Software cancellation spurred the transition to a new web solution, leading to an opportunity for major design changes.
The Bartos Architecture website had been in use for over 15 years, was originally built on the now-outdated Adobe Muse platform, which ended support in 2020.
With that in mind, the new website would not just be redesigned, but built from scratch on a new platform.
By prioritizing rich visuals and organizing content, we highlighted the firm’s quality work with a new portfolio.
We let the firm's work speak for itself, opting to reveal titles for projects with hover interactions rather than distract from the visuals with too much text.
With the knowledge that this decision took some information out of the users view, we made it easier for users to find their desired project type with filter buttons to sort work by category.
With the creation of a detailed CMS, we ensured scalability and easy changes for the future of the website.
In addition to a more aesthetic portfolio, the team also wanted to be able to share articles written by their architects, news updates about the firm, and other forms of media uploads.
This led us to use Webflow as a tool, building CMS collections to populate designs with new content from the firm over time.
We used a two column format to give users the best experience when reading through protfolio pieces. By creating a sticky text column, users could scroll through the photos as they read without scrolling past the text.
- Our user testing revealed that users first scanned through the photos of the project before
- We also incorperated headings to give information at a glance, since users are unlikely to read through an entire block of text.
We leveraged web analytics to create resources for schools districts and architects, affirming the Bartos Architecture ethos of service and betterment of the community.
School Facilities Resources: One of the most successful parts of the old website - our analytics showed that this page often came up in Google searches related to school building codes and regulations.
Journal: With decades of experience in architecture and specifically working with public school facilities, one of our priorities was to create a space for the founder to share his writing and thoughts on architecture, education, and community service.
Learning Outcome: Finding the balance between stakeholder input and user needs.
Being the public website of the firm, the stakeholders at Bartos Architecture cared a lot about the design of the site.
I was able to learn a lot on this project, including how to:
- Listen to stakeholders’ needs and find ways to incorporate their feedback while while still focusing on user needs and design goals
- Communicate to stakeholders technical limitations and how design decisions impacted user experience.
- Find common ground between competing ideas and inform about design trade-offs
