Company
Ældre Sagen
Role
UXD
Date
Feb 2023 — Jun 2023
Ældre Sagen has over 930,000 members, and analytics revealed the search function as a heavily used yet underperforming feature. High bounce rates and low click-through rates (CTR) painted a picture of user frustration. Digging deeper, user interviews confirmed the pain points:
Uncategorized Elements: Search results lacked clear categories, leading users down irrelevant paths.
Inconsistent Design: Inconsistent design elements created confusion and hindered scannability.
Overwhelming Filters: A staggering 13 filtering options, some with cryptic names, overwhelmed users.
Through Hotjar I identified common patterns of confusing when conducting searches.
A common trend: a senior member seeking information on a topic such as home care options. Confronted with an unorganized search experience, they become frustrated and abandon their search.
Interviews told us that Ældre Sagen is a trusted go-to source of information for its demographic. Things had to change.
With the presented persona in mind I started ideating on ways to transform the search experience.
I wireframed a solution with the following elements:
Clear Categories: Implemented a categorized structure for search results, making information easily discoverable.
Concise Filtering: Reduced the number of filtering options and simplified their naming for better comprehension.
Improved Information Architecture: Improved the overall information architecture for a more intuitive search flow.
Accessibility Best Practices: Employed strong contrast, clear typography, and a prominent hover effect to cater to users with varying visual abilities.
We implemented all of the above.
In further addressing accessibility:
Higher contrast ratios for text and interactive elements
No small text
Ensuring that all functionality was accessible via keyboard navigation
Adding alt text to all images to support screen reader users.
This commitment to inclusivity in design is always important and especially when designing for an older demographic.
Further iteration and testing will reveal even more.
These changes not only made the website more navigable for users with visual impairments but also improved the overall user experience by making content more operable for everyone. It's important to ensure that all members, regardless of their ability level, can effectively use the search function.
Measurable Impact: A 6.2% Increase in CTR
The success of the redesign is reflected in a 6.2% increase in CTR, signifying a significant improvement in user engagement with the search function. This translates to more seniors finding the information they need quickly and easily.
