Hearst
MY ROLE: UX DESDIGN, UI DESIGN, BRANDING & IDENTITY, EMAIL DESIGN, PROTOTYPING, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, STORYBOARDING, WEB BANNER DESIGN, WIREFRAMING
Project Overview
BEST of is a Hearst Media brand designed as a user-driven platform connecting residents with the best local businesses to eat, play, shop, and unwind. The platform showcases reader-voted winners and expertly curated lists, enabling users to easily discover top-rated restaurants, vibrant bars, scenic parks, captivating museums and everything in between.
Challenge
Design an innovative website for BEST of Connecticut that would serve as the flagship platform for all Hearst brands, enabling residents to discover and celebrate the best local businesses across the United States. The platform aims to cultivate vibrant user communities through strategic engagement initiatives, fostering positive word-of-mouth and driving business growth.
Process
As the Lead UX Designer, I spearheaded the BEST of project from its initial exploration phase through launch. This involved conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis to uncover market opportunities and inform the creation of an innovative website strategy paired with a cohesive visual identity. My core responsibilities included: user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing, as well as close collaboration with developers and marketing teams to ensure scalable, reusable design components that maintained brand consistency across platforms.
Research
I began by conducting in-depth user research to understand the needs, motivations, and preferences of our primary audience: local residents and merchants. This process included developing detailed user personas and mapping their journeys to uncover pain points and opportunities. These insights directly informed the information architecture, tone, and overall interaction model for the site.
Wireframing
In collaboration with Product Managers and Developers, I translated research findings into low and mid fidelity wireframes to define structure, hierarchy, and flow. Through iterative usability testing, I refined navigation patterns and page layouts to ensure a smooth, intuitive experience for all users. This process allowed the team to validate decisions early, reducing design revisions later in development.
Brand Identity & Visual Design
As the Principal Designer, I led the development of a cohesive brand identity for BEST of which includes the logo desin, color palettes, marketing collateral, and a comprehensive brand guide supported by a scalable design repository.
I employed a data-driven design approach, leveraging insights from A/B testing and user feedback to craft a visually engaging, accessible, and brand-aligned experience. The final identity enhanced recognition across digital and print touchpoint and provided a unified visual language that evolve with future campaigns.
Digital Ads – CT Insider
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