POSEIDON MARINE CASE STUDY

01 PROJECT OVERVIEW

Client: Poseidon Marine
Location: Torch Lake, MI
Objective: The goal of this project was to redesign the Poseidon Marine website to enhance the overall user experience. The primary focus was on improving accessibility, restructuring the informational architecture, and ensuring all necessary information about their services was easily available and clearly communicated to users. The new website aimed to provide a seamless, intuitive experience for visitors, aligning with Poseidon Marine's goal of better serving their customers in the boating industry.

My Role: Freelance Designer (User Experience and Graphic Design)

Poseidon Marine, a small business near Torch Lake, Michigan, provides a variety of boat-related services, from dock and hoist installations to boat winterization, maintenance, and storage. They approached me to redesign their website, which was facing significant challenges including a lack of accessibility, a poorly organized information structure, and missing key service details. I was tasked with creating a more user-friendly and informative digital presence that would not only meet accessibility standards but also help users easily navigate and find the information they needed about Poseidon Marine's offerings. Through strategic design and user-centered thinking, the new site would enhance their online presence and better connect them with their customers.


02 PROCESS OVERVIEW

Key Question: How can we redesign Poseidon Marine's website to create a more accessible, organized, and informative experience for users, while effectively communicating the full range of their services?

The redesign process for Poseidon Marine was highly collaborative. It began with an initial meeting to understand their needs and gather inspiration from competitor websites. We identified a desire for a modern, user-friendly design. From there, I focused on improving the site’s structure and content through wireframes, ensuring clarity and accessibility. After refining the wireframes with client feedback, I developed prototypes that brought the new vision to life, aligning with Poseidon Marine’s goals while enhancing the user experience.

03 DESIGN INSPIRATION

After our discussions, it was clear that Poseidon Marine wanted a design that felt modern, fresh, and intuitive. The focus was on creating an eye-catching yet professional look that would appeal to their target audience. The design needed to not only draw users in but also guide them effortlessly through the site, ensuring easy access to essential information about their services. We aimed for a clean aesthetic, with smooth navigation and a strong visual presence that reflected the professionalism and expertise of Poseidon Marine.

Upon reviewing the original design, my first priority was to enhance accessibility and improve the overall user experience. The font size and contrast needed to be increased to ensure better readability, while adding rounded edges and more space would create a modern, visually appealing design that allowed for better viewing of imagery.

The translucent image backgrounds also posed accessibility challenges, so removing them would further improve readability. I saw the need to separate the blocks of informative text to make the content easier to digest and increase title sizes to improve the informational architecture.

Lastly, I wanted to incorporate more imagery throughout the site to create a more engaging scrolling experience for users.

04 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

05 NAVIGATION

For the navigation redesign, I focused on both style and functionality to enhance the user experience. On the visual side, I removed the background color from the main navigation bar to improve contrast and accessibility, giving it a cleaner, more modern look. I also aligned all the navigational links to create a seamless, streamlined appearance.

In terms of informational architecture, I simplified the navigation by moving the contact information and social media links to the footer, and condensing the main navigation links to reduce the number of options available. This helps users easily find what they need without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, I retained the search bar, ensuring users can quickly navigate through Poseidon Marine's expansive inventory of products and services. These changes resulted in a more intuitive and user-friendly navigation experience.

06 WIREFRAMING & PROTOTYPING

The wireframing process was a crucial step in laying the foundation for the redesigned website. I began by focusing on the core structure, ensuring the layout would address the key issues Poseidon Marine was facing, such as accessibility and information overload. The goal was to create a clean, intuitive structure that would guide users smoothly through the site.

During this phase, I mapped out each section, paying close attention to simplifying the navigational flow, organizing content more effectively, and ensuring the visual hierarchy was clear. I emphasized larger fonts, improved contrast, and spacious layouts for better readability. Additionally, I incorporated placeholders for imagery and interactive elements, ensuring the design would strike a balance between visual appeal and functionality. The wireframes were reviewed and refined in collaboration with Poseidon Marine, ensuring that their feedback was integrated before moving into the prototyping stage.

07 ITERATIONS AND FINAL DESIGN

Based on client feedback, the final design iterations focused on incorporating more of Poseidon Marine's branding colors to create a stronger visual connection with their identity. We also aimed to add more movement throughout the site by integrating dynamic elements such as graphics and videos to make the user experience more engaging and interactive.

Another key focus was upgrading the media. Poseidon Marine wanted to replace much of the existing imagery with higher-quality, professional photos of their products and services, which not only enhanced the site’s aesthetic but also improved how their offerings were presented. These iterations resulted in a polished, visually rich final design that effectively showcased the brand while creating a more immersive experience for users.

Client Feedback

FINAL DESIGN

The final design for Poseidon Marine was a resounding success, achieving the primary goal of creating a more modern, professional, and user-friendly website. The new design featured clean, intuitive navigation and an improved informational architecture, allowing users to easily access the content they needed without feeling overwhelmed. By incorporating Poseidon Marine’s branding colors, higher-quality imagery, and dynamic elements like graphics and videos, the site now effectively reflects the company's professionalism and expertise.

The client was thrilled with the outcome, particularly with how the design enhanced both the visual appeal and the overall user experience. The redesign not only improved the website's accessibility and usability but also aligned with the company’s goals of attracting and retaining customers by presenting their products and services in a more polished, engaging way.

08 CONCLUSION

LESSONS LEARNED

The redesign of Poseidon Marine’s website was a transformative project that not only enhanced their online presence but also provided valuable insights into the intersection of user experience and business goals. One of the key lessons learned was the importance of collaboration throughout the design process. By actively engaging with the client and incorporating their feedback, we were able to create a website that truly reflected their brand and met the needs of their users.

NEXT STEPS

Looking ahead, the next steps for Poseidon Marine include ongoing website maintenance and updates to ensure the site remains fresh and relevant as their business evolves. Additionally, we discussed the potential for further enhancements, such as integrating monthly storage payments to streamline administrative work in their office

IMAPCT

The modern, intuitive design not only helps attract new customers but also enhances the overall user experience, paving the way for Poseidon Marine to continue growing in the competitive boating market. Ultimately, this project reinforced my belief in the power of thoughtful design to drive business success and create meaningful connections with users.