VOREL
Overview
VOREL is an electrical distributions company with 20 years of combined experience within the industry, specializing in delivering solutions to EPCs (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Companies) in the Oil & Gas and Renewable Industries.
Along with the rebrand, the founders of VOREL needed a website that could better showcase the brand's product offerings and an avenue where their clients and prospective partners could connect with them.
Sector Electrical Distributions
My Role Lead Designer
Job Scope
Client Liaison
User Research
Information Architecture
Interaction
Visual Design
Prototyping & Testing
Developer Liaison
Project Time Dec 2021 - June 2022
“Since the rebranding, the result was a brand that had increased perceived value, a professional and attractive image, and a strong sense of consistency and integrity.”
— Tan Je Wee, Executive Director, VOREL
Background
As VOREL aimed to be a prime hub within the electrical supply chain and solutions industry, they required a stronger branding to distinguish itself in the industry. As the lead designer, I undertook this project alongside two supporting designers. The founders communicated their dissatisfaction with the existing website and sought a comprehensive rebranding effort for their upcoming launch, departing from its original name, NOKS Offshore.
I was responsible for the branding, product design, and UI/UX experience for the website. I’m really thankful to have been able to lead this project, and here are some of the other key achievements in this project:
Clearer Capabilities
VOREL's freshly redesigned website showcases the diverse range of products they can source for their clients, along with highlighting the multiple industries they serve. This enhancement guarantees improved clarity for both new and existing users.
Quick Navigation
The website incorporates a navigator that resembles the functions of a chatbot. This feature assists both buyers and partners in swiftly accessing the information they require, ensuring convenience and efficiency.
Won Gold in Indigo Awards
Crafting a unique brand identity for VOREL has effectively set it apart within the industry, enhancing its credibility and visibility among current and potential clients and partners. Consequently, this has also translated into increased business opportunities for VOREL.
Understanding the Problem
Not Meant for E-Commerce
Their previous developers' approach to creating the website for them was to make it into an e-commerce site. However, this would entail a few problems such as maintaining the SKUs, as VOREL acted more as the middle-man rather than hold any of their partners' products themselves.
Lack of Information
The website also lacked any clear information on VOREL, and the imagery focused too much on a specific industry when the brand is able to provide their services to more industries.
No Call-to-Action
Lastly, the website lacked the means for VOREL's clients and prospective partners to liaise with them. This meant bad business for VOREL, as their business would rely heavily on word of mouth.
Product Vision
As a product, we wanted to position VOREL as the midpoint hub between clients and manufacturers with 3 key focus areas:
Procuring Products
We want to provide users with a clear understanding of the products that VOREL can procure for them based on their specific requirements.
Empowering Industries
We want users to grasp the array of industries that VOREL provides its services to.
Excellent Service
We want users to easily establish a connection with VOREL to fulfill their specific requirements.
The website's visual style is influenced by VOREL's brand identity, making use of the brand’s graphic style and brand colors to shape the UI design. If you’re interested, you can view VOREL’s brand guide here.
Information Architecture
Based on the insights gained from our interview with VOREL, industry research, competitor analyzes and card sorting, I defined the sitemap using octopus.do and then evaluated it with VOREL’s founders.
The platform also simplified the creation of low-fidelity wireframes for the site, enhancing communication between our team and VOREL by enabling them to provide comments. Additionally, we used visual samples to help them understand the sections better.
Website Design
Development
After completing the designs, we handed over the designs to the developers using AdobeXd where they could inspect the HTML and CSS, and export the assets they needed.
I briefed them on the sitemap and the different functions of the site, and used monday.com to keep track of the timeline and progress for each page. We also used the platform to show them the bugs and adjustments they had to make as we were testing the site.
The developers also briefed the clients on how to update the site using WordPress thereafter.
Results & Takeaways
The launch of VOREL’s website proved to be a success, featuring enhanced details about the brand’s capabilities across diverse industries. This project also earned the prestigious Gold Winner recognition in the Technology Branding category for the Indigo Awards.
Some of my other learnings include:
Sometimes, Starting Again is Necessary
The project required a few restarts due to name changes, and although this brought about certain setbacks and delays in the project, it was necessary in the end. We just needed the endurance to navigate the process while maintaining focus on the end goal.
You’re Doing Better than You Think
While self-evaluation is good practice, there were moments I doubted my decisions. To my surprise, my team responded well to the designs and provided valuable insights for improvement. This feedback ultimately led to VOREL’s founders embracing the new website’s design and user experience.
