KYMETA UX/UI WEBSITE REDESIGN
team
Mentor Creative Group - Amy Wisegarver (UX/UI), Andy Lai (UI), Evan Bauer (UX), Dacia Ray (Project Manager), Carolyn Kunz (Web Development), Tanya Artemenko (Web Development)
DELIVERABLES
UX Research, UX/UI Design
BACKGROUND
Kymeta has changed the way global connectivity is made possible. With their ground-breaking technology that leverages the science and technology behind metamaterials, they have developed flat-panel satellite antennas that are used by enterprises, military, and first-responders all over the world. This antenna is the first of its kind, and provides a solution that doesn’t require mechanical components, and makes connecting easy for any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform.
CONCEPT
For this project, the goal was to redesign the Kymeta site in such a way that omitted any dead ends, had engaging visuals, and used language with less technical jargon that better communicated the amazing impact and range that their product has. On this project, I worked on UX research including the competitive analysis, industry research, and stakeholder interviews. I also worked in Sketch with my colleague to develop the UI for the site.
RESEARCH + INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
INDUSTRY RESEARCH
It was important to get familiar with the technology behind the flat-panel satellite antennas to effectively redesign the site, as the science behind metamaterials was a foreign concept to most of the people on the project. I started by gathering information on flat-panel antennas, background on what metamaterials are, and then put together an overview of my findings to send to the team.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
For this competitive analysis, my colleagues and I came together to brainstorm what questions would be valuable criteria for this evaluation. Once we had gathered together a group of critical questions, I gathered screenshots and information from their direct competitors and other sites for inspiration, and compiled everything in InVision. When it came time to present to the client, I was able to present a clear and thorough analysis that they could refer to later. This competitive analysis created a great foundation for planning on how we would structure the Kymeta website.
How are brands successfully storytelling for complicated technical products?
Homepage
Video tends to be a popular method of storytelling, as it is easy to show the product in action and the various use cases. I noticed there was a lot of video that focused in on maritime and air uses, and showcased a lot of the product in military and other government settings. The people in the video who are utilizing the products really brings the technology down-to-earth, and shows how it actively has an impact on peoples' jobs and lives.
Tech Specs
Hierarchy of visuals and text is incredibly important in successfully telling the story of a complicated technical product. It is easy to get lost in blocks of text and technical jargon, so it's important that there is valuable information in multiple ways and at multiple levels so we can ensure that even the highest level is providing the user with context of the product. On successful pages, we see a trend of large, clear, high-quality photography that showcases the product, and a header that describes the main goal/value of the product. There is also usually a subheading that goes into a little more depth than the largest piece of text, and then you get into the real meat of the specs. I've noticed that specs have been organized in tables, sections, or PDFs, but I found the most digestible method to be sections that have simple photography and iconography related to the spec, and then a short description on why their product does it best. I felt that Apple did the best job in demonstrating this, as their visuals don't get cluttered and overwhelmed by blocks of text. They didn't utilize downloadable PDFs, but many of the direct competitors did have that option. There appeared to be less human-centered photography on the product specs pages vs. the homepage, and more of a focus on the product itself. Some sites had separate sections for each use case, which is when photography of the situation that the tech is being used became more prominent. Another technique to show use case, was showing just the product in use, but without actually people in the picture.
What content/experiences are brands creating for the different industries they serve?
Brands seem to be utilizing video on the homepage that shows all of the different use cases in different clips for land, air, and sea. However, on the specific pages for each, it seems to be more photography heavy with graphics that go over high level specs, and have short descriptions of the product they recommend for the use and how it will be helpful.
What kind of feelings are brands trying to evoke in their story and imagery?
The brands are trying to evoke a sense of wonder and accessibility with their products. They want to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology in ways that help the viewer expand what their pre-conceived notions were of the product can do. They also want to make the product be viewed as accessible when it comes to price, use, and installation. I believe that this is successfully done with high-quality photography of either use case or the singular product to showcase the shape, color, and details.
What content are brands offering visitors for lead generation?
For lead generation, brands appear to be adding "solutions" sections, or directing customers based on use case. Whether it be air, land, or maritime, there are very clear indicators on where the customer should go to learn more about their specific use case.
How are brands elevating the human side of their technical products?
The direct and indirect competitors elevate the human side of their products by showing it in use in different setting with people in photos or videos. I've seen pictures and videos of deployed military, officers inside utilizing the technology, people using phones and other devices on airplanes that use the technology, and pictures of full airplanes, aircraft carriers, or other boats. I think having a balance of up-close use cases of people utilizing the technology, and more "zoomed-out" examples of use cases helps ground the story and provide more context for the prospective customer. That way, they can imagine the possible ways that they can directly use it, and the ways that the rest of their organization could use it.
