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When approaching the AANA’s current site it is immediately apparent that it suffers from information overload. Links and navigational elements are littered across the homepage making it almost impossible for first time users to navigate. While this website may contain a wealth of information, its construction and aesthetic appearance leave much room for improvement.
AANA’s Current Website
During this critique we have found the following issues that can be vastly improved:
- Production values overall appear to be low with content haphazardly placed, leaving this organization’s website in dire need of a defined hierarchy and good information architecture.
- Aesthetics appear to have been compromised over time through updates, defaulting to a basic unstyled appearance that does not fit within the organization’s identity.
- The icons in use on the site lack consistency creating visual tension and clutter.
- The translation service is no longer working, directing users to a third-party website without results leaving them confused and lost.
- Improper construction of the navigation and website in general are restricting the website’s potential search engine placement.
AssociaDirect’s Redesigned Layout
Our redesign organizes the clutter while infusing the brand with a new sense of livelihood and professionalism.
- News items and links have also been combined into a latest news section that is easier for users to navigate and follow.
- The icons accompanying the site’s featured links have been replaced with photographs treated in a consistent way creating visual consistency.
- The search feature has been placed in a more appropriate area with greater focus, encouraging users to dig deeper into the site’s content. The “become a member link” has also been featured in this corner to create a distinct call to action.
- Additionally we would suggest a modern content management system to allow for content to evolve while maintaining the new visual appearance across the site.
Once again, I would like to conclude this article by stating that this is an unbiased and honest critique of the AANA’s website. This is a self-initiated exercise done by our creative team intended to explain the importance of effective design, and in no way meant to devalue the current website. Please be sure to check out the similar articles links below to see other proposed redesigns we have done in the past. Additionally, if you would like to nominate a website to be critiqued please inform us via our contact form.