[ 01 ] D&AD Entry Platform
Services:
UX
In this project, I led the UX redesign of the D&AD Pro Awards Entry Site. My primary focus was on creating a seamless, user-centered experience that would streamline the awards submission process for creative professionals across the globe. By combining in-depth user research, iterative testing, and strategic collaboration with the design and development teams, I transformed the platform’s workflows to meet both user needs and business objectives.
Overview
Phase 1 — Discover
To create a more intuitive and efficient submission experience, I conducted extensive user research to understand the needs, frustrations, and behaviors of entrants using the D&AD Pro Awards Entry Site.
I conducted:
User interviews with freelancers, agencies, and returning applicants.
Surveys to gather insights on common frustrations and feature requests.
Competitor analysis & heuristic evaluation to identify industry best practices.
Phase 2 — Define
With key insights from the Discover phase, I transitioned into Phase 2 defining the structure and core functionality of the new platform. This phase focused on creating a clearer, more efficient submission experience by addressing the identified pain points.
To establish a strong foundation, I worked on:
MVP definition, prioritizing essential features to improve the submission flow.
Card sorting exercises, helping to create a logical and intuitive information architecture for the platform and main navigation
Information architecture & site mapping, ensuring structured navigation and content organization.
Early sketching & wireframing, exploring ways to simplify the entry process while maintaining flexibility for different user needs.
Key strategic improvements
Phase 3 — Ideate and Design
With a solid framework in place, I moved into Phase 3: Ideate & Design, where I translated research and strategy into interactive, user-tested prototypes.
Key activities included:
Wireframing & prototyping, refining layouts and user flows based on feedback.
Usability testing, validating improvements with real users to ensure clarity and efficiency.
Iterative design improvements, adjusting functionality and interactions to streamline the experience.
A major focus of this phase was ensuring feasibility. As the development team began building the core functionality, I worked closely with them to:
Validate technical constraints, ensuring that proposed solutions were achievable.
Align on UX best practices, maintaining consistency across the platform.
Refine complex workflows, such as bulk submissions for agencies and category-specific requirements.
By continuously iterating on user feedback and collaborating with developers, I ensured that the platform’s UX strategy translated smoothly into implementation.
Phase 4 — Design & Development
Once the core experience was finalized, the project moved into Phase 4: Visual Design and Development.
In this stage:
A UI designer refined the interface to enhance clarity and aesthetics.
An illustrator contributed visuals to strengthen the platform’s identity.
The development team implemented the final designs, ensuring the system worked seamlessly across different user scenarios.
Throughout this process, I continued to:
Collaborate with developers, addressing any UX challenges that arose during implementation.
Ensure alignment with user needs, making final refinements to key workflows.
Test and validate the platform, running final usability checks before launch.
Key Improvements & Impact
Enhanced Asset Management – A project gallery was introduced to help users easily upload and manage assets for their entries, reducing confusion and making the process more organized.
Simplified Credit Submission – Entrants can now reuse previously entered credits, eliminating the need to manually fill out the same information for each entry. This significantly reduces effort and speeds up the submission process.
