The Broadway League
IBDB.com
IBDB.com
Role: Concept, UX/UI
Client: The Broadway League
Date: 2016
IBDB serves as a history of Broadway for The Broadway League members, press, theatre professionals and enthusiasts. It utilizes a comprehensive database of shows, people, theatres, various statistics, and historical information.
The Task
Throw a New Coat
of Paint On Things
We were tasked to redesign the IBDB.com front-end to create a unified user experience and single code base for the separate desktop and mobile sites.
Desktop Site
Non Responsive, Text Heavy
Mobile Site
Limited Functionality
The Challenge
Know the Data
Master the Data
Although the initial thought was to focus on design, it was soon visible that the existing IA would not work for a more modern, responsive website. On a similar note, the completely separated mobile site did not contain as much functionality as the desktop site and would need to be redone. Furthermore, there were two separate types of search functionality, each with their own results.
With so much data available, all of the solutions in IA, wireframes and visual design needed to be applicable to the best and worst case scenarios. Design solutions needed to be as fluid as the data they displayed.
The Hurdles
Things Are Not
Always As They Seem
- IBDB is a historical database and thus is primarily text.
- As a database, it is important to remain objective is the display of information, meaning any featuring of data sets must be applied to all cases of that data.
- Industry specific language create a disconnect between search terms and user needs.
- The site serves as a digital resume for actors within the industry and thus should highlight individuals accomplishment appropriately.
- Identical searches from different pages could yield different results.
The Solution
Search for What You Want,
Discover What You Need
We designed a mobile first, fully responsive site for both casual users and hardcore enthusiasts. Functionality became consistent for all devices and browser sizes, while search was made intuitive and globally available. This gave room to highlight more discoverable content within each page. Industry terminology was adjusted to be more understandable for an uninformed user.
Landing Pages
Major points of interest were given browsable landing pages to promote discoverability
Core Pages
Detailed core pages were reimagined without taking away from the data
Updated Search
Search became a single set of re-imagined functionality providing a helpful and consistent research experience throughout.
Empty States
With minimal imagery available, empty states were made more visually appealing.
