Is/Was Brewing

Introduction

For my Information Design & Strategy capstone project I chose to redesign the Is/Was Brewing website. Is/Was Brewing is a small, Chicago-based craft brewery, currently focused on making the Saison style of beer.

Challenge

The lackluster design, ineffective usability, and absence of vision on the Is/Was Brewing website poses a large challenge to the business because Schallau will need investors to buy into the vision of Is/Was Brewing to procure resources to buy a space. By revamping the website, I hope to build credibility for Is/Was Brewing and make their website reflective of the unique and niche products they produce.

Tools:

Figma, Google Forms, Google Analytics, Lucidchart

My Process

  • Client interview

  • Conduct online survey and analyze results

  • Develop user personas

  • Create site map

  • Construct user flows

  • Build wireframes

  • Design mockups

  • Build out website

  • Usability testing

Client Interview

Purpose: To understand goals, pain points, and what is currently working.

1. What are the mission, vision, and values of Is/Was Brewing?

2. Can you describe Is/Was in a few sentences?

3. What makes Is/Was unique?

4. Who would you describe as your target audience?

5. What challenges do you have with the current website?

6. What features or components does your website need?

7. What look or feel do you want the Is/Was site to have?

8. In addition to Suarez Family Brewing, are there other brewery sites that you like?

9. Do you have any existing style guidelines?

Survey

Purpose: Solicit feedback from Is/Was Brewing customers and followers. Questions were focused on how users engage with the site and their perception of what worked and what did not.

Highlights:

  • Just under 70% of respondents indicated content about the Is/Was Brewing mission and vision would motivate them to further explore the website.

  • 13 respondents used the words “clean”, “simple” and “straightforward” when asked about their first impression of the site.

User Personas

Purpose: To understand target audience.

Considerations: Showcase the range of the target audience and how Is/Was Brewing could resonate with each segment due to the high quality and specialty of their product, strong vision, and mission-driven philosophy of making beer.

Site Map & User Flow

Purpose: To develop the structure of the site and what actions users will take when interacting with it.

Wireframes

Purpose: To create an outline of each page using simple shapes like boxes and lines to represent elements and delineate sections. They act as a guide for your buildout and offer another opportunity to consider how users will navigate the site and interact with content.

Home Wireframe - Desktop

About Wireframe - Mobile

Mockups

Purpose: Bring the visual design to life by adding colors, images, and copy.

Build Out of Redesigned Is/Was Brewing Site

Key Improvements:

  • ‘New Release’ section on homepage

  • Instagram feed

  • Additional custom artwork by Joe Kraft to strengthen overall branding

  • ‘About’ page to inform and connect customers to the mission and philosophy of Is/Was Brewing

  • Contact page with more robust inquiry form

Usability Testing

I conducted my initial round of usability testing with six users. Key takeaways:

  • Functional, easy to navigate, strong personality and consistent voice

  • ‘Buy Beer’ page should be made searchable

  • Key was not apparent on ‘Is/Was’ locator page