BCAF Website Redesign

Case Study
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Project Overview
Redesigning a local fencing academy website to improve navigation, clarity, and accessibility across desktop and mobile.
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My Contributions
· UX research & heuristic evaluation
· Information architecture & sitemap restructuring
· Lo-fi to hi-fi wireframes (desktop & mobile)
· Responsive UI design
· Interactive prototyping in Figma
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Project Details
Role: UX/UI Designer
Timeline: March - July 2025
Tools: Figma
Platform: Responsive Web (Desktop & Mobile)

The Challenge
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Bucks County Academy of Fencing’s website contained valuable information, but it was difficult to navigate and overwhelming for new users. Key details about programs, schedules, and pricing were scattered across multiple pages, making it hard for parents and prospective fencers to quickly understand where to start.

‍The Approach
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I evaluated the existing site through heuristic review, competitive research, and informal conversations with parents and adult fencers. Based on these insights, I focused on improving information architecture, reducing text density, and creating clearer visual hierarchy across both desktop and mobile experiences.
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‍The Focus
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The redesign prioritized three areas: improving schedule readability, clarifying program offerings for new users, and simplifying navigation to surface the most important information quickly and intuitively.


Key Problems Identified


Key Design Decisions

Improving Schedule Readability (P0)

To address schedule confusion, I redesigned the class schedule with clearer visual hierarchy and grouping. Information such as class level, location, and time was structured to be scannable at a glance, with mobile layouts prioritized to reduce horizontal scrolling and cognitive load.

Simplifying Navigation Structure (P1)

The navigation was restructured to reduce fragmentation and surface high-priority information more quickly. Underused pages were consolidated, and key sections—such as Programs, Schedules, Pricing, and Coaches—were elevated to create a clearer, more intuitive navigation flow for both new and returning users.

Clarifying Program Offerings (P2)

Program offerings were reorganized to better communicate progression and entry points for new users. Introductory programs were made more visible, and consistent visual grouping was used to help users quickly understand which classes were appropriate for their experience level.


Across the site, text-heavy layouts were replaced with clearer hierarchy, spacing, and visual grouping to improve readability and reduce cognitive load. (P3)


Outcome

There designed structure improved clarity and usability across the site, particularly for new users. Key improvements included:


Reflection

This project reinforced the importance of information architecture and content hierarchy when designing for real users with limited time and attention. Working within an existing visual refresh challenged me to focus on usability improvements that went beyond aesthetics.

Given more time, I would explore validating these design decisions through usability testing and further refining mobile interactions. Overall, this project strengthened my ability to translate complex, text-heavy content into clear, approachable experiences.