Nvlope Website Overhaul

UX Writing and Redesign

Project Writeup: https://bit.ly/3wANwCr 

Prototype: https://bit.ly/3xNdZha

Figma: https://bit.ly/36sR4vT​

Balsamiq: https://balsamiq.cloud/sardgcl/pc9goma

A complete UX rewrite, redesign, and branding overhaul for a technology consultant. This is the first project where I've been able to put my unique mix of design and copywriting experience into practice, and I'm extremely pleased with the results. 

Terms of the Project

This is the first time I was able to practice my unique combination of services on a live project. Essentially, this would be a simultaneous rewrite and UX redesign of the site. The approach is “copy first” – determine what needs to be said and where it needs to be and let that inform the design of the site.  

You can find the initial site here, and my critique here. As you can see, it had a lot of issues to start out with. Essentially, the website had been put together pro-bono, and the developer just took the clients rough notes and threw them onto a single page. The website needed to be reorganized around a coherent message and value proposition.

The final product was a grayscale. While I didn’t provide final design or implementation, I did remain on hand for the developer with any necessary consultation. For example, I provided feedback on the new color and major suggestions, like changing the logo font so that it reads as en-vel-ope and not nvlope.

Interview

The process started with an interview. My client was Ryan Wright, a long-term business consultant breaking into the world of blockchain and crypto-assets. He’s had success using it to build his own wealth and was looking to move into it full-time as a consultant.

A big aspect of the interview process was reigning in his enthusiasm. As you can see on the initial website, he is both knowledgeable and enthusiastic on the subject. The problem is that this results in a lack of focus. Ryan was so excited to talk about how incredible blockchain is that he forgot to explain why his actual services are worthwhile. As a result, he had no clear value proposition on his website.

The bombshell from our interview process was his targeting; the goal was to secure B2B clients, particularly small to mid-range businesses. The long-term goal is to move into the field of healthcare. However, his rhetoric and selling points were heavily geared towards B2C sales. A lot of the appeals were based on personal ambitions and idealism.

Research and Planning

I’m not really a crypto guy, so this was an exercise in rapidly analyzing the product, field, and competitive landscape.

Competitive research revealed something interesting. Blockchain is an emerging field. As a result, there’s not very much understanding of what it is or how it works. It's also extremely difficult to explain, especially to a layman. There’s also a great deal of hype – people believe that this technology is going to change the world.

The result, if you’re a layman not very familiar with the field, is that everyone sounds like the monorail salesman from the Simpsons. It's all promises and predictions of the future, nobody is actually telling you what blockchain will do if you invest in it.  

Now as I mentioned before, this is a B2B project. This means that at some point this proposal is going to be put before at least one layman. The person initially seeking out the website might be literate in the subject matter, but they’ll have to package this into a proposal.

So, my biggest decision was to focus on skeptical readers. We were going to break blockchain down into practical ROI terms so that Ryan’s consulting would be an easy expenditure to justify. Todd from accounting might not understand how encryption works, but they will understand “better security” or “faster transactions”.

The client also expressed interest in sites like this. My feedback was that this was a website built on hype and celebrity. A presence like that takes time and effort to build up, especially within a field as competitive as crypto currency.

The alternative we arrived at is Ryan Wright as the “responsible” blockchain option. He’s practical, drawing on decades of business consulting to provide real world solutions. We wanted to project a sense of comforting authority.

Initial Copy

You can find the copy here. For the home page, I decided on an infomercial model: you have this problem, this is the solution, here’s how we provide it. I leaned heavily on short-term benefits and long-team FOMO. You can get benefits from blockchain now, but if you don’t jump on you’ll get left behind by the entire economy later on.

The key phrase was “make the future work for you”. Even though it’s the homepage subheadline, it largely informs a lot of the other writing. The future is here and you can reap the benefits.

This is where I also came up with my favorite aspect of the site: the “You Need, We Provide” section. While it was early in the planning process, the idea was to create clear, concise demonstrations of what problems NVLOPE can solve.

The important thing at this stage was to keep the content lean. Focus on the actual information that needs to be expressed. That way, more aggressive language and stylistic flourishes can be easily added in after the design process.

Initial Wireframe

Early mockup was done in Balsamiq. Here’s where I solidified some of the biggest ideas. The first was grouping “You Need, We Provide” into boxes with eye-catching icons. I wanted that to be the most impactful part of the entire website.

Next I mapped out the service page with three sections. The idea was to break the services down into simple, easy to digest bullet points. The specific solutions and services that Ryan will provide to help your company.

For the about me page, I made the decision to move “my philosophy” up pretty high. The idea was to use this to establish Ryan’s brand a bit more. We want to sell him as the everyman blockchain option, bringing this confusing technology to normal people and small business owners.

Finalized Copy and Grayscale

You can find the final grayscale here with complete copy. The website is currently being updated by the developer and you can follow the changes at Nvlope.io.