About Beverly Hills:
Beverly Hills, California, is a renowned city celebrated worldwide for its glamour, luxury, and innovation. Nestled within 5.7 square miles in the heart of Southern California, Beverly Hills is not just a city; it's an experience. Home to approximately 35,000 residents and a magnet for millions of global visitors annually, Beverly Hills offers a unique blend of natural beauty, perfect weather, and exceptional experiences in dining, entertainment, shopping, and culture.
Projects:
As a UI/UX Designer and Web Coordinator, I had the privilege of working on various projects to enhance the online presence and usability of the Beverly Hills website. Here are some of the key initiatives I undertook:
1. Competitive Analysis for Usability Enhancement:
Conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis to identify best practices in usability and user experience, ensuring the Beverly Hills website met modern standards.
2.Website Search Enhancement:
Improved the website's search functionality to make it more user-friendly, helping visitors find information quickly and efficiently.
3.Online Services Page:
Designed and optimized the Online Services page to streamline access to essential city services for residents and visitors.
4.Committee and Commission Page Standardization:
Ensured a consistent and user-friendly layout for Committee and Commission pages, enhancing navigation and user experience.
5.Navigation Improvement:
Implemented navigation enhancements to make the website more intuitive and user-centric.
6.Standardized Landing Pages:
Created standardized landing pages for online services, ensuring a cohesive and user-friendly experience.
7.Public Records Integration:
Added public records functionality under the search page for easy access to vital information.
8.Responsive Hero Images:
Incorporated responsive hero images on the Home page to create an engaging and visually appealing first impression.
My role as a UI/UX Designer and Web Coordinator involved optimizing the digital presence of Beverly Hills, making it more accessible and user-friendly for residents and visitors alike. These initiatives aimed to provide an exceptional online experience that matched the city's reputation for luxury and innovation.
Review and Enhance Usability through Competitive Analysis
Prior to embarking on my task, I conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis, evaluating the digital presence of several neighboring cities, including Burbank, Santa Monica, Calabasas, and Long Beach. The objective was to glean insights from their websites to enhance the usability of the Beverly Hills website.
I focused on key features that were commonly found across these city websites, including:
1. Search Bar:
I examined the search functionality to understand how it was implemented and how users interacted with it.
2.Top Navigation:
I analyzed the top-level navigation menus to identify patterns and best practices.
3.Secondary Navigation:
The secondary navigation menus were scrutinized for their placement, relevance, and user-friendliness.
4.Social Media Integration:
I assessed how these cities integrated their social media channels into their websites to engage users.
5.Google Translate:
The presence and effectiveness of Google Translate tools were evaluated for providing multilingual support.
6.Hero Images:
I reviewed the usage and impact of hero images on the websites to create an engaging visual experience.
Based on the data and images collected from these cities, I compiled the following results and insights, which would serve as a valuable foundation for enhancing the usability of the Beverly Hills website.
Website Search Help:
Problems:
Accessibility Issues:
The website's search function currently faces accessibility problems, making it challenging for all users, including those with disabilities, to utilize effectively.
Layering Issues:
There are two layers of content appearing on top of each other, causing confusion and hindering the user's ability to access information seamlessly.
Difficulty in Locating City Resources:
Users find it challenging to locate essential city resources through the existing search function, resulting in frustration and inefficiency.
Solution:
Following my comprehensive competitive analysis of websites belonging to the City of Santa Monica, Burbank, Calabasas, and Long Beach, I drew inspiration from the effective search functionalities employed by Google and the innovative approach showcased by Calabasas in their search page design. Combining these two distinct ideas, I crafted a solution that amalgamates the best practices from each, aiming to enhance the search experience on the Beverly Hills website.
Online Services page:
Committee page standardization:
Commission Page Standardization
Top Navigation Order:
Government/Residents/Business/Community/Art, Culture & Events/I Want To
Order of the Pages:
Banner/Title/Content (with the exception of Commissioner pages)
Order of the Navigations (Subpages):
Home Page (Name)
Commissioners
Agendas and Minutes
Meeting Schedule
Archived Meeting Videos
This standardization of the Commission page's top navigation, page structure, and subpage navigation will ensure a cohesive and user-friendly experience for visitors to the Beverly Hills website.
