-Direct From Lourdes- - Julianna Turner's Portfolio

Direct From Lourdes

The redesign of Direct From Lourdes’ homepage resulted in an elegantly intuitive layout, streamlined navigation, refined product categorization, and cohesive visual elements. These updates greatly improved the homepage making it more intuitive and inviting.

Design Challenge

I was given a design challenge to conduct a UX audit of a Catholic website and then create a redesigned desktop concept for its homepage. I chose Direct From Lourdes for this design challenge because the website felt outdated with a layout and aesthetic reminiscent of the early 2000s. I began by performing on audit of the site’s layout, visual hierarchy, and overall usability to identify key pain points. Based on my findings, I developed a refreshed homepage desktop design that improved navigation, modernized the visual presentation, and better highlighted important content to enhance the overall user experience.

UX Audit

To sum things up, the Direct From Lourdes Catholic Gift Shop homepage currently feels outdated, visually overwhelming, and lacking in clear organization. Most of the content is crowded near the top of the page creating a cluttered layout that makes it difficult for users to focus or easily navigate. There is minimal visual hierarchy to guide the eye resulting in a chaotic first impression rather than an inviting one.

1. The “Product Search” button appears inactive which can confuse users. Its current placement also interrupts the visual flow of the top section.
2. The “Logout” option lacks an icon in front of it creating inconsistency in this section of the interface.
3. “MY ACCOUNT” is styled in all caps, and “Logout” and “Cart” are not- this inconsistency disrupts the visual harmony.
4. The “Select Language” dropdown is rather outdated and looks very early 2000s.
5. The logo and website title are outdated and fuzzy.
6. The navigation menu is extremely outdated and is tucked off to the side- some elements do not belong in the menu such as “Terms” and “Mailing List Sign up.”
7. The shrine photo is small and off-centered.
8. The text is inconsistently spaced with varying weights and colors making it visually unappealing.
9. The cards are cluttered and most have reflections, but the Viking Cloud does not.
10. The presentation is old style, and the photo quality could be improved.
11. The “Catholic Store” section lists items in a long, unfiltered format that feels overwhelming and contributes to visual clutter.
12. “Customer Testimonials” are poorly formatted and awkwardly placed making them unappealing to read.
13. The “Lourdes Water” section, a likely key offering, is buried toward the bottom. It deserves greater prominence near the top of the homepage to draw more attention.

Redesigned Homepage

I created a refreshed desktop homepage design that streamlined navigation, modernized the overall visual aesthetic, and brought greater focus to key areas. The redesign challenge aimed to enhance overall usability while honoring the site’s mission to showcase the religious significance of Lourdes.

Redesigned Homepage Concept