Project Type
UX Research & Design
Rol
UX Designer
Deliverables
Web Design, Digital Strategy, Content Strategy
Problem Statement
Amidst an economic revolution, Skilled Trades BC is doubling down on an ambitious project to keep the trades alive and trendy. Seeing an opportunity to build the most diverse and sustainable workforce of Canada, they partnered with Evolving Web to build a powerful marketing hub and website for each of its audiences.
Team composition
Senior UX Designer, Project Manager, Art Director, UI Designer, Content Strategist and developers.
The vision
Create a destination where everyone has the tools to be part and shape the trades.
Skilled Trades BC asked us to work on an inclusive design that highlighted the value of the trades and ease the way for prospective apprentices.
Our objective: work as an extension of their team to craft a unique and supporting experience.
Showing the way
Joining the trades can be challenging, most will be familarized with the process to follow studies at a University, but not so with the trades. For that reason, it was necessary to tackle this pain point in the user journeys.
By incorporating elements such as highlighting sought-after trades, sharing industry news, and available financial assistance, we supported and encourage users to join the trades. Additionally, we added way-finding patterns to guide users not only during their first contact with the trades, but throughout their journey, adding value to their experience and improving retention rate on the platform.
The process (in a nutshell)
Identify key UX challenges and opportunities for the business and users by conducting a comprehensive discovery phase (consisting of stakeholder questionnaires, user journey workshops, and benchmarking study analysis).
Defined UX strategies focused on enhancing wayfinding through the design of intuitive UX patterns (quiz, comparison tool, new search experience).
Developed content strategies emphasizing the use of plain language in content and headings; simplified bulleted and numbered lists, tables, graphs, and infographics to make information more digestible for users.
Established a content governance framework outlining standards, policies, processes, and workflow recommendations to maintain content quality and consistency.
Integrated search engine optimization (SEO) and analytics to improve content discoverability and user engagement.
Guided the new art direction by proposing inclusive and visible style recommendations for content and photography aligned with visual design goals.
Making the trades for everyone
Impact
We wanted the process of joining the trades to be as straightforward as possible.
To achieve this, we developed engaging ways of help the user make a choice. During our research, we quickly understood that providing easy and modern access to information, would greatly support users in their journey into the trades.
The changes we implemented, along with the new rebranding, helped shift perceptions of the trades, added perceived value, and reinforced the notion that the skilled trades are a rewarding and inclusive career pathways.
1
Quiz recommendation feature based on user's skills and personality
75
Major pages simplified
+100
Trade programs consolidated into a new search process
+9
Developed way-finding features
Reflections and learnings
Decision paralysis is a thing, whether it's ordering food, planning vacations, or deciding which career path to follow. No one wants to make the wrong choice, so it's important to address these feelings promptly with your users before it's too late.
Sometimes, all that needs to change it's *how* we present the information. This experience gave us the chance to experiment with different ways of present the information to users. It was a challenge to tailor the experience for each audience, but the end result, made access to content easier and simplified the path to joining the trades.