In a world where luxury hospitality sets the bar for exceptional experiences, Leading Quality Assurance (LQA) stands as the vanguard of assessing these impeccable standards. With an illustrious track record spanning over two decades, LQA has been the cornerstone of quality assessment for the world's most renowned hotel brands across 130 countries. As LQA strides confidently into the digital age, the need for a website transformation has become evident – one that resonates with its industry authority, global influence, and modern approach.
I am thrilled to present a pivotal project in my UX design journey, a project that afforded me the unique opportunity to collaborate directly with LQA's senior leadership including the Chief Product Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. This assignment marked the complete redevelopment and redesign of leadingquality.com – a digital platform that not only underscores LQA's evolution but also encapsulates its commitment to excellence.
My Role: UX Designer, Researcher, Strategist
Project Type: Contract position under my company, Woodroux
Who I report into: CEO, CPO, and CMO
New Website Objectives: 4 Pilars of Success
1. Provide tailored pathways for each customer segment.
2. Visually and interactively showcase our services like a SAAS product page.
3. Serve as a sales funnel to systemically move people from prospects to clients.
4. Be a beacon of thought leadership in the global luxury hotel community.
2. Visually and interactively showcase our services like a SAAS product page.
3. Serve as a sales funnel to systemically move people from prospects to clients.
4. Be a beacon of thought leadership in the global luxury hotel community.
Primary Visitor Types: 2 Groups
Group One: Prospects
Who: Small to Medium sized hotel group operators.
Needs: Opportunity awareness, problem and solution enlightenment.
Our Goal: Demand Generation For LQA Services.
Needs: Opportunity awareness, problem and solution enlightenment.
Our Goal: Demand Generation For LQA Services.
Group Two: Industry Stakeholders
Who: Existing clients, journalists, researchers, prospects.
Needs: Insights, inspiration, education.
Our Goal: Enhance brand profile, strengthen market position.
Needs: Insights, inspiration, education.
Our Goal: Enhance brand profile, strengthen market position.
Technical Functionality:
Website easily editable from admin panel
Blog content & articles utilizing CMS
Landing page creation
Lead capture (integration into Zapier)
SEO Manageable (YOAST integration)
Achieve high page-speed test scores
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The Process:
Executive Interviews
n the initial phase of my UX design exploration for Leading Quality Assurance (LQA), I conducted insightful interviews with the CEO, CMO, and CPO. These conversations provided a deep understanding of LQA's vision, goals, and priorities for the new website. From the CEO's perspective on market authority to the CMO's focus on brand engagement and the CPO's emphasis on seamless usability, each leader's insights guided the design direction. Their collective aspiration, influenced by industry benchmarks, highlighted the importance of merging LQA's identity with global design excellence. This foundation of leadership input has been pivotal in shaping the transformative narrative that follows, where design choices mirror LQA's essence and aspirations.
Competitive Research
Continuing my UX design exploration, I conducted a thorough analysis of Leading Quality Assurance's (LQA) current website and marketing materials to understand their existing brand communication and offerings. This assessment was pivotal in aligning LQA's current strategies with the new website's visionary goals outlined by leadership. Additionally, I delved into research on LQA's key competitor, Forbes, to gain insights into their client communication approach. By comparing these approaches, I gleaned valuable perspectives that enriched the design strategy for LQA's new digital platform. This meticulous research, combined with leadership insights, forms the foundation for a cohesive UX design narrative that reflects LQA's legacy and future aspirations.
SaaS Research
Diving further into my UX design process, I conducted extensive research into Software as a Service (SaaS) websites, closely examining industry giants like Salesforce and Zendesk. The goal was to gain a profound understanding of the distinctive user flows and elements that characterize SaaS platforms. By dissecting these industry leaders, I aimed to distill the essence of what makes SaaS sites unique in terms of design, functionality, and user experience. This research served as a wellspring of inspiration to enrich the design strategy for Leading Quality Assurance's (LQA) new website. Through careful analysis and adaptation, I endeavored to integrate these industry best practices into LQA's digital presence, aligning it with the modern and dynamic SaaS landscape.
Site Mapping
I transitioned to creating a site map as a pivotal step in structuring the new website and organizing its content. This process involved crafting a comprehensive framework that outlined the layout of the site and the placement of new information. With a focus on establishing a clear taxonomy, I aimed to create an intuitive user experience that aligned seamlessly with Leading Quality Assurance's (LQA) goals. Before proceeding to wireframing, I collaborated with LQA's executives to review and refine the site map, ensuring alignment with their strategic vision and aspirations. This iterative process of collaboration and refinement was essential in setting the stage for subsequent design decisions.
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
Within the context of the three distinct hotel groups, a distinctive checkout approach comes into play. While one of these groups can proceed with independent checkouts, the other two, comprising larger hotel chains such as Marriott properties, will necessitate collaboration with an LQA staff member. As a result, users engaging with these groups will find themselves presented with the choice of either utilizing a shopping cart functionality or embarking on the 'Getting Started' form submission process. This tailored approach ensures that the user experience seamlessly aligns with the unique demands of each hotel category.
