ndibe.com ~ Case Study for P4PI

P4PI Business Consultancy Web Site ~ Case Study

This case study shows examples of the Information Architecture deliverables that were prepared for P4PI as part of developing the site objectives, structure and content.

Competitive Analysis

I suggested P4PI perform a landscape analysis of their competitors. We identitied three other types of consultancies and their perceived shortcomings:

General Purpose Consultants
Typically people that have been in the industry for many years and draw on their experience to solve problems and advise customers. Often consultants have a reputation for diagnosing a problem, prescribing a solution, but then leaving before the solution can be seen to have been worked.
Quality Consultants
Generally junior people who have a strong quality background rather than technical. There is a general perception that they are turnkey consultants who are more interested in following a quality process regardless of its applicability to the problem
Interim Management Agencies
Agencies who will supply temporary consultants to act as interim managers. These agencies often have a credibility issue as companies do not believe that they can provide the right calibre of manager.

Audience Definition

User personas and scenarios were created to explore the overall business and site objectives of P4PI. These profiles led to the selection of key words and images for display on the home page. The user scenarios were used to discuss journeys through the site and thus helped with designing the site navigation and structure.

"Storm Troopers will go into the maze for you while you finish your coffee."

Business Objective

As P4PI were a new startup company, we spent lots of time defining the company's mission and business objectives. We were looking for a new approach to presenting consultancy skills. To differentiate themselves from the types of competitors listed on the right, P4PI want to be presented as:

The Pragmatic Business Consultants
Perceptive, innovative and intelligent consultants who will analyse problems and work out appropriate, intelligent solutions using their significant list of skills and varied experience.

The Site should...

Identify and explain the business of P4PI
Convince users that P4PI are competent in their field
Convince users that P4PI are a cut above the rest (all the standard skills plus more)

Site Goals

The site goals were formed out of discussions about the user personas. It is expected that the majority of customers will be looking for an interim manager to solve execution problems, but as the business develops and P4PI gains a trustworthy reputation, existing customers and new customers (based on word of mouth) will look towards P4PI for more hands-off consultancy services.

Concept Wire Frames

P4PI already used a Maze metaphor on their business stationary. They were very keen to extend the maze metaphor to their web site. Using our personas and wireframes we modelled a possible layout for the home page and the content pages. We imagined their journey around the home page using the maze. We started from their needs, which we labelled "Dead Ends" and then lead them into P4PI's Approach to Process Innovation and finally round to P4PI's distinctive engagement model. One of the challenges of the home page was to include all the keywords that users would be searching for, without presenting an obvious list of buzzwords. This initial layout was used by the client to discuss the site goals, structure and key components.

In order to present as much information on the home page, we decided to use hover tags to provide a brief description/comment on the keywords. This allows the user to "dip their toes in the water" without committing by clicking on a link. In addition, to the wireframes, I created two concept interface designs to encapsulate the IA deliverables.

Content Inventory

We translated these high level site goals into more detailed requirements and a site architecture from which we then created a content inventory and site map. The content inventory became a tool for providing the content to the web designer and was updated throughout the project.

Design

The client has taken the IA deliverables to the web designer. These have proven invaluable for discussing the site goals and content. The web designer has built on the initial concept of the journey through the maze and suggested that for more visual impact that the front page include a wall representing the problem to be overcome. The bricks in the wall are annotated with keywords for the "dead ends", "red herrings" and "philosophies" using the different engagement models. A first draft of the initial design proposal has been produced.