IPEX Digital Transformation: Integrating User Experience Across Market Segments
IPEX, a leading provider of quality piping across diverse market segments, faced a digital challenge. Their website, a crucial touchpoint, failed to harness the potential synergy between segments, missing out on cross-selling opportunities. As the lead UX Designer, I spearheaded a strategic and data-informed overhaul of their website, ensuring it mirrored their vast capabilities. This significant initiative reinforced IPEX's position as the industry's definitive solution provider.
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
1992
Building Materials,
Manufacturing
$787.9M (2022)
1,500+
Problem Statement
A dated website at IPEX wasn't just an aesthetic concern—it was a functional barrier. With siloed internal views, regional complexities, and a fragmented user journey, the digital experience was far from user-centric.
The challenge was clear: craft a digital experience that seamlessly bridges regional nuances, breaks down internal barriers, and offers an inclusive, engaging journey for every visitor.
Roles & Responsibilities
Results
Three months post-launch, the results were a testament to the user-centric approach we adopted:
Lead Generation: The 'Ask an Expert' feature proved a game-changer, with a 611% increase in form submissions. This reinforced the importance of direct engagement and the value users place on expert consultations in the technical realm of the piping industry.
Engagement: The email subscription rate saw a 152% boost, indicating a heightened interest and trust in IPEX's content and offerings.
User Engagement: The average time spent on the page increased by 39%, reflecting a more immersive and intuitive user experience and the success of the visual product-finding experience.
611%
Increase in Lead Form Submission
152%
Increase in email subscription
39%
Increase in time spent on website
Qualified lead user journey experience
“ I will confidently stack our site against any Competitors in the industry and know that it sits at the very top of the list.”
Antonio Lombardi
IT Business Partner – Marketing and Digital Innovation | IPEX
Scope & Constraints
The IPEX project was complex, marked by unique factors and constraints that shaped our approach and execution.
Fixed Timeline: I was working against a tight schedule, both a driving force and a constraint. Every decision had to be precise, and every step was time-sensitive.
Scope Changes: As the project unfolded, the scope expanded. Content creation and upload were massive, especially given the regional differences. Custom resource documents had to be created in English and French and sometimes tailored to specific regions. This added complexity to our timeline.
Robust Resource Hub Design: The design for the resource hub was ambitious. We had to define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach to meet the launch deadline, ensuring essential features were ready while planning for future enhancements.
3D Application Page Experience Collaboration: Integrating a 3D experience page requires collaboration with a contractor 3D designer. This added another layer of complexity, both in terms of coordination and budget.
Alignment with Market Segment Managers: Finding common ground among various market segment managers was challenging. Their diverse needs had to be distilled into a standard template that worked for everyone, requiring careful negotiation and alignment.
Budget Considerations: Interestingly, a generous budget became a constraint. IPEX's ambition to integrate numerous tech innovations meant that budget wasn't a limiting factor. This led to requests for additional features, requiring extra effort to assess necessity and push back when needed. My role often involved providing rationale and ensuring every feature was backed by data and genuine customer needs.
Negotiations with Leadership: The ambitious nature of the IPEX team meant that I had to engage in extensive negotiations. Balancing their desire for innovation with practicality and customer-centric design required careful communication and collaboration.
The project's scope was marked by a blend of opportunities and constraints. From timeline pressures to scope changes, regional nuances, and budget considerations, each aspect required strategic thinking, adaptability, and strong leadership. My role was to navigate these complexities and ensure that every decision was aligned with IPEX's goals and customer needs.
Process & What I Did
Initial Research & Stakeholder Workshops:
What I did: I initiated the project with a deep dive into the analytics of their current site. This was followed by facilitating workshops with IPEX stakeholders and doing a competitor analysis.
Why: To gain a holistic understanding of IPEX's business goals, needs, and the challenges faced by different user personas.
Result: A comprehensive insight into the diverse needs of all user groups, not just the engineers.
Learnings: Workshops and analytics are invaluable in setting the stage for a user-centric design approach.
User Interviews & Empathy Mapping:
What I did: I conducted interviews with IPEX customers, diving deep into their challenges and perceptions. This led to the creation of empathy maps and personas.
Why: To ensure our solutions were rooted in real user needs and challenges.
Result: A clear roadmap of user pain points, preferences, and expectations.
Learnings: Direct user feedback is the cornerstone of crafting intuitive user experiences.
Outcomes: Defined Users & Audience. IPEX's digital transformation journey was centred around a diverse set of users, each with unique needs and behaviours.
User Personas Document Developed :
Understanding the Landscape:
What I did: I began with the engineers, our primary persona. Through in-depth interviews and research, I mapped out their unique challenges.
Why: The industry's lack of standardized product naming was a significant hurdle. Engineers needed a visual, intuitive way to identify products.
Result: Unearthed the need for a visual product-finding experience.
Learnings: The principle of User-Centered Design was evident here. By understanding our primary user's pain points, we could craft solutions tailored to their needs.
Strategic Planning & Feature Inventory:
What I did: I generated a website feature inventory, ensuring alignment between my team and IPEX's vision.
Why: To prioritize features and functionalities based on user needs and business goals.
Result: A strategic blueprint for the website, balancing user needs and stakeholder expectations.
Learnings: Strategic planning ensures that the design process remains focused and goal-oriented.
Abridged Version of IPEX Feature Inventory:
Collaborating & Aligning:
What I did: I worked hand-in-hand with internal stakeholders, ensuring the website was more than just a platform; it was a tool.
Why: With the generous budget came ambitious visions. My role was to align these visions with practical, user-centric solutions.
Result: A dynamic sales tool that generated qualified leads, streamlining operational efficiency with leads directed to the right market segment managers.
Learnings: Collaboration is the cornerstone of success. By aligning visions and focusing on user needs, we crafted an experience that resonated with all.
Designing the User Experience:
What I did: I crafted the sitemap and information architecture, ensuring a seamless user journey. Collaborating closely with the backend developer and content strategist, I designed functional and user-friendly wireframes.
Why: To create a cohesive, intuitive, and engaging user experience.
Result: A user-centric design that catered to the diverse needs of all personas, from engineers to market segment line managers.
Learnings: Collaboration during the design phase ensures a balanced and practical user experience.
Wireframes :
Crafting the Visual Language:
A stylescape was created to establish the visual tone of the website. This crucial step provided a reference point for design decisions and offered stakeholders a glimpse into the website's visible future.
Synced pages across different regions with localized copy and content such as case studies and resources
Improving the Product Search Experience
What I did: I reorganized how 'products' showed on the navigation menu to 'our solutions' via market segments and implemented a product finder tool.
Why: Recognizing the UX principle of "User-Centric Design," I aimed to streamline the product search process, cater to the diverse needs of users across different industries, and position IPEX as an integrated solution provider for all market segments.
Result: The changes led to a more intuitive and efficient product discovery journey for all market segment customers.
Learnings: A well-structured navigation and search tool can significantly enhance user satisfaction and engagement.
User journey from product discovery to qualified lead form via Integrated market segments search experience
Old website 'products' nav
New website 'solutions' nav
Old website 'applications' nav
New website with visual 'applications' nav
Old website mobile accessibility issue with 'applications' page
New website mobile 'applications' page experience
Old website 'applications' page
New website with enhanced experience on 'applications' page
Building the Resource Hub
What I did: I integrated essential technical documents, ensuring they were a click away, whether on the product page or the general resource hub.
Why: Following the Consistency and Standards principle, I ensured that users had a predictable and efficient journey, whether engineers or internal stakeholders looking for resources. Our users needed seamless access to technical details. It was about making their journey smooth and efficient.
Result: A streamlined user experience, reducing friction and enhancing satisfaction.
Learnings: Consistency and Centralization are key in UX. Consistency reduces the learning curve and enhances user satisfaction. When users find what they need effortlessly, engagement naturally follows.
Introducing 'Ask an Expert' CTA
What I did: Recognizing the technical nature of the industry from my research, I introduced a direct line to IPEX experts.
Why: Rooted in the Feedback principle, this feature ensured users, especially engineers, received prompt responses, bridging the gap between queries and solutions. It was clear from my research: users valued expert consultations. They wanted to talk, to clarify, to understand before making decisions.
Result: The website transformed into more than just a platform; The website became a dynamic lead generation tool, funnelling qualified leads directly to the appropriate market segment managers. It became a bridge, connecting users to experts, fostering trust and facilitating meaningful conversations.
Learnings: Direct engagement is invaluable. It's not just about providing information; it's about facilitating conversations.
Collaboration with Visual Design & Developer Handoff:
What I did: I worked closely with the visual designer to bring the wireframes to life, ensuring aesthetics met functionality. The collaboration extended to the backend developer, ensuring the logic of features was intact.
Why: To ensure a seamless transition from design to development.
Result: A visually appealing and functional website ready for development.
Learnings: Close collaboration during the design phase ensures a balanced and effective user experience.
In this journey with IPEX, every step was intentional, and every decision data-informed. From understanding the unique challenges of engineers to crafting solutions that resonated, the project was a testament to the power of empathy, collaboration, and innovation.
Functional requirements document I co-created with the development team
Outcomes & Lessons Learned
Achievements: Three months post-launch, the results were a testament to the user-centric approach we adopted:
Lead Generation: The 'Ask an Expert' feature proved a game-changer, with a 611% increase in 'Contact Us' form submissions. This reinforced the importance of direct engagement and the value users place on expert consultations in the technical realm of the piping industry.
Engagement: The email subscription rate saw a 152% boost, indicating a heightened interest and trust in IPEX's content and offerings.
User Engagement: The average time spent on the page increased by 39%, reflecting a more immersive and intuitive user experience and the success of the visual product-finding experience.
Reflections
User-Centric Approach: The project underscored the significance of a user-centric design approach. By deeply understanding the needs and challenges of our primary persona, the engineers, we were able to craft solutions that resonated with a broader audience.
Collaboration is Key: Working closely with diverse stakeholders within our and the IPEX teams was instrumental. It ensured alignment and brought in varied perspectives that enriched the final output.
Data-Driven Decisions: Every feature introduced was backed by data and research. This approach validated our design decisions and ensured we aligned with user needs.
In Hindsight: While the project was a resounding success, in retrospect, I would have invested more time upfront in aligning with the market segment managers. Their insights could have further refined our understanding of regional nuances. Additionally, managing the ambitious visions of stakeholders with a generous budget was challenging. In future projects, setting clear boundaries and expectations could streamline the process.
The IPEX digital transformation journey was a blend of user empathy, strategic thinking, and collaborative effort, resulting in a platform that not only met but exceeded business and user expectations.