Redesigning AICD's Member Portal

Design team: 

AICD - Project delivery team

North - Design studio

Expirity - UX research

Biztech - Technical build

Date: 

2017

Background

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a leading organization known for its flagship Company Directors Course (CDC). However, despite the popularity of the CDC, many members expressed dissatisfaction with ongoing membership fees, citing a perceived lack of value. To address this challenge and enhance member engagement, the AICD initiated a comprehensive member portal redesign project.

Problem 

Engagement with the member portal was declining, particularly after members completed the CDC. The existing portal lacked personalized features and failed to deliver value beyond the initial course. Additionally, users encountered difficulties with profile management and navigating between different systems. These challenges highlighted the need for a more user-centric and value-driven approach to the portal design.

User Research 

The project began with extensive user research to gain insights into member needs, pain points, and expectations. A combination of qualitative methods, including interviews, observation, and usability testing, was employed to gather data. The research revealed several key findings, including confusion surrounding profile management, dissatisfaction with certain paid services, and a lack of engagement among senior directors.

Summary of Findings

• Users reported confusion regarding profile management and the transition between different systems, indicating a need for a more streamlined user experience.

• Some members perceived certain paid services as lacking value, leading to dissatisfaction and reluctance to renew their memberships.

• Senior directors, in particular, found the portal irrelevant to their director journey or too busy to engage with it, highlighting the importance of tailoring the portal to different user segments.

• Users lacked understanding of the director journey phases and ideal director qualities, indicating an opportunity to provide educational resources and guidance within the portal.

• Feedback on the system for tracking development points was positive, suggesting its potential to incentivize engagement and professional development activities.
  

Solution 

Based on the research findings, the redesign focused on addressing user needs and enhancing the overall user experience. Key solutions included:

• Implementing personalized directorship pathways to guide users through their director journey.

• Enhancing self-service functionalities to empower users to manage their profiles and preferences.

• Introducing trigger-based engagement strategies to encourage user interaction and participation in AICD offerings.

• Improving search functionality and presentation of member value to enhance usability and relevance.

Project Goals 

The project aimed to achieve the following goals:

• Increase retention from 86.0% in 2020 to 89.6% in 2024.

• Implement personalized directorship pathways within the member portal.

• Enhance self-service functionalities and increase automated renewals.

• Implement trigger-based engagement, promotions, and communication strategies.

• Improve search and presentation of member value.

Personas 

Personas were developed to better understand the needs and preferences of different user segments, including new members, senior directors, and members seeking career advancement opportunities. These personas guided the design and customization of the portal experience to ensure relevance and engagement.

Updating Brand Guidelines 

As part of the redesign, brand guidelines were updated to ensure consistency across digital platforms. This included refining visual elements, typography, and tone of voice to create a cohesive brand identity. These updated guidelines helped maintain brand consistency and credibility across all AICD digital communications.

Wireframe Design 

Low and high-fidelity wireframes were developed to visualize and iterate on design concepts. These wireframes served as blueprints for the user interface, guiding the layout, navigation, and functionality of the redesigned portal. Iterative testing and feedback loops were used to refine the wireframes and ensure a user-friendly experience.

Usability Testing

Usability testing was conducted with both members and non-members to evaluate the effectiveness of the redesigned portal. Testing tasks included new design comprehension, navigation, updating profile information, and interacting with portal features. Feedback from usability testing sessions was used to identify areas for improvement and make iterative adjustments to enhance the overall user experience.

Conclusion

The AICD member portal redesign project successfully addressed the challenges of member engagement and retention by delivering personalized experiences and enhanced functionalities. Through comprehensive user research, iterative design, and usability testing, the redesigned portal improved user satisfaction, retention rates, and overall member engagement. By aligning with project goals and leveraging updated brand guidelines, the redesigned portal positioned AICD as a partner in lifelong learning and professional development for its members.