eSym

This Motivational Interviewing (MI) company offers learners online training courses, in-person and group training programs, delivered by a tenured professor and other subject matter experts (SME’s).

Role: UX/UI Designer

Responsibilities: Website Redesign and development

Target Audience: Learners looking to engage in MI training to develop current knowledge base and company managers looking to train employees on MI practices

Client: eSym

Tools: Figma, Figjam, GoDaddy Website Builder

Year: 2024

Overview

The client eSym, reached out to me for assistance in redesigning their website. They had previously designed and implemented a website through the GoDaddy website builder but soon realised they didn’t know how to efficiently and effectively convey their value proposition and convert site visitors into inquiring and/or purchasing learners.

Since realising they lack the knowledge and skill surrounding this topic, they deemed it a problem worth solving through my help.

I proposed a need for a more professional appearance better following the principles of visual design to match the investment in money and time that clients make, and most importantly a clearer articulation of eSym’s value proposition. This includes how courses are conducted, why they should learn from these SME’s, and how they’d benefit from this training.

Process

I met with eSym’s SMEs to get the lay of the land. Following this I conducted a mixed method of Competitive Analysis for market insights and in-person Interviews for user-centric design, closely followed by persona creations.

I decided to conduct a competitive analysis to understand the macro view of the industry and strategically design content informed by what the competitors are doing well and opportunities for improvement.

Next I aligned them with my target audience's specific needs through in-person interviews, which allowed me to validate the research findings and uncover more effective content solutions.

For the in-person Interviews, the research goals consisted of understanding information needs, evaluating preferences when choosing a training provider, and validating the assumptions previously mentioned from the competitive analysis.

Participant profiles included a mix of male and female between the ages of 30-55 who were professionals in child welfare, social workers or legal professionals.

Key insights

1 The need for content clarity and operational transparency

2 The importance of trust through credibility

3 The power of visuals and user-friendly design

The insights from the research revealed two distinct user archetypes. To ensure the design effectively captures the users specific needs, I developed two personas.

Personas

By mapping out these personas pain points and needs in a user journey map, I gained insights into their interactions with the current eSym website and identified key design requirements to address challenges and improve their experience.

Archetype 1: Individuals seeking company-sponsored training

Design Needs:

1 Clear Value Proposition

Alex needs eSym to clearly communicate the value for businesses and team training, emphasising benefits for large organisations.

2 Transparent Offerings & Simple Contact Options

Present training options clearly, highlighting benefits and features, with easy ways to contact or schedule a meeting.

The user flow below addresses Alex's design needs by providing multiple pathways to his end goal, along with plenty of information to support an informed decision and a clear CTA to convert him from a visitor to a potential client.

Archetype 2: Individuals engaging in personal, self-driven learning

Design Needs:

1 Clear Program Details and Easy Navigation

Leah needs organised, accessible course information with smooth navigation to easily explore the different offerings.

2 Emphasis on Course Benefits and Value

Leah needs to understand the course benefits, with a heavy emphasis on what she’ll gain and why it’s worth her investment and time.

The user flow below meets Leah's design needs by clearly conveying the value of each course and its target audience, making it easy for her to make informed decisions. It also includes in-depth explanations and options to explore additional details, supporting Leah’s decision-making process.

The Design

This section will illustrate how the final design was shaped by research insights and user requirements.

The Homepage

Content clarity and operational transparency
- The What We Do section clearly presents the value and unique aspects of eSym's MI Training, detailing how it’s conducted, who it benefits, and what learners gain.
Trust through credibility
- The Who's Behind eSym section highlights the founder’s expertise, while Testimonials use job titles instead of names to emphasise the training’s relevance across careers.
- The Client Samples showcase diverse companies, demonstrating eSym’s experience with large group training.
Visual and user friendly design
- The Who We Train section, with clear imagery and CTAs, immediately communicates who the courses are for and what’s offered.

The Individual Trainings Page

This page is tailored to meet the needs of our Leah persona.

Content clarity and operational transparency
- The course infographics clearly outline who each course is for, what they’ll learn, and what to expect, addressing Leah's need for detailed program information.
- The Skills You'll Gain section and CEU details emphasise the practical benefits of each course, aligning with Leah's focus on clear value.
Trust through credibility
- The Why Choose Us section, crafted with input from SMEs, reinforces eSym’s expertise, emphasising that the training is research-based and led by specialists.
Visual and user friendly design
- The course infographics use principles like visual hierarchy, balance, and Gestalt, ensuring information is structured and easy for users like Leah to digest.

The Group Trainings Page

This page is tailored to meet the needs of our Alex persona.

Content clarity and operational transparency
- The How We Do It and Why Choose eSym sections offer a concise overview of course features and benefits, meeting Alex’s need for a clear value proposition.
Trust through credibility
- The Why Choose eSym section highlights features like customisability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, all identified as priorities in research interviews for users like Alex.
Visual and user friendly design
- The page uses visual design principles, pairing large images with clear titles and subtext to effectively convey eSym’s value proposition.

The About Us Page

This page was thoughtfully designed to address our second key insight: Trust through credibility.

It highlights the SMEs who are both founders and training course writers, showcasing their credentials, experience, and mission to reinforce eSym's reputation as a trusted MI training provider. Additionally, the page includes profiles of other trainers, detailing their education and expertise.

The Result

Final Thoughts

The client recognised that this approach provided visitors with an engaging, educational experience, leading to higher visitor-to-client conversion rates.

I faced some limitations in this project due to the restricted functionalities of GoDaddy's website builder. To work around these, I designed elements in Figma and uploaded them. I would have preferred a platform without constraints, allowing for greater creative freedom.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this project with eSym. I gained valuable insights into MI practices and had the opportunity to make a positive impact on learners and managers seeking to expand their knowledge.

If you'd like to visit the website, click here!