Unity 🌈

👋 Introduction

This study will cover the entire design process of the Unity landing page, an inclusive platform aimed at connecting LGBTQ+ individuals through meaningful relationships, events, and resources.

Overview: Unity is the landing page for discovering new connections, joining exciting events, accessing valuable resources, and finding support. 

Project Background: The Unity platform was developed to address the need for a safe and inclusive online space for LGBTQ+ individuals. The target audience includes members of the LGBTQ+ community seeking meaningful relationships, engaging in community events, and accessing resources for personal growth and support. The primary challenge was to create a user-friendly and inviting design that provides a seamless user experience.

What you’ll cover: This case study covers the entire process of designing the landing page.

🎯 Objectives

Potential Success Metrics

🤝 Empathize

Understand User Needs: In the initial design thinking process, the focus lies on comprehensively understanding user behaviors, preferences, motivations, and pain points. This foundational research is crucial as it informs the development of a website that meets the specific needs and expectations of the target audience.

Identify Pain Points: The goal is to uncover the specific challenges and frustrations that potential users may face. By identifying these pain points, the website can effectively address these issues.

Gather Feedback: Various research methods include one-on-one interviews, surveys, and analytics review. These methods enable the collection of qualitative and quantitative data to inform the website's design.

Explain Research Methods:

• One-on-One Interviews: Conducted 5 in-depth interviews to gain insights into individual user experiences and preferences.
• Surveys: Distributed surveys and received responses from 23 participants to collect broader feedback from a diverse user base.
• Analytics Review: Analyzed data from various sources, including articles, studies, and statistical websites, to identify additional insights and areas for improvement.

Through this comprehensive research, two personas were created to better understand our target users and tailor our website to their needs. These personas represent key segments of our user base and provide valuable insights into their behaviors, motivations, and pain points.

After the user personas were formed, empathy maps were created to deepen understanding of their perspectives, motivations, and needs.

🎯 Define

After empathizing, I began analyzing data and identifying key problems.

💡 Ideation

During the ideation phase, I explore creative solutions and engage in brainstorming sessions to address user needs effectively. I leverage diverse perspectives and innovative thinking to generate ideas that will shape the design and functionality of our website. One of the best methods for iterating on solutions is creating paper wireframes. They are quick to produce, cost-effective, and allow for easy modifications.

✨ Solution

From the very beginning, I spent considerable time contemplating the perfect name for this website—one that would be memorable and encapsulate its philosophy. Then, I recalled one of the key design principles: Unity. Unity is the principle that harmonizes all other elements of design, creating a cohesive and visually appealing experience by bringing elements together for a common purpose. Similarly, our website will unite people from around the world, fostering connections and a sense of community.

The next step was to create a logo that would perfectly represent our goals and mission. I considered various options, reflecting on what the word Unity evokes. This process led to the creation of a mood board, which served as the foundation for developing the logo.

For the primary brand color, I chose #3B6FE8, which I call "Unity Blue." This color is ideal for our website because it conveys a sense of trust, reliability, and calmness. Blue is often associated with openness and communication, making it a perfect choice for a platform dedicated to connecting and supporting people from the LGBTQ+ community.

Additionally, this color meets the accessibility standards: WCAG AA for normal text and WCAG AAA for large text, ensuring readability and inclusivity for all users.

After the ideation and iterative design processes, I'm excited to unveil the final designs of Unity.

Homepage

Discover

Resources

Quizzes

It's important to highlight that the site is designed with users from different corners of the world in mind. Therefore, I've included language options to ensure accessibility for everyone.

I also implemented responsive design to ensure that our website adapts seamlessly to different devices and screen sizes. This ensures a consistent and optimal user experience whether accessed from a desktop computer or mobile phone.

🏁 Conclusion

In conclusion, I have designed a website that not only fosters meaningful connections across borders but also prioritizes inclusivity through responsive design and multilingual support. From connecting users to vibrant events, valuable resources, and personalized support, every aspect of our website is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive space for the LGBTQ+ community. All identified problems and pain points have been addressed or resolved, ensuring a seamless and enriching experience for all users. I look forward to welcoming users from around the globe to join our community and explore the diverse opportunities for connection and growth on Unity 🌈💖