Can We Put this on the Homepage

When organizations embark on website redesigns, the need to balance stakeholders wants with your users needs can be an ongoing battle. Every stakeholder can have a different idea of what should be “featured” on your organization’s website; but, if the needs of the users are advocated for with research and supporting evidence, it can make it an easier argument to win and a better end-product in the long-run. This case study highlights the design and site architecture changes that were made during the Archives of American Art redesign process. Kicking off in the summer of 2014, the Archives’ website redesign began with an extensive “discovery” process to investigate the behaviors and needs of users. Site analytics were reviewed, market research was performed, virtual user testing was conducted via AB/multivariate experiments, a heat-map tracking system was implemented, and user feedback was examined. The data was then used to inform and support a variety of changes to the website’s structure, design, and promotional strategy to shift the website from staff-centric to user-centric. This website redesign, which is scheduled to launch May 31, 2016, aims to be human-centered from the ground-up. Speaker(s) Session Leader : Michelle Herman, Digital Experience Manager, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution MCN 2016 Presenting Sponsor: Piction New Orleans, LA