Reviving HUXPA
Introduction
What is HUXPA?
HUXPA is the Houston chapter of the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA). It is dedicated to providing resources, professional development and networking opportunities to UX professionals in and around the Houston area.
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I was one of 3 UX designers that helped create a Figma prototype of a future website that would be dedicated to HUXPA. We had a total of 10 members in our group, each with different responsibilities. The responsibilities/jobs varied from UX designers, to copywriters, to event coordinators and content creators!
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Challenges
There were many challenges we faced when trying to revive this inactive organization. Here were a few of them:
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1. No help from previous owners of the HUXPA organization. Meaning we couldn't get advice nor assistance from them. We had to rely on our professor (a long time HUXPA member) for assistance.
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2. Reaching out to potential speakers. Because this chapter of the organization was inactive for so long, there wasn't a lot of people that were willing to speak at some events we wanted to set up. As this part of the organization grows, we hope to attract more speakers for future events.
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3. Finding locations to fit in-person events. This was a budget-less project, and after surveying the potential audience, the results showed that in-person events were favored over online ones. Because of this, our group chose to organize an in-person networking event as the initial revival meetup. The event took place in a brewery, courtesy of a group member's connection (lucky us!), with no charge for the venue (food and drinks excluded).
Overall Design
Describing the project and its parts
My Wireframes
Our group of 3 UX designers started this project by drawing inspiration from other successful UXPA chapters, particularly the Los Angeles chapter. After analyzing everything, we identified some of the key pages that would best serve this chapter's needs: Home, Events, Partnerships, and About.
We then decided that each one of us would individually create wireframes for all four pages. The picture on the right shows off the designs that I originally came up with. Afterwards, as the entire group, we analyzed and cherry-picked the best elements from each wireframe. We then decided to do a sort of "Frankenstein" wireframe that would combine the best parts. We later decided to add a Contact and Speaker page to the website prototype.
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To distribute the workload evenly, we divided the pages into 3 equal parts, with each designer responsible for 2 pages. In my case, I took charge of designing the Home and Events pages.
Overall Project
This is the final iteration of our prototype. Throughout the design process, the UX team communicated using Microsoft Teams. We addressed design issues, provided feedback to one another, and collectively brainstormed solutions. My talented group played an important role in the project's success. They came up with ideas such as the color palette, the addition of a calendar feature on the Events page, and the inclusion of text boxes that conveyed the values of HUXPA. As a team, we created a website that not only meets the organization's objectives but is also easy to navigate and liked by our target audience.
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Home Page
Describing the Home page
The Home (and Events) page keep a lot of the design choices I had on my personal wireframe idea. Upon landing on the website, users are greeted with a title that indicates their location within the site, with a video or picture showcasing a HUXPA event in the background. As users navigate through the page, they discover a summary of HUXPA. The next thing displayed is a featured upcoming event, with a date, description, and a sign-up button, inviting users to participate. Then, the user finds text boxes that highlight key aspects that define the significance of HUXPA. Additionally, there is a brief guide on how to join the community, emphasizing the benefits and opportunities associated with becoming a part of this "new" chapter.
Events Page
Describing the Events page
Similar to the Home page, the Events page keeps the layout of my original wireframe design. Upon arriving on this section of the website, users are greeted with a title and a picture or video background. As users scroll down, they will find a featured announcement of the upcoming HUXPA event, with details such as the event title, date, location, description, and a sign-up button for easy registration. Continuing further, users will find the next three planned events, each accompanied by an event image of what they can expect. To provide an overview of future events, there is a monthly calendar that highlights some scheduled activities for the upcoming months. Finally, for those interested in becoming a speaker at future events, a dedicated section provides a description of the speaker role, along with a contact button. This enables users to reach out to the current event organizers for further assistance.
