Information architect (Jun 06 - Mar 07)
Fidelity International is the world's largest independent investment management organisation and a leading provider of financial services.
The purpose of this project, which ran in tandem with the redesign of Fidelity's Fund Finder tool, was to redesign the fund research and selection section of Fidelity's UK website.
The key objective was to merge two existing sections into one, whilst applying newly designed content management system (CMS) page templates.
Also important was to apply a new left hand navigation, greatly reduce page count, implement a more robust information architecture, enhance the usability of the pages and section as a whole, and accommodate the redesigned and extended fund research and selection tool.
Responsibilities and tasks
- Audit and log existing site content
- Meet with business stakeholders to ensure that their objectives and requirements are considered during the project planning stage
- Meet with key business personnel and phone team members to gather information and marketing data about the user base
- Create and utilise user scenarios (personas) based on the in-depth research carried out re Fidelity's client base
- Convertion of persona requirements into user tasks, and then on to proposed pages to satisfy user needs
- Propose a robust information architecture, condensing 2 sections into one whilst supporting user information finding needs
- Be part of a team conducting 2 rounds of user testing of the proposed solution in 3rd party usability labs
- Collate feedback from usability testing, make recommendations, update proposed IA accordingly
- Produce visual designs for consideration to help solve usability issues identified
- Produce site map, wireframes, and content matrix
- Choose the most relevant CMS templates and template modules from the options available
- Provide input regarding the labeling of key navigation options
- Ensure that the redesigned Fund Finder application fits seamlessly into the information architecture of the new section
- Request and oversee the development of refinements to template modules
- Ensure that all user journeys are concluded in the most effective manner
- Consolidate page numbers so that they could be brought down to a more manageable level
- Remove duplicated or excessive content so that the new, more user centric navigation, could support the new section
- Test the functionality of the new CMS templates and request improvements/enhancements from technical teams
- Work with the technical team to ensure that problems relating to the use of iframes in the new CMS templates were overcome in the best possible manner
- Apply search engine optimisation best practice to new pages
- Produce an accessibility checklist for this and future projects
- Collaborate with US based colleagues during remote web based project meetings
- Produce a 2nd content matrix showing the relationship between the old and new web pages
- Work out a naming convention for the new pages with the head of the content team
Project result
The new Research funds and shares section is far easier to navigate and the usability of the section as a whole has been greatly improved.
The section now comprises of a total of 95 pages as opposed to the 240 pages that made up what was previously 2 sections. The positive impact from a maintenance point of view is substantial.
This section now utilises the new, more user centric CMS page templates (with the exception of the masthead which will be added in at a later stage), which are CSS driven in terms of layout (as opposed to the table layout as per previous templates). This has had a positive impact page weight and accessibility.
The new 'Research funds and shares' section can be seen at Fidelity International's UK website (external site).
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