Biotech Start-up Website Redesign
- Ivan Chang
- Nov 9, 2019
- 3 min read
This project is my first design project done on my own. I was a marketing intern at the Keck Graduate Institute during the summer in 2019. Our client, BloqCube, was a biotech start-up company located in New Jersey, so all the discussions were conducted via Zoom.
BloqCube is an e-commercial blockchain-based clinical trial management system start-up that automates the paperwork into digital data with the secure blockchain technology. And the main goal they wanted to achieve was to create a user-friendly website for B2B customers to engage with the products.
Question statement:
How to create a user-friendly website for B2B customers to engage with the products?
User Research
I interviewed 4 people, including a marketing professor, two graduates, and one undergraduate, by asking them to execute specific missions.
The pain points I found:
1. No obvious call-to-action.
2. No channel to engage with the product.
3. No clear contact and product information.
4. The poor navigation bar and information arrangement (architecture).
Target Audience
Target audience mainly determined by the CEO already. They focus on the key person in the pharmaceuticals or related institutions and organizations.
Key persons: Finance people, Marketing people, Clinical development leader.
Ideation
After discussed with the CEO, we decided some adjectives for the new website: innovative, technological, clear, and concise. Based on these, we chose two main colours and three axillary colours as the brand colour. In order to strengthen the brand image, I also created cube elements corresponding to their name, BloqCube.
Information Architecture and User Flow Map
Prototype
I made the redesigned website have clear:
- Call-to-action: for customers to access more information and to engage with BloqCube.
- Navigation: clear navigation bar guides customers to the information they are looking for.
- Message: convey a clear brand message allows customers to know how BloqCube works.
- Contact: with social media and online chat robot, customers can reach BloqCube easily.
The current website (left) vs. redesigned website prototype (right).
Other redesigned ideas.
Thoughts
CEO of BloqCube really liked this redesign. Yet, he was not sure about applying all the design since the company was still in a growing stage. As my first project, I still have lots of details to learn:
1. The grid system: I learned the importance of grid system after I finished this project. If I apply grid system well, each component on the screen will be suitable for users to perceive.
2. The consistency: I did not make the font size consistent in each category. Like there was some text in different font size.
3. The feasibility: some design was not feasible for a start-up to develop in the early stage since it might take too much time and effort. Like the online chat robot.
4. Users' thoughts: I did not have the opportunity to ask target users to browse the redesigned website so I could not receive their feedback, which was the most important.
I have learned:
1. The communication with the client: after discussing with the CEO back and forth, I realized how important that everybody's idea should align on the same page all the time. Every time I had to list out the changes I did and discussed whether they were suitable or not.
2. The information architecture: in order to provide and guide users to the information they are looking for, the website should have a complete and reasonable information architecture.
3. The problem-based ideation: I defined the problems first and formulated several ideas to solve the problems.
Overall, I really enjoyed the collaboration with BloqCube. And I appreciated Keck Graduate Institue and BloqCube offered this opportunity to me.
Thank you for reading! Don't hesitate to leave a comment.