Reflection

Working on the Tech2U website was an incredibly insightful and collaborative journey. We started by learning the partners' goals, then continued by brainstorming the information architecture, wireframing page iterations, designing the interface on Figma, and finally illustrating visuals to complement the information. Through these stages, we received feedback that we used to improve the designs simultaneously. My main takeaways from this experience:

• Information architecture is critical: From the partner meeting, we learned about loads of information that needed to be included on the website. Discussing how team members categorized different information was an excellent basis for designing the information architecture. Then, compartmentalizing and organizing information with post-it notes was valuable in developing the website structure.
• Finalizing the design on Figma is not the end: Working directly with the website developer taught me about the best practices of the design handoff. I worked with the developer for weeks to ensure the envisioned design was translated into a cohesive website that met stakeholder needs.
• Balancing partner goals and design practices is fundamental: It was engaging to learn various stakeholders' objectives and use creative thinking and problem-solving to incorporate ideas into a successful design.