Zero Petroleum

UX/UI

ROLE:

UX Designer, collab with Senior Art Director, UI Designer, Developers, Account Managers

TIMELINE:

December 2022 (4 weeks)

CLIENT:

Zero Petroleum

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Zero Petroleum is a British manufacturer of non-biological renewable synthesised petroleum co-founded by former Formula One engineer Paddy Lowe. I had a chance to collaborate with the AKQA London team to help Zero Petroleum rework on their website's sitemap and revamp their website.

CHALLENGES

  1. The old website contained seven pages with duplicated information. We were asked to reduce the amount of pages, yet keep the website informative.
  2. There are many archetypes who visit the website, and we wanted to accommodate the need and want of those viewers.
Design process includes Research phase (empathize, define, ideate) and Design phase (prototype, test)).

UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT SITEMAP AND THE USER


KEY QUESTIONS

  1. Who constitutes the primary audience, and how should the sections be arranged to engage them effectively?
  2. What are the core selling points - is it the product itself or the underlying technology?
  3. What is the extent of brand recognition both locally and internationally?
  4. What will be the breadth of content, covering aspects such as mission statements, press media, FAQs, and technological details?

USER RESEARCH

Questions:

  • What do they want to know when they hear about Zero Petroleum?
  • Rank the homepage sections from the most to least important, assuming they have a general understanding of the brand.

Insights:

  • Most of the answers are from people who know little about the brand.
  • They mostly want to see information about the brand first, then the technology/products, and the press last.
  • Many users tend to skim through the mission statement, and some find excessive introductory text to feel artificial and distracting.


OPPORTUNITIES

Following research on the current sitemap and potential website viewers, we've identified opportunities for the new sitemap:

  • For potential investors: Showcase unique selling points (USPs), products, Zero's groundbreaking technology, and the latest press.
  • For journalists: Highlight the next product launch information or the latest product news, and establish credibility with recent press coverage.
  • For potential buyers: Emphasize impactful data and numbers, and provide direct shopping links in the navigation bar.
  • For potential employees: Feature a careers prompt at the end of every page and in the footer.
  • For the general audience: Opt for concise, easily scannable content that prioritizes simplicity.

COMPETITIVE AUDIT

Before proposing the new sitemap, we started comparing the current website with other competitors. The goal of the exercise was to:

  • Compare main navigations to see how they expand, compress the pages and information.
  • Compare the landing page to see how they arrange the sections and their UX journey.

DESIGNING THE EXPERIENCE

1. NAVIGATION

To streamline the user's focus on the journey, we minimize the necessity of displaying a complete navigation system. Instead, we've crafted a condensed navigation featuring a prominent emphasis on the primary journey, with additional layers of information available as secondary and tertiary options.

2. HOMEPAGE - PRODUCT FOCUS

We aimed to convey to users that Zero's vision translates into tangible products. That's why we prioritize showcasing our products immediately after the main hero section, ensuring users immediately see our real, tangible offerings.

3. THE ZERO TECHNOLOGY

After presenting our products, our next focus is on introducing users to our hallmark: our technology. We aim to convey the depth of our research and demonstrate the genuine value behind it. Users can gain a concise understanding through website explanations and delve deeper by downloading the white paper, catering to tech enthusiasts.

4. ONE FORM FOR ALL

Addressing the challenge of providing ample information while facilitating communication, we've devised a solution tailored for the diverse audience seeking to connect with Zero. To streamline this interaction, we've incorporated a straightforward pop-up form. Placed conveniently at the bottom left corner of the website, users can effortlessly peruse the site content while engaging with the form. This approach ensures ease of access for visitors to specify their interests and contact preferences.

TAKEAWAY

OUTCOME

The website was launched in January 2023. Within a month, the clickthrough rate and website rankings have increased, suggesting that the new site is now more focused and pertinent to its audience.

KEY COLLABORATORS

This project couldn’t have been possible without the team members from AKQA London:

Account Manager: Alex Payne

Senior Art Director: Mike Pires

UI Designer: Nadia Hossam

Senior Web Developers: Max Chernyavskyi, Martin Nel, Erin Joost