Reduced landing pages by 60%, From 32-15
Building a user-centric information architecture for Port Laredo’s website
Port Laredo, a major international trade hub, partnered with Exemplifi to develop a website. The first milestone was creating a robust Information Architecture (IA), which streamlined navigation, optimized content, and ensured a user-centered design, laying the foundation for the entire site.
Project overview
Our goal was to build a platform that served the diverse needs of various user groups.
These user groups included transportation professionals, importers/exporters, investors, community members, and government agencies.
To cater to these diverse needs and ensure a user-friendly experience, a robust and well-planned information architecture (IA) was crucial.
Challenges
No existing website, requiring the creation of a digital presence from scratch.
Catering to the diverse needs of transportation professionals, importers/exporters, investors, community members, and government agencies.
Organizing vast amounts of trade data, regulations, and procedures into an intuitive structure.
Developing the Information Architecture efficiently to meet strict project deadlines while maintaining functionality and usability.
Key improvement
Streamlined structure reducing page count from 35 to 15 for a more efficient user experience
Improved navigation allowing users to find information quickly and easily
Enhanced transparency with better access to data and reports
Targeted content providing information tailored to key user groups
Research and discovery
We conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews and user persona development to understand business goals, user needs, and behaviors. We combined quantitative data and qualitative insights to shape the IA design approach, aligning with both user needs and business objectives.
IA strategy and planning
Focused on content modeling to establish relationships between content types and ensure consistent terminology. Low-fidelity wireframes and sitemaps were developed, tested, and refined to create a functional and intuitive IA structure.
structure and design
Streamlined the navigation by organizing content into logical categories based on user needs. Developed a content strategy that included gap analysis, and ensured the IA was scalable for future growth and system expansions. Recommended a flexible CMS to support future updates.
Project impact
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IA Evolution: clarity through iteration
Version 1's complex and unclear navigation, with numerous less intuitive groupings, likely caused user confusion. Its structure also risked siloing related content, hindering discoverability.
Version 3 delivers streamlined, user-centric navigation based on research, leading to quicker information access. The latest content distribution ensures improved discoverability, consistency, and future scalability.
Gold standard accessibility achieved for SacRT
High-performance transit platform with interactivity, API-driven alerts
