Alexander Street Press

Our team embarked on a mission to refine the user experience for Alexander Street Press, an electronic academic database publisher. This project was aimed at elevating the landing page experience for a diverse user base, including students, educators, and self-learners, by deeply understanding how users engage with cultural and educational programming.

Background

Goals

Opportunity & Challenge

The challenge was to make Alexander Street Press's rich content more accessible and engaging to enhance discovery and learning. We aimed to bridge the gap between user expectations and the current website experience, focusing on navigational ease, content discoverability, and mobile responsiveness.

The Alexander Street Press project focused on enhancing usability and accessibility to increase user engagement and broaden its audience. The goal was to make educational content more engaging, strengthen institutional partnerships, and establish the platform as a leader in academic content delivery.

Research & Methodology

The interesting thing about this project is that since Alexander Street Press is widely used by colleges and other learning institutions (who regularly keep well-documented records regarding the "make up" of the campus based on admittance) we had access to a repository of data and analysis for the user base of the product. From the swath of information we developed some personas with relevant qualities.

Personas: Developed comprehensive personas, including a graduate student and a research professor.
Interviews and Observations: Conducted detailed user interviews and observations to understand behavior, preferences, and frustrations.
Comparative Analysis: Tasked users with exploring Alexander Street Press in comparison to other content platforms, noting differences in user experience and content engagement.

Personas

Content Accessibility: Users expressed the need for more straightforward navigation to find educational programs and cultural content.
Mobile Experience: Highlighted the importance of a mobile-friendly interface, addressing a gap in the current platform.
Registration and Engagement: Identified user resistance to registration during the discovery phase, suggesting a smoother onboarding process to enhance engagement.

Key Insights

Content Accessibility: Users expressed the need for more straightforward navigation to find educational programs and cultural content.
Mobile Experience: Highlighted the importance of a mobile-friendly interface, addressing a gap in the current platform.
Registration and Engagement: Identified user resistance to registration during the discovery phase, suggesting a smoother onboarding process to enhance engagement.

Strategic Recommendations & Impact

Enhanced Navigation: Proposed the introduction of intuitive search and filtering capabilities to allow users to find content more efficiently.
Responsive Design: Recommended design improvements for a better mobile experience, ensuring users have seamless access across devices.
Engagement Strategies: Suggested a redefined registration flow and engaging content previews to lower barriers to entry and increase user retention.

Future Direction

The project underscored the importance of understanding user needs in the context of educational and cultural content platforms. By implementing the suggested UX improvements, Alexander Street Press can significantly enhance user satisfaction, content discoverability, and overall engagement, setting a solid foundation for future enhancements.

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Lets Work Together !

San Francisco, CA 94158 
camerontop10@gmail.com