Proof that usability and beauty go hand-in-hand.

See how the wireframe I created (left) is turned into a design (right).
Click each image for a larger version.

Project: Acura.com redesign
Services: UX Strategy, Prototyping and support for usability testing, Information Architecture, Interaction Design
Deliverables: UX Strategy Deck, Prototypes, Site Map, Process Flows, Wireframes, Functional Specifications

Visit Acura.com

Working with Genex, we redesigned Acura.com to support a number of strategic objectives including improvements in usability, design, and speed. This project included the entire website including two major lead-generating sub-components: the Build and Price and Request a Quote tools.

The Product: Acura.com is the official online home of Acura vehicles. The site provides a wealth of multimedia, interactive tools, and information to help automotive consumers learn about Acura’s vehicles and connect with the brand.

The Challenge: Acura’s previous site was successful in visual distinction and wealth of information, but needed to take the final step to create a cohesive and truly valuable user experience. Information architecture was often-times invisible, disallowing the user to create a mental model of the site. Pages lacked the structure and context that would allow users to accomplish their goals. And, the site was not strategically leading users to the places they wanted and needed to go. However, some things were working and ranked highly in third party industry evaluations, so we need to make sure not to try to fix what wasn’t broken.

The Solution: First, I presented a user experience strategy to get everyone talking and on the same page about the approach we were going to take. Once we agreed on that, I created two different information architecture frameworks to be tested with users. This usability testing decided which overall framework we would use. (We also tested some of the important shopping tools.) I proposed content design improvements such as using smaller chunks of concisely written or bulleted information; this approach supports how users actually scan and read on the web. I incorporated related information and links in key places to enable users’ decision making, such as comparison charts to help users decide between features and vehicles and help to answer their immediate questions. The devil was in the details, so we made small design changes that are proven to have a big impact. Some of these changes were based on Gestalt principles: scientifically based design laws that align with the human visual system and make for faster and easier perception and comprehension. The technical team worked to increase speed and the design team conducted focus groups with users to nail down the visual design.

The Result: The new and improved Acura.com is a shining example of improvements from all disciplines: usability, information architecture, technology, and visual design synergizing to create an amazing user experience.