Overview
Redesigned the Yale School of Art website to improve usability, structure, and clarity for prospective graduate students. The project focused on transforming an unstructured, wiki-style interface into a task-oriented experience that reflects the institution’s academic credibility.
Role: UX/UI Designer
Tools: Adobe XD
Note: This was a conceptual academic project and not affiliated with Yale University.
Problem / Need
The existing website lacked structure, consistency, and clear navigation, making it difficult for prospective students to find essential information.
Key issues:
- No clear content hierarchy or navigation system
- Inconsistent typography and formatting
- Poor alignment between content and user goals
- Visual design that did not reflect institutional credibility
A heuristic evaluation revealed widespread usability failures, particularly in:
- Consistency and standards
- Flexibility and efficiency of use
- Aesthetic and minimalist design
As a result, users were required to search, interpret, and navigate without guidance.
Key Insights
1. Prospective students need direct, task-oriented access to programs, faculty, and admissions
2. Disorganized structure reduces trust and perceived credibility
3. Minimalism requires clear hierarchy to be effective
4. Benchmarking against peer institutions revealed a gap in usability standards
Design Process
Focused on restructuring the experience to support user goals through clarity and hierarchy.
Structure & Navigation
- Introduced a persistent header with clear navigation categories
- Organized content into: Home, About, Programs, Admissions, Apply, Contact
- Added a contact CTA to support user control and recovery
- Created a dedicated program page with access to student work
Layout & Hierarchy
- Rebuilt page layouts to prioritize key information
- Grouped related content and removed unnecessary elements
- Standardized spacing and alignment
Visual Design
- Applied a red, blue, and yellow palette derived from Yale branding
- Used color selectively to guide attention without overwhelming the interface
- Standardized typography for readability and consistency
Iteration
- Refined designs through feedback and self-evaluation
- Simplified layouts to balance clarity with visual expression
Final Solution
A structured, navigable website that aligns with user expectations and institutional standards.
Key Improvements
- Clear navigation replacing unstructured browsing
- Task-oriented layout aligned to user goals
- Improved content hierarchy for faster information access
- Controlled use of color to support visual clarity
Pages Redesigned
- Splash, Home, About, Programs, Admissions, Apply, Contact
- Graphic Design program page with student work integration
The redesign shifts the experience from exploratory and inconsistent to structured and user directed.
Outcome & Reflection
Outcomes (Projected)
- Reduced time to locate admissions and program information
- Lower cognitive load through structured navigation
- Improved perception of credibility and professionalism
What Worked
- Jakob’s Heuristic evaluation directly informed design decisions
- Strong alignment between user needs and site structure
- Effective balance between simplicity and visual identity
Next Steps
- Conduct usability testing with prospective students
- Measure task success rates and navigation efficiency
- Expand program-level content and consistency across pages