ardent mills website redesign (w/mobile)

Ardent Mills, a leader in the flour milling and ingredient industry, recognized the need to update and improve the user experience for their website. They knew the current site fell short on several fronts, but sought expert input to optimize their efforts.

The project was already underway when I joined, so I needed to accelerate my standard approach. Serving as the Lead UX Architect and Consultant, I quickly learned about the client, their goals, and the client’s major competitors. Examples from my brainstorming efforts are included with the artifacts shared below.

Process

• Utillized a combination of Jesse James Garrett’s 5 Planes and the Double Diamond approach.
• Reviewed statement of work and client data provided by internal research team.
• Performed competitive analysis.
• Conducted a heuristic analysis of the initial set of quick-wins pages identified by the team.
• Performed an accessibility audit of specified pages, incorporating the findings into the heuristic analysis.
• Using Figma, I created wireframes for the client’s desktop, mobile, and tablet experiences.
• I regularly collaborated with two visual designers to achieve alignment with the work-at-hand and to help ensure we could complete our work in conjunction with the project timeline.

Results

• The recommendations tremendously reduced cognitive load for users.
• Global navigation was more intuitive.
• Findability of products and the ability of users to learn more about product details was dramatically improved.
• Cross-sell opportunities were increased across the entire experience.
• The elimination of dead ends on pages provided a more seamless and supportive experience.
• Accessibility recommendations provided users with vision and reading challenges to engage with the site content. 
• Resolution of several contrast-related issues improved scannability and readability. 
  
• The recommended designs will result in a more consistent experience across the site, help optimize user expectations, and foster more brand confidence.

Stakeholder Impact

• The project was completed on time and within the targeted budget.
  
• The team was extremely pleased with the work produced and the presentation skills that I demonstrated.
• The efforts provided a sound foundation for the project’s efforts and the client’s goals.

Roles & Tasks

• Lead UX architect and consultant
• Heuristic analysis
• Wireframing
  
• Mobile design
• Tablet design
• Accessibility auditing