iKlass Casestudy

OVERVIEW
While working as a tutor for iKlass Tutoring Center, I proposed redesigning the company's website.
I understood that undertaking a design project for a small business with limited resources would be a challenge. My goal was to navigate through these constraints and develop a platform that would contribute to the overall success of iKlass.
This was an opportunity demonstrate my adaptability and problem-solving skills despite limited resources and budget constraints.

I knew the current website was not being utilized by the parents or potential parents. I conducted research to understand the reasons for the lack of user engagement.

I redesigned the marketing materials, taking to the streets to personally connect and engage with potential clients.

I observe the company's operations, engage with owners and teachers, and gathered feedback on their day-to-day functions.

iKlass serves an immigrant community with English as a second language. Due to language limitation, parents scan the site and flyers for recognizable words and information.

Almost all chat interactions were repetitive inquiries of information already provided on the website. The same was true for in-person inquiries. Frequently asked questions included mundane queries like operational hours and program costs.

Responding to customer inquiries consumed a significant portion of employees' time. Reiterating the same information was not only monotonous and tiresome, but it affected overall operation efficiency.

Parents are primarily concerned with practical information, such as program types, schedules, costs, and pick-up services.I had anticipated that parents prioritize who teaches their children, learning methods, success rate, and reviews, but they do not consider these details essential.

OBJECTIVE
There is a communication gap between the website and its users and the employees have inadvertently been tasked with bridging this gap.
Acknowledging other important issues, such as communication challenges with iKlass's current parents, promotion of programs, and more, within my limited budget and time, I decided that the first step should be building a marketing website with plans to expand on it later.
CREATE A MARKETING WEBSITE THAT COMMUNICATES CLEARLY WITH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

RESTATING THE PROBLEM
How can we effectively communicate with users, the majority of whom speak English as a second language?

The current usability of the website does not serve its users. The information is in lengthy paragraphs without the appropriate content and clear hierarchy.

User Research Integration
Integrate insights from research to prioritize information that matters most to the users. Ensure users quickly access the most relevant details aligned with their needs.

Simple Language
Use easy-to-understand and scannable language to help diverse immigrant users comprehend the information.

Clear Information Hierarchy
Place right content in the right order. Use headings, bullet points, illustrations, and other visual cues to guide users through the content.

*Due to limited access to users for testing and budget constraints, I could not conduct a formal user study to validate and refine my ideas.
With the research phase completed, the next step was to initiate the prototyping phase and begin constructing the website.

DESIGN OVERVIEW
With research completed and a problem and solution defined, I now begin the process of designing the website interface
Information on the site should be easily and quickly comprehensible. The design needs a clear information hierarchy and prioritize essential details so parents can scan for information without much effort.
So I start the design process by mapping out a new site map.

GLOBAL NAVIGATION
The global navigation is consistently accessible to users and segmented by program type. My research has identified that parents often initiate their inquiries by asking for specific programs for their children. The objective of dividing the navigation by program types was to align navigation with the users' mental search model.

HYBRID NAVIGATION SYSTEM
The home page features a hybrid navigation system where global menu items are also local navigation elements. This design allows users to browse all the programs and compare them side by side without clicking any button.

CONSISTENT CONTENT MODULE
I want all the pages to have the same information structure to help users develop a visual understanding of the content. This way, as they scan the page, they will intuitively know where to find the information.

CLEAR AND SCANNABLE INFORMATION ORGANIZATION
Each card is designed like a compact, well-organized container presenting information with simple words and icons for an easy comprehension. All the program cards are stacked together, allowing parents to compare and determine the best fit without navigating to multiple pages.

LOOK & FEEL
A visually engaging experience that captures the authentic and lively energy of iKlass.

Drawing inspiration from the students, I combined illustrations with photos to virtually recreate the lively atmosphere of the tutoring center. The images of smiling kids studying and engaging with each other were intended to encapsulate the spirit of the vibrant iKlass community.