WEBSITE REDESIGN
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Established as the #1 preferred filler brand in North America and other global markets, Evercoat’s high quality fillers and putties for the automotive aftermarket has made them trusted by body repair professionals for almost 70 years. The redesign of the Evercoat website now allows for more accessibility to information regarding products and technical resources. In addition, my team and I utilized user-centric design principles to make the overall flow of the site more seamless and visually branded.
ROLE
This project was a team effort in collaboration with the marketing manager, digital marketing specialist, and market research analyst. My role as the designer included visual design direction, user testing, UX research, analysis, strategy, and ideation.
PROBLEM
As more products and technical resources were added to the Evercoat website, the more challenging it became to locate specific products and information. The original interface and navigation of the site were not intuitive or user-friendly.
SOLUTION
The new site design offers users a more seamless and user-friendly product browsing experience. It also showcases easy-to-find resources for technical information and industry insights.
USER RESEARCH
ANALYZING THE PREVIOUS WEBSITE
- Homepage prompts users to select their location on a map before they can continue. This feature is confusing and typically results in immedate drop-off.
- Difficult to navigate and browse products unless you know the exact sku of the product you’re looking for.
- Not mobile responsive.
USER ANALYSIS
- The Evercoat website was found to be customers’ second most preferred method of accessing technical information for products next to directly contacting a sales representative. This is a clear indication that the current website is not intuitive enough for users to find information on their own.
- More than half of site visitors access the website on a mobile device and are in need of a mobile responsive interface.
USER FLOW DEVELOPMENT
To combat users immediately dropping off of the home page, we decided to remove the location feature altogether. The new home page will feature a more welcoming interface, an intuitive navigation menu, and scrollable content for the user to explore.
This revised user flow introduces the ability for users to seamlessly explore products based on industry, product type, product brand, or application technique rather than by a specific sku. Product descriptions, technical data sheets, safety data sheets, and sell sheets will all be showcased on every product page in addition to keeping the original product document portals that long-time customers are already acclimated to using.
VISUAL DESIGN
WIREFRAMES
REFINING THE DESIGN
To finalize the new site’s interface, I implemented a library of digital assets to further immerse users into a cohesive brand experience throughout the flow of the site. These assets enforce brand awareness – not just for the Evercoat brand as a whole – but for several newly distinguished product categories that users can learn more about using the effective product navigation menu.
FINAL OUTCOME
MAIN IMPROVEMENTS
- Enhanced product navigation allows users to browse products by category rather than having to rely on searching for information by sku.
- Technical resources are now accessible from a particular product’s page OR from the Tech Tips page.
- Safety Data information can also be accessed from a particular product’s page OR from the traditional method of entering product information in the SDS portal – now easilly accessible from the main navigation menu.
- Distributor locator tool now available.
- The site’s UI is now visually branded, mobile responsive, and user-friendly!
CONCLUSION
The redesigned Evercoat site sophistically showcases product resources while also creating a more visually cohesive and intuitive user experience from what the previous site offered. The use of modern and responsive user flows have significantly improved user engagement and functionality since launch. Improved navigation tools offer users an organized selection of product categories, technical resources, and industry insights within an effective information hierarchy.