Project Roadmap

Project Overview
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Skills & Focus Area

• User Research – Identifying accessibility pain points & usability gap
• ‍Experience Design – Redefining page structures for clarity
• ‍Accessibility Compliance – Implementing WCAG 2.2 AA standard
• ‍Information Architecture – Reducing redundancy & improving navigation
• ‍Wireframing & Prototyping – Creating high-fidelity mockups & interactive prototypes
• ‍Cross-Platform Consistency – Ensuring accessibility across mobile, tablet, and various browsers through extensive QA & UAT testing
• Collaboration with Level Access – Conducting accessibility audits and implementing recommended improvements

Problem Statement & Challenges

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The Problem

• ‍Accessibility Barriers: The site was not fully WCAG 2.2 AA compliant, limiting usability for individuals with disabilities.
• Overloaded Pages: Key pages contained redundant information, broken links, and poor hierarchy, leading to a disjointed user journey.
• Declining User Engagement: Lower engagement rates suggested difficulty in finding critical banking information & completing transactions.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Working with multiple departments across time zones posed alignment challenges.

Process & What We Did

Research & Discovery

• Conducted site analytics reviews to pinpoint drop-off areas.
• Ran usability tests with real users to assess friction points.
• Audited pages using Level Access tools to evaluate WCAG compliance.
• Collaborated with Level Access experts to identify key remediation areas.

User-Centered Design Solutions

• Revamped navigation & page structure to streamline content.
• Introduced consistent design components for a cohesive UI.
• Enhanced contrast, readability, and keyboard navigation for improved accessibility.
• Redesigned the Log In modal to allow users to choose different account types with just one click, improving efficiency and user experience.
  
  Log In Modal

• Recreated the landing pages for the marketing team, providing them with structured layouts and wireframes to enhance product marketing efforts.
• Designed a responsive contest landing page for both desktop and mobile, enabling users to easily submit entries for the Golden1 Financial Education Content Contest. This page features:
  • Clear contest description and submission guidelines
  • Judging criteria section to set transparent expectations
  • Prizes section highlighting rewards for top submissions
  • A user-friendly submission form with media upload capability
  • Past winners section for credibility and inspiration
  • FAQ section addressing common concern
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Accessibility Implementation

• Fixed ARIA labels, alt text, and form structure to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
• Improved color contrast & typography for better readability.
• Reduced cognitive load by de-cluttering key interaction points.
• Ensured cross-platform consistency by testing across mobile, tablet, and various browsers with the QA team, followed by UX-led UAT sessions.

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Development & Testing

Accessibility Remediation Strategy

• Partnered with engineers to implement new responsive layouts.
• Conducted A/B testing to compare usability improvements.
• Performed final accessibility audits with Level Access to ensure compliance.

Outcomes & Impact

Key Outcomes

• WCAG Compliance Increased: – Achieved 90% compliance, up from 78%
• ‍Resolved Accessibility Issues: – Fixed 16 out of 21 identified issues, reducing critical accessibility barriers
• ‍Improved Engagement – Bounce rates reduced by 25%, and task completion time improved by 30%
• ‍Better Navigation – Users reported 40% increased ease in finding information.
• Streamlined Content – Eliminated redundant pages and fixed over 100+ accessibility issues.
• Automated Monitoring Score Improvement – Level Access monitoring health score increased to 81/100, with remediation progress at 13% complete.
• Cross-Platform Testing Success – The website was tested across mobile, tablet, and various browsers by the QA team, followed by UX-led UAT sessions ensuring seamless accessibility.

Lessons Learned & Next Steps

Key Takeaways:

• Accessibility isn’t a one-time fix—it requires ongoing audits and user feedback.
• Cross-team collaboration is crucial—ensuring buy-in from stakeholders leads to smoother implementation.
• Prioritizing user needs over business assumptions results in impactful improvements.
• Partnerships with accessibility specialists like Level Access accelerate impactful changes.

‍Final Thoughts

This project reinforced the importance of inclusive digital experiences in financial services. The ongoing collaboration with Level Access ensures that Golden1’s website continues to evolve in accessibility, providing an equitable experience for all users.

If you’re interested in discussing accessibility and UX further, feel free to connect!