My Role
UX Designer, Researcher, and Strategist
Contract role through my agency, Woodroux Digital Design Studio
Reported directly to the CEO, CPO, and CMO
This was a high-visibility assignment where I partnered with LQA’s senior leadership to transform their digital presence into a platform worthy of their global influence.
Context: The Vanguard of Luxury Hospitality
For over two decades, Leading Quality Assurance (LQA) has set the benchmark for service excellence in the luxury hospitality industry, assessing the world’s most renowned hotel brands across 130 countries.
As the organization moved deeper into the digital age, its website no longer reflected its authority, expertise, or modern approach. LQA needed more than a redesign; it needed a strategic digital platform that would reinforce its market leadership while fueling demand generation.
Objectives: Four Pillars of Success
The project centered on four strategic goals:
1. Tailored Pathways: Create personalized journeys for distinct customer segments.
2. Service Showcase: Visually and interactively present LQA’s offerings in the style of a modern SaaS product page.
3. Sales Funnel: Systematically convert prospects into clients through clear, compelling user flows.
4. Thought Leadership: Establish the site as a hub of insights and inspiration for the global luxury hotel community.
Understanding the Audiences
We identified two primary visitor groups, each with unique needs and goals:
1. Prospects: Small to medium hotel group operators
Needs: Opportunity awareness, problem definition, solution clarity
Our Goal: Demand generation for LQA services
2. Industry Stakeholders: Existing clients, journalists, researchers, prospects
Needs: Insights, inspiration, education
Our Goal: Strengthen brand profile and market position
Wireframing
Continuing forward, I translated research into action by creating the initial homepage wireframe. This wireframe provided a tangible preview of the new design's look and feel, which I shared with the client and leadership for feedback. This collaborative process led to insightful discussions and refinements, including the decision to merge boutique hotels into broader categories, reducing the number from four to three. An innovative idea emerged: associating distinct colors with these categories for intuitive navigation. This interactive approach showcased the power of iteration in design, reflecting leadership insights and resulting in a dynamic narrative that echoes Leading Quality Assurance's vision.
Iterate
Subsequent to the insightful feedback, the design journey entered an iterative refinement phase. This critical step allowed me to fine-tune the wireframes and build out components that would work within this design style, incorporating the recommended enhancements from both the client and leadership. Through collaborative efforts, we meticulously shaped the designs to align seamlessly with Leading Quality Assurance's (LQA) core objectives.
Cart and Get Started
The checkout experience was designed to reflect the needs of LQA’s three distinct customer segments.
◆ Independent hotel groups: These users can complete checkout directly through a standard shopping cart flow, streamlining their path to purchase.
◆ Large hotel chains (e.g., Marriott properties): These organizations typically require consultation before finalizing services. For them, we introduced a “Get Started” form submission process, connecting prospects directly with an LQA staff member for tailored onboarding.
By offering both self-service checkout and a guided engagement path, the cart experience flexes to accommodate different buyer journeys. This ensures the platform feels frictionless for smaller operators while supporting the high-touch relationship larger hotel brands expect.
