EIGHTFOUR

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am working as a web content manager at the Singapore Institute of Technology. It is a public-funded university in Singapore that offers applied learning with extensive work-study degrees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EIGHTFOUR Digital , and what were your goals?

We wanted to revamp the existing university website that was created in 2016. The information architecture and designs were outdated and couldn't keep pace with new content. Since we didn't have in-house designers, we hired EIGHTFOUR Digital to help design, organise and propose new sections for the Education pages. By doing this, we wanted key information needed by prospective students available on a single page and increase our page views over time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We put up a public tender request on our website and shortlisted four companies who responded. After interviewing them, we chose EIGHT FOUR for their appealing designs in their portfolios, backed by strong UX studies and competitive prices. You could sense that they take fun as part of their work and it's rare to see that on the market.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss the scope of the project, timeline and key deliverables. They conducted a UX study with prospective students, polytechnic lecturers and parents. From there, they created high-fidelity mockups and wireframes using the Marvel app. We would use the wireframes to gather stakeholder's comments and iterate together with EIGHTFOUR until all users & stakeholders requirements are aligned. They would provide the finalised wireframes in html files for development.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A designer and project manager was our main point of contact. There was also a copywriter working behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After launching our site, we saw a 28% increase in new users and a 32% increase in page views with the bounce rate reduced. Users love the new design which enables them to find the information they need.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

When COVID 19 causes nationwide lockdowns, we had weekly meetings via Zoom. If there were anticipated delays, the project manager would notify us ahead of schedule. We also used WhatsApp, Google Docs and email to facilitate our discussions.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They delivered bold designs without compromising functionality. It marries the users' needs for aesthetics and organized content, nicely with the business goals.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We could have been more efficient on the route to launch if we got the developers mid-way in through the iterations, instead of waiting for the finalized design