income households, but despite these challenges are passionate about turning their interest in STEM subjects into a career. Through this thought process we were able to create a proto-persona, Isabella Paolo.
Site Exploration
While exploring the site we identified several key pain points impacting the user experience. These included outdated information, non-functional calls-to-action (CTAs), and a cluttered, disorganized layout. However, the most critical issue was the site’s navigation. It’s lack of organization made it challenging for users to locate essential information, such as application instructions, creating significant friction in the user journey. Addressing these issues, particularly through a complete navigation redesign, became a top priority to improve usability and accessibility.
Problem Statement
Using all of the insights we gained from our research we focused on creating a “How Might We” problem statement. After multiple iterations we were able to find a single problem statement in which we could focus on before the ideation phase.
“How might we help students access crucial support and guidance, while making it easier to understand and engage with the Institute’s mission?”
Ideate - Laying the Groundwork
Diverge and Converge
To determine which problems to prioritize, we began by brainstorming with a mind map. Each team member contributed ideas to enhance the functionality of the AISS website. To narrow down our focus, we employed the $100 bill test, allowing us to converge on our top priority objectives. From this process, we identified three core ideas that collectively work to improve the website: reorganizing the homepage, enhancing navigation functionality, and updating outdated information. These ideas were interrelated, each complementing and reinforcing the others to deliver a more streamlined and accessible user experience.
User Flow
Following the identification of our three core priorities, we developed a comprehensive user flow that centered on the first-time visitor experience. Specifically, we mapped the journey of prospective applicants to the AISS Foundation, ensuring their path to submission would be clear and straightforward.
Site Mapping
To optimize site navigation, we conducted a thorough analysis and developed a strategic site map for the navigation bar. After conducting our analysis we reorganized the site map in order to ensure users could efficiently traverse the site while maintaining a clear sense of orientation throughout their journey. This resulted in a refined navigation structure consisting of four primary categories complemented by a dedicated donation button in the header.
Prototype - Crafting Soulutions
Wireframes
Our first step in prototyping was creating gray-scale wireframes for our user flow. The wireframes consisted of 6 redesigned webpages in both desktop and mobile format utilizing our optimized navigation.
Prototype
After testing our wireframes and receiving feedback we created a high fidelity prototype out of our original design.
Testing - Validating the Solution
A/B Testing Plan
For our A/B test, we compared the current mobile navigation control to the new variation we created during our redesign. We conducted 10 individual tests in order to:
Identify the optimal design for user navigation
Uncover any flaws or usability issues in our design
Validate our design assumptions with real user data
Enhance accessibility for a wider range of users
Our hypothesis: by designing a navigation system that offers greater organization and improved accessibility, we can increase the number of applicants.
Current Navigation
Redesigned Navigation
Feedback
Our feedback from our user testing was mostly positive. Users preferred the redesigned navigation for multiple reasons, such as:
The larger text being easier to read
The hamburger menu being fixed in the top right
Spacing between the navigation buttons allowed for less error
The plus icon being on the right side was more visually appealing
That being said, a few users did find some issues with the redesign:
Preferred the centered text on the original navigation
Preferred the darker background on the original compared to the redesign
Revisions and Next Steps
While we were able to accomplish a redesign of our user flow focused on applying to AISS Foundation the next step would be redesigning the site from the perspective of a donor. We believe this would be crucial to increasing the amount of donations AISS would receive and would make the site more user friendly in general. Another opportunity for improvement would be adding more information on alumni or success stories in order to inspire new students and give them a way to connect with their piers before the program starts. We believe this would create a more welcoming experience for new students.
Reflections & Key Takeaways
Every design project comes with its own unique set of challenges, and the AISS Foundation redesign was no exception. Unlike past projects where I had full creative control over layouts and brand colors, this redesign required working within existing brand elements and preferred layouts. While this initially felt restrictive, it ultimately provided a valuable lesson in adaptability—learning how to design within constraints while still making meaningful improvements.
One of the biggest takeaways from this experience was the critical role of brand identity in web design. Since AISS Foundation lacked a formal brand style guide, we took the initiative to create one ourselves. This not only ensured consistency across the redesign but also helped us craft a visual identity that instilled confidence in users and accurately represented the organization.
Looking back, this project was a rewarding learning experience that has made me a more well-rounded UX designer. While there are always things I would refine in hindsight, I’m proud of the final prototype—especially our redesigned navigation. More importantly, this experience has left me feeling even more excited and prepared for future redesign projects.