Introduction

Role: UX Designer, Website Designer | Type: Work Project | Tools used: Figma, Visual Studio Code/ Adobe Dreamweaver

During my time at UpOnline, I built a website for a dental client in the Markham area, taking the project from ideation to development. The client wanted to increase dental appointments booked through the website, as their previous site wasn't generating the desired traffic.

As the UX Designer and Website Designer, I took the lead on redesigning their digital presence from the ground up to turn an underperforming site into a conversion-driven, user-friendly platform that reflects the quality of their services.

Assessing the Existing Website

First, I evaluated the current state of the website. The previous site lacked a clear structure, which made navigation difficult for users. The main issues I aimed to fix were discoverability, the ability for users to find new information, and findability, making it easy for users to locate what they're searching for without frustration.

One major problem was the hierarchy and organization of information in the menu bar. The content was dense, making it hard for users to find specific details such as services offered, booking instructions, or the clinic's location. Overall, the site felt disorganized.

The Challenge

The existing website presented several roadblocks for both patients and search engines:

• A cluttered navigation menu made finding information frustrating.
• Service pages lacked detailed descriptions, leaving patients unsure of what to expect.
• SEO and AEO performance was weak-poorly optimised URLs, missing meta descriptions, and inconsistent heading structures prevented visibility.
• Design and accessibility were inconsistent, with multiple fonts, low-contrast colour schemes, and no attention to WCAG standards.

Most importantly, the client had a clear goal: increase the number of new patient appointments booked online.

The Approach

I knew success meant balancing usability, aesthetic appeal, and SEO performance. Here's how I tackled it:

1. Rebuilding the Information Architecture

I restructured the site for simplicity and clarity. The old menu was overwhelming, so I redesigned it into five intuitive categories:

• About Us
• Services
• Contact Us
• New Patient Info
• A dedicated section for the upcoming Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), set to launch in 2025

This gave users a clear roadmap to find exactly what they needed quickly.

2. Crafting Compelling, Educational Content

The previous site undersold the client's expertise. I rewrote the service pages to include detailed, user-friendly descriptions outlining what patients could expect. This served two purposes:

• Build trust by educating patients before they even book.
• Boost SEO by including location-based keywords and relevant details search engines value.

I also optimised every page with descriptive titles, headings, and meta tags for stronger visibility on Google.

3. Elevating the Visual Design

I implemented beautiful and functional design for each page of the client's website. This included:

• Implemented a WCAG AA-compliant colour palette for better contrast and accessibility.
• Standardised fonts for a consistent, professional look.
• Built a component library in Figma to maintain design consistency across 35+ pages.

Every element was designed to feel clean, welcoming, and aligned with the dental practice's brand.

4. Prioritising Responsiveness

With over 60% of traffic coming from mobile devices, responsiveness was non-negotiable. Using the Skeleton framework, I ensured the site worked flawlessly on every device. This improved usability and strengthened SEO performance, as Google rewards mobile-friendly sites.

5. SEO & Technical Enhancements

• Updated URLs to include service and location keywords.
• Structured headings with relevant keywords (H1, H2) for better ranking.
• Optimised images with descriptive file names and alt text.
• Implemented Open Graph metadata for social sharing.