Digital Transformation
I led discovery and definition phases for UCL's digital transformation. I conducted extensive stakeholder interviews, qualitative user research, and quantitative testing (Top Tasks, Tree Tests) to gather requirements, define pain points, and validate information architecture. Key outputs included actionable design principles, user stories, and an evidence-based recommendations roadmap.
The challenge
UCL initiated a project to conduct a comprehensive review and transformation of its vast digital estate. The primary objective was to gain a profound understanding of how to systematically improve its digital presence, streamline operations, and ultimately enhance the overall user experience for its diverse external audience — including prospective students, current students, academics, researchers, and the wider public.
My role
Stakeholder Engagement and Requirement Gathering — I conducted extensive interviews with internal UCL stakeholders, including department heads, IT leads, marketing and communications teams, and content owners. The goal was to understand their departmental needs, content management challenges, business objectives, and desired outcomes.
User Research and Problem Definition — I executed robust qualitative research, interviewing external users (prospective students, alumni, researchers) to uncover specific pain points and unmet needs. Comparative analysis with peer institutions provided essential context on industry best practices.
Quantitative Usability Testing — I designed and administered large-scale quantitative research:
- Top Tasks Surveys — to identify the critical tasks UCL's primary user groups come to the digital estate to accomplish, providing an evidence-based prioritisation matrix
- Tree Tests — executed on proposed and existing navigational structures to quantify findability, with insights directly informing the design of a more intuitive site-wide navigation system
Capability Building and Coaching — I provided coaching, training, and ongoing support to key UCL stakeholders on best practices in user research, usability principles, and user-centred design methodologies.
Outcomes
Working collaboratively with UX Designers, Content Strategists, and Technical Architects, I synthesised qualitative and quantitative inputs into coherent, actionable insights — presented as clear design principles and validated user stories.
The culmination was a clear, evidence-based, prioritised recommendations roadmap outlining a phased approach for UCL's digital transformation, covering information architecture, content strategy, UX design, and technical integration.