Maximum Functionality, Minimal Fuss Website Design and Build for UQ Sport
The Background
UQ Sport is a not-for-profit organisation at The University of Queensland (UQ) that
manages and promotes sport and recreation activities and facilities for the UQ community. They needed a feature-rich website that caters to a diverse audience.
The Challenge
Our client wanted to fit a lot into their new website, but had a strict budget to work with. Since UQ Sport caters to the entire UQ community, the site also had to be functional for a diverse group of people. We needed to create personas that encompassed a wide range of stakeholders.
Our Approach
Before we did anything else, we held extensive user experience workshops with our client and created detailed user personas. Then, we created detailed wireframes using our user experience design software. Instead of going into user interface design as is typically done, we headed straight into development. We used standard components that reflected the wireframes and concentrated on functionality first.
Once this was done, we went back over the top and applied user interface design. This meant we used as much out-of-the-box functionality as possible. We didn’t have to create technology to match design unnecessarily, keeping the costs low for our client.
The Outcome
We successfully delivered a fully functional website that meets the stakeholders’ requirements within budget. We worked with their in-house team to provide them with a framework that they could add to and update over time.
Why It Worked
The client was highly digitally savvy and was keen to participate in the process. They were thrilled to be involved in testing out components and plugins to determine what worked best for them. We usually train our clients in how to use their new site, but with this one, all we had to do was onboard them and let them get started.
With a limited budget, we ensured that we didn’t overcook anything. We prioritised functionality over polish and resisted the urge to fine-tune things beyond what was necessary.
