To get a better understanding of the Textile Museum of Canada’s needs and requirements for their re-designed website, we attended a session where the client shared the following requirements:

• Intuitive: Ensure user-friendly navigation and layout for easy browsing. Design clear menus and labels to guide users effectively.

• Scalable: Build with a flexible architecture to accommodate future growth. Implement a scalable content management system (CMS) for easy updates.

• Accessible: Design with accessibility standards to cater to users with disabilities. Include features like alternative text and keyboard navigation support.

• Drive Business Growth: Optimize for search engines (SEO) to increase visibility. Incorporate e-commerce capabilities for online sales.

Content Audit

We conducted a comprehensive content audit to generate the final content list. While all pages on the main website were audited, pages under "Shop," "Blog," and "Collection" underwent a partial audit due to their large number and homogenized structure. Criteria for auditing were derived from the museum's objectives and goals discussed in an information session with museum representatives. Each audited page was independently assessed by two team members on a scale of 1-5, with the mean score informing our recommendations. The image below We focused on the following criteria during the audit:

• Business-oriented evaluation: Assessing the page's practicality and relevance to business-related matters.

• Alignment with strategy and core messaging: Engaging a broader audience, particularly underrepresented demographics.

• User-centric assessment: Evaluating the website's functionality in supporting user tasks effectively.

Content Recommendations

Most of the website's content, as revealed by our audit, aligns with our established criteria to varying degrees, supporting the museum's business growth, strategic objectives, or user tasks. However, there are a few pages that require attention:

• Consider the removal of the 'Cloth and Clay' page due to inconsistencies with the museum's branding and lack of alignment with user goals.

• Review 'Contact Us' and 'Visit Us' pages under the museum shop, as their information may be redundant with the main website; consider refining or removing these pages.

Additionally, we propose some adjustments and additions:

• Introduce a dedicated newsletter page to keep users informed of the museum's latest updates.

• Organize content pages like Exhibits, Events, Shop, and Blogs into stacks to enhance website design and user experience.

• Divide Exhibits and Events sections into 'current', 'upcoming', and 'previous' categories for easier navigation and user engagement.

Card Sorting Insights

• Narrow Target Audience Awareness: Acknowledgment that the Textile Museum's target audience is limited, evidenced by an ESL user's initial question about the meaning of "textile”.

• Simplify Navigation Language: Suggestion to use single verbs for navigation names to enhance user comprehension, and get rid of abstract terms.

• Prefer Content Over Commercialization: Preference for informational content, like understanding textiles and viewing exhibition pictures, over commercial elements such as shopping options being the main focus.

• Address Overwhelming Site Design: Observation of website overload, citing concerns about the excessive number of categories and links, leading to a distracting and overwhelming user experience.

Card Sorting Recommendations

• Information Access: Conveniently access details about the Textile Museum, including exhibit information, admissions, and directions.

• Newsletter Subscription: Stay updated on museum events and new exhibits by signing up for the newsletter.

• Essential Information Accessibility: Easily find information on upcoming exhibits, admissions, directions, and fees for a seamless museum experience.

• Newsletter Sign-Up Link: Enhance user experience by providing a clear link or page for newsletter subscription.

• ESL Explanation of Words: Offer clear explanations for English as a second language users to understand words such as "textile."

• Admission Fee Clarity: Ensure a transparent understanding of admission fees for a straightforward visitor experience.

Information Architecture Diagram Rationale

To ensure a concise Information Architecture (IA) for the site, we strategically limited the number of Level 1 categories to aid user focus, accommodating customers' brief attention spans during information searches. Selected Level 1 categories include "About" (museum information, involvement, blog, FAQs), "Visit" (location, hours, tickets, tours, guidelines), "Activities" (exhibitions, events, learning), "Digital" (digital collections), and "Support" (donations, supporting the museum). Additionally, we streamlined user searches by limiting categorization to two additional levels after Level 1, directing users efficiently to content pages, including products, static pages, and shopping/e-commerce pages.