FIRST STEPS
WHAT IS BLUE BACK SQUARE?
Blue Back Square is a mixed-use hub area in West Hartford, Connecticut, named after Noah Webster’s “blue-backed speller.” Construction began in 2003, and the square officially opened to the public in 2007. Blue Back Square offers modern retail, dining, residential, and office space. It features year-round community events and serves as both a commercial center and a vibrant gathering place for locals and tourists alike.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project was the start of a complete website redesign. My design team was tasked with formulating and prototyping several possible versions of the final website. I am personally responsible for all of the work on this page. Later phases will include narrowing down the options presented by the team and proceeding to further development.
PROCESS
VISUAL RESEARCH
I began by crafting a simple moodboard to establish a sense of direction. I focused on analyzing web pages from the original website and studying the atmosphere and scenery of the area. Our team also conducted a local survey collecting information on the demographics that frequented Blue Back Square. After amassing enough information, I moved on to brainstorming and established the typeface and color palette for the website.
USER PERSONAS
Using the information gained from our team's local survey. I created two user personas based on the main demographics that emerged from the data. Creating these stand-ins allows for further insight into the types of people likely to use the remodeled website. These personas guided me when I decided what features and functions the website needed to appeal to such audiences.
SITE MAPS & WIREFRAMES
I started with site mapping, initially taking all the webpages from the preexisting Blue Back Square site and editing them based on what I felt was needed. Certain pages from the original were cut because they were unnecessary, and certain pages were added because it seemed people would benefit from them. From there, I created many different wireframe iterations. I experimented with many different layouts before committing to a final version.
FINAL PRODUCT
