2024
Redesigning for Business: Boosting Scroll Depth & Attracting New Users
The Business Channel was prioritized for a layout redesign to drive stronger user engagement. The updated layout is designed to improve key performance indicators, including sustained page views, deeper scroll depth, and increased new user acquisition.
Old Business Channel design
The Challenge
The Status quo
The current design relied on image-based cards to promote top stories, but the headlines over images reduced clarity and accessibility. Additionally, the layout no longer met modern UX and UI standards, prompting the need for a redesign.
My role
My role was to redesign and test the new layout. My responsibilities included research, layout proposals, and data collection.
Talking with the Business Channel editors
In addition to analyzing top-performing news sites and researching UX best practices aligned with the project goals, it was essential to consult with the channel editors to understand their vision for the redesign. Their priorities included clearer depictions of sections for tagged stories and dedicated areas for individual contributors and columnists. The editors believed that the redesign should reflect a cleaner and straightforward brand for their channel.
Old Business Channel proposed changes
Low and mid fidelity wireframes for Business Channel redesign
Prototyping
Low-fidelity
My practice for designs start with creating quick wireframes on my notebook. While not common anymore, it helps me explore new layouts in a short amount of time.
Mid-fidelity
Middle-fidelity prototypes were also key in layout explorations that were feasible and met the company's standards. These prototypes were usually presented for stakeholders to determine which layout would best reach their goals.
Testing & Results
Comparing the designs
A comparison test was held over a 3-month period to measure the metrics of the old design and new design. The new design should succeed in raising scroll-depth for user retention and attract new users to visit the channel page.
Findings
The results yielded that there was a significant increase in new user acquisition. There was no significant increase in page views but there was a slight increase in page depth. It was concluded that the new design was successful, however, it is still subject to further testing and reiteration to yield better results.
40%
increase in new user acquisition
5%
increase in
scroll-depth
New Business Channel redesign
New Business Channel hero section
New Business Channel columnist section
Reflection
For future reference…
Looking back on the redesign, I would've paid more attention to striking a balance with the overall spacing of the design. The stakeholders appreciated the amount of line spacing the texts got, as well as the padding of each section or element. I think if I had more time to refine the spacing and polish it to a point where both the stakeholders and I were pleased, testing would yield better results. Longer testing should have also been done to see a better range of results. Overall, I think further iterations of this layout could yield to very positive and significant results.