Summary
Creative27 took charge of Scholarships.com’s revitalization, starting with in-depth research. Utilizing well-crafted surveys and detailed interviews, the team identified critical user experience issues. Armed with this data, Creative27 led a complete brand transformation for Scholarships.com, introducing a refined color scheme, an updated logo, and new imagery to better resonate with users’ needs and goals.
This rejuvenation not only positioned Scholarships.com as a fresh contender but also significantly improved business metrics. The outcome was a remarkable 45% increase in conversion rates and a notable decrease in bounce rates, thrusting Scholarships.com into a competitive stance within the scholarship research sector.
Our Roles
Client Services
Strategy
Competitive Research
Qualitative Research
User Personas
UX & Visual Design
Prototyping
Quality Assurance
Challenge
Scholarships.com faced a triad of critical challenges that threatened its long-term viability. First, a concerning pattern emerged of high student dropout rates on the site, coupled with alarmingly low conversion metrics that had been in a consistent downward spiral year over year. To compound the issue, the website was encumbered by an outdated design aesthetic rooted in the late 90s, making it increasingly irrelevant in today’s digital landscape.
Solution
To pinpoint the problems, my first step involved gathering firsthand insights from students to locate the bottlenecks affecting the user journey. Armed with concrete qualitative data, I meticulously redesigned the user experience, systematically addressing each pain point. The capstone was a sweeping overhaul of the brand and user interface, catapulting Scholarships.com to a leadership position in their market.
Market Research: Qualitative
In the qualitative research phase, I designed a survey disseminated via email to engage students. Completing the survey entered participants into a $25 gift card drawing, and offered an additional $50 for a follow-up interview. This strategy efficiently pinpointed our key issues.
Synthesis
Data synthesis revealed key pain points among students:
- Overwhelm during signup, onboarding, and scholarship discovery.
- Insufficient information forcing extra work on external platforms.
- Inadequate filtering and display options for relevant scholarships.
- Notification shortcomings viewed as spam.
- Overall outdated and subpar user experience.
Note: The issues listed are based on actual feedback from user surveys.
Empathy Map
Categorized user pain points gathered from interviews into four aspects:
- Thoughts and feelings.
- Visual observations
- Verbal expressions
- Actions taken.
This methodology helped in sorting each issue according to its distinct characteristic.
Sketches
In the early stages of the Scholarships.com project, we started with low-fidelity sketches to quickly conceptualize ideas.
At this juncture, the focus was solely on the operational framework of the product, bypassing visual elements such as color, graphics, and illustrations.
High fidelity wireframes
After polishing the initial sketches, I moved on to crafting detailed, annotated wireframes. These high-fidelity, monochrome representations provided a more nuanced look at the product.
At this point, my attention shifted to perfecting the functional blueprint and working methodology of the platform.
User Interface Design
User Interface (UI) Design is the art of visual storytelling between a product and its users. The journey begins with the assembly of mood boards, which act as visual anchors to establish the product’s overarching aesthetic.
This foundational step is pivotal in crafting a unified visual vocabulary that paves the way for subsequent design components.
SCHOLARSHIPS.COM
MOODBOARDS
Clean, simple fresh.
Bold, vibrant, exciting.
Playful, fun, capable.
Responsive User Interface Design
Who we impress
Transforming bold visions into digital excellence, as reflected in testimonials from Samsung, Apple, T-Mobile, and more.
“Creative27 excelled in designing websites and logos for two nonprofits I’ve worked with, adapting to our pace with utmost professionalism. Their designs, praised for both aesthetics and user experience, never missed a deadline.”
“Creative27 excelled in designing websites and logos for two nonprofits I’ve worked with, adapting to our pace with utmost professionalism. Their designs, praised for both aesthetics and user experience, never missed a deadline.”
Creative27 excels in UI/UX design, efficiently handling complex projects with clear communication and a focus on modern, user-centric solutions.
Creative27 excels in UI/UX design, efficiently handling complex projects with clear communication and a focus on modern, user-centric solutions.
Creative27 excels in UX/UI design, turning basic ideas into polished, intuitive designs, as shown in their successful wine app project. Their skill in creating elegant solutions and maintaining composure under pressure marks them for future success.
Creative27 excels in UX/UI design, turning basic ideas into polished, intuitive designs, as shown in their successful wine app project. Their skill in creating elegant solutions and maintaining composure under pressure marks them for future success.
Creative27 exceeded expectations with market research and comparative analysis, maintaining high enthusiasm and partnership throughout our project’s development.
Creative27 exceeded expectations with market research and comparative analysis, maintaining high enthusiasm and partnership throughout our project’s development.
“Creative27 is a highly talented and creative digital agency. Their resourcefulness and team spirit make them an excellent asset to any company.”
“Creative27 is a highly talented and creative digital agency. Their resourcefulness and team spirit make them an excellent asset to any company.”
Creative27 is a top-tier UI/UX agency we’ve partnered with on key projects. Their creative output, professionalism, and ability to deliver beyond expectations have consistently resulted in beautiful work.
Creative27 is a top-tier UI/UX agency we’ve partnered with on key projects. Their creative output, professionalism, and ability to deliver beyond expectations have consistently resulted in beautiful work.
“We worked with the Creative27 team & had terrific results. Creative27 was able to help us visualize & understand our project with great clarity & efficiency. It’s why we chose to work with them again & again!”
“We worked with the Creative27 team & had terrific results. Creative27 was able to help us visualize & understand our project with great clarity & efficiency. It’s why we chose to work with them again & again!”
“Besides their excellent creative abilities, what sets Creative27 apart is their tight process, quick turnaround, and consistency in delivering good quality work.”
“Besides their excellent creative abilities, what sets Creative27 apart is their tight process, quick turnaround, and consistency in delivering good quality work.”
Working with Creative27 on our flagship product was a pleasure. Their artistic design and UX mastery, along with deep product design discussions, were invaluable. Thank you!
Working with Creative27 on our flagship product was a pleasure. Their artistic design and UX mastery, along with deep product design discussions, were invaluable. Thank you!
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