How User Research Shaped Two Real Projects in My UX Journey
- Shelby Whitelaw
- Nov 18
- 3 min read
User research is one of those things that sounds straightforward until you’re actually the one responsible for making sense of people’s behaviors, pain points, and motivations. Across my projects, from designing an accessible banking website to modernizing a Kenyan school’s first digital platform, I’ve learned that research isn’t a single step in the process. It’s the foundation that guides every design decision that follows. In this post, I’m sharing two real examples from my work where user research didn’t just inform the design. It reshaped it entirely.
1. Designing an Accessible Banking Website: Research First, Aesthetics Second
When I built Unity Trust Bank’s digital platform, I knew immediately that the biggest challenge wasn’t visuals. It was serving a wide range of users with different levels of digital confidence, including seniors, first-time online bankers, and mobile-dependent users who rely on their phones more than desktops.
User Interviews: Finding the Real Pain Points
Instead of jumping into layouts, I started with interviews. I asked potential users simple, human questions:
“What stresses you out when banking online?”
“What information feels hard to find?”
“Have you ever abandoned a banking task on a website? Why?”
Almost everyone had stories, forgotten passwords, confusing navigation, cluttered dashboards, statements buried under menus, or screens that made them feel “stupid.”
A trend emerged quickly: clarity, trust, and predictability mattered more than anything else.
Insights That Changed the Design
Because of this research, I prioritized:
Clean, high-contrast layouts
Large, readable typography
A step-by-step flow for money transfers
A dashboard that only displayed essential actions upfront
Clear breadcrumb trails so users always knew where they were
The most surprising insight? People wanted fewer “fancy features” and more simplicity. This completely changed the direction of the design. Instead of high-density dashboards and heavy animations, I leaned into a calm, predictable interface that felt safe.
Impact
In user testing, task success for “Find balance” and “Transfer funds” improved dramatically compared to initial prototypes. The internal testers described the new design as “easy,” “clean,” and “stress-free,” which validated the research-driven approach.
2. A Website for a School in Kenya: When Research Requires Cultural Context
During my time with COMBOT Lab, I completed an independent study project designing a website for a school in Kenya that previously had no digital presence. My role wasn’t just design. It was understanding what would make the website actually usable for teachers, students, and families with varying internet speeds, different levels of technical experience, and limited data access.
Contextual User Research: Meeting People Where They Are
We interviewed teachers and students and conducted remote A/B tests. What we discovered was essential:
Many users accessed the internet through shared or older mobile devices
High-data pages were frustrating or impossible to load
Information needed to be presented simply, not visually overwhelming
Navigation had to be obvious and quick
This wasn’t about showcasing beautiful design. It was about making sure people could actually use the site.
How Research Shaped the Experience
Based on the feedback, I:
Used a lightweight layout that required minimal data
Prioritized short, direct content blocks
Designed with high contrast for readability on dim screens
Simplified navigation into three clear categories
Ensured pages could load even on slow networks
What made this project special was the iterative feedback. We paid students and teachers to test the site, share their frustrations, and highlight confusing elements. This produced incredibly meaningful insights I couldn’t have predicted on my own.
Impact
After launch:
Teachers began using the site to share key updates
Students reported that it was “easy to use on my phone”
Load speed tests showed significantly improved performance compared to similar sites
The school gained its first reliable online presence
This was a reminder that good design isn’t universal, it has to be grounded in the real lives of real users.
What These Projects Taught Me
User research isn’t about perfect questions or fancy frameworks. It’s about listening without assumptions, observing behavior, and letting insights lead the way. In both of these projects, research steered the design toward clarity, accessibility, and context, three things that matter far more than trends or aesthetics.
If you want stronger outcomes in your own projects, start with people, not pixels. Ask real questions. Watch how users move. Challenge your assumptions. And let the findings become your guide.
Comments