As a Product Designer at Sorbet, a pioneering Web3 startup revolutionizing the freelancing landscape, I contribute to creating intuitive and accessible digital experiences. Working closely with cross-functional teams, I help translate complex blockchain concepts into user-friendly interfaces that bridge the gap between Web3 technology and traditional users. A key initiative during my time at Sorbet has been leading the comprehensive redesign of the company's landing site. This project showcases my ability to balance business objectives with user needs, collaborate across teams, and create impactful design solutions in the emerging Web3 space.
How might we create a modern, cohesive digital presence while ensuring a seamless transition between initial user engagement and the full product experience?
Develop visual assets along with Sorbet's evolving design system to effectively communicate the product's unique position in the Web3 freelancing space by aligning cutting-edge design principles with Sorbet's value proposition.
My role at Sorbet kicked off with a deep dive into the company's existing research and market positioning. This comprehensive review was crucial in preparing for the landing page redesign project, as well as laying the groundwork for my following work on the Sorbet product. By meticulously examining the company's vision, user insights, and current market trends, I gained a solid foundation to inform my design decisions and contribute effectively to Sorbet's evolving Web3 freelancing platform.
An in-depth analysis of competitor websites in both the Web3 and freelancing spaces revealed key insights into market positioning and user experience patterns. We examined platforms like Revolut, Ruul, Grey.co, and Contra to identify opportunities that could differentiate Sorbet while incorporating proven design practices. Crucial findings focused on:
Thoroughly exploring a wealth of existing user research, I examined a series of interviews conducted by the co-founders and marketing team. These interviews, which included both freelancers and clients, provided valuable insights into user needs, pain points, and expectations from a Web3 freelancing platform. By probing into this existing research, I was able to gain a deep understanding of our target users without conducting new interviews myself.
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I carefully reviewed and synthesized the comprehensive heuristic evaluation conducted by the marketing team along with the cofounders. This analysis provided valuable insights into the existing Sorbet landing page, highlighting areas for improvement in user experience, visual design, and alignment with Web3 principles. By thoroughly examining these findings, I gained a deep understanding of the current design's strengths and weaknesses, which informed my approach to the redesign process.
I immersed myself in the latest design trends specific to Web3 applications, ensuring the landing site would not only be modern but also resonate with our target audience.
A comprehensive review of Sorbet's digital footprint formed a crucial part of the research phase. This analysis encompassed current and past social media assets, published articles, and overall social media presence. Working in tandem with the marketing team, I examined this diverse range of content to gain a holistic understanding of Sorbet's brand voice and messaging. This thorough analysis informed decisions on what content to preserve, update, or phase out in the new design, ensuring consistency and relevance across all touchpoints of the user journey.
The extensive discovery phase established a clear understanding of Sorbet's position within the digital marketing funnel - specifically at the Interest stage, where the landing page plays a crucial role in transforming initial awareness into engaged understanding of our value proposition.
By analyzing marketing data, Web3 design principles, and brand assets, we gained valuable insights into how the landing page should function as a bridge between discovery and deeper platform interest. This understanding proved crucial as we moved into the define phase, providing a strategic foundation for crafting an engaging narrative that would effectively guide users through their journey from curiosity to platform adoption.
Throughout my time at Sorbet, collaboration has been the cornerstone of my design process, extending across all projects and phases. While working closely with various teams, I've been able to create designs that are not only visually appealing but also align with business goals, are technically feasible, and true to Sorbet's mission in the Web3 space. This cross-functional approach has been instrumental in developing innovative solutions that meet user needs while advancing Sorbet's vision.
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Building on the comprehensive Discover phase, defining the direction we wanted to take with Sorbet's landing page redesign focused on creating a visual narrative that would effectively communicate our Web3 value proposition, while aligning our marketing materials more closely with the Sorbet freelance platform. Our challenge was to translate complex blockchain concepts into engaging, accessible visuals that would resonate with both freelancers and clients. This process involved reimagining how we present Sorbet's unique features and benefits in a visually compelling manner.
Expanding upon the insights from the marketing team's heuristic evaluation of the current website, I created digital mood boards in Figma. These mood boards served as a visual playground for experimenting with color palettes, typography, and styles while identifying visual design weaknesses and capitalizing on strengths. The goal was to align with Sorbet's established brand identity while simultaneously pushing the aesthetic towards a more modern look while humanizing the Web3 space.
In a collaborative effort, I worked closely with the co-founders and marketing team to develop the new landing page's structure. While they focused on creating a comprehensive skeletal framework that outlined the content hierarchy and user flow, I worked in tandem to develop the visual structure of the page.
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This dual approach ensured that the most crucial information would be prominently featured and easily accessible to visitors, while also having a visually appealing and cohesive layout. The co-founders and marketing team's content structure provided a solid foundation, which I then translated into a visual hierarchy that aligned with our new design direction.
This symbiotic process allowed us to create a landing page that not only communicated Sorbet's value proposition effectively but also presented it in a visually engaging manner, optimized for the Web3-savvy audience we were targeting.
For the landing page redesign, our focus was on visually communicating Sorbet's value proposition without relying heavily on product screenshots. This approach required creative thinking to translate complex Web3 concepts into engaging visual elements that would resonate with both freelancers and clients. Ideation sessions involved brainstorming innovative ways to showcase Sorbet's unique features, such as instant payments and global transactions, through custom illustrations and infographics.
The Define phase established a clear strategic direction for Sorbet's website redesign through three key pillars. By combining mood board explorations with collaborative structural planning, we created a solid framework that would guide our design decisions moving forward.
This phase transformed our initial research insights into actionable design directions, balancing the need to maintain brand consistency while pushing towards a more modern, accessible interpretation of Web3 concepts. The close collaboration between design, marketing, and leadership teams ensured that our visual decisions would not only appeal to our target audience but also effectively communicate Sorbet's unique value proposition. As we move into the Ideation phase, this foundation will prove crucial in translating our defined direction into tangible design solutions.
Following our defined direction for Sorbet's landing page redesign, we moved into a dynamic ideation phase characterized by rapid iteration and close cross-team collaboration. Given the startup's fast-paced environment and approaching platform launch, we took an accelerated approach by moving directly into high-fidelity designs in Figma.
This phase focused on transforming our vision of accessible Web3 concepts into tangible design solutions. Rather than following a traditional wireframe process, we leveraged quick iterations and regular feedback sessions with the marketing team and co-founders to refine our designs efficiently and align our decisions with Sorbet's brand identity and business objectives. These initial designs would later serve as the foundation for building out the functional website in Framer, with careful consideration for responsive design across all device breakpoints.
The hero section, being the first point of contact for users, demanded meticulous attention to effectively introduce Sorbet. Guided by the marketing team's research, we aimed to visually represent our target audience - global freelancers - while highlighting Sorbet's unique value proposition through strategic product pullouts. A crucial aspect of the redesign was optimizing call-to-action placements and messaging to improve conversion rates as well.
Our initial design incorporated kinetic text for visual appeal. However, as we refined our approach, we pivoted towards a cleaner, more modern aesthetic while adjusting copy to more clearly communicate Sorbet's value proposition based on user feedback. This evolution reflects our commitment to a minimal, yet impactful design that aligns with Sorbet's innovative spirit in the Web3 space.
As our target audience shifted towards a more Web3-centric niche during our initial traction phase, we adapted our visual storytelling accordingly. This pivot necessitated refining our copy and reimagining how we visually represented key information. The goal was to create a visual language that resonated with our Web3-savvy audience while remaining accessible to those less familiar with blockchain technology.
Leveraging Adobe Creative Suite and Midjourney, I designed custom visual assets to illustrate Sorbet's key features and benefits. This included creating infographics to showcase the platform's fee structure and payment speed, as well as illustrations to represent the freelancer-client relationship in the Web3 space.
This particular asset underwent multiple iterations, initially leveraging Midjourney for concept generation. However, as the design evolved, we recognized the need for a more tailored approach. I pivoted to crafting a flatter design from scratch, which better complemented Sorbet's branding and harmonized with the dynamic elements already present on the landing page.
An important aspect of the website redesign involved thoughtfully repurposing existing assets while enhancing them to align with our new direction. Rather than starting from scratch, I identified opportunities to evolve Sorbet's current visual elements, demonstrating both resource efficiency and brand consistency. Working with the marketing team, I updated color schemes, refined illustrations, and enhanced visual elements to create a more polished, contemporary feel that aligned with our Web3-focused aesthetic.
By maintaining its core structure while updating its style and presentation, we preserved brand recognition while elevating the overall visual quality. This process exemplified how thoughtful refinement of existing elements can often be more effective than complete redesigns, allowing us to build upon Sorbet's established visual foundation while moving the brand forward.
A critical expansion of the website redesign involved creating a dedicated client page - a strategic addition to address our dual-audience platform. While Sorbet serves freelancers, their clients represent an equally important user base requiring targeted messaging and features.
The client page design maintains visual consistency with the main landing page while shifting focus to client-specific benefits and pain points. Drawing from user research and interviews with prospective clients, we crafted content that directly addresses common challenges in managing and paying freelancers globally.
The About Us page redesign represented a significant shift in how we communicate Sorbet's story and values. Moving away from a generic mission statement format, we developed a more personal and impactful narrative that resonates with our global audience.
Using Midjourney as an ideation tool, I generated and refined abstract visuals that complement Sorbet's brand identity. These custom graphics were carefully crafted to strike a balance - sophisticated enough to reflect our innovative technology yet approachable enough to resonate with our audience. Through multiple iterations and refinements, we developed visuals that enhance the storytelling without overshadowing the content.
The addition of detailed founder profiles humanizes the platform, providing insight into the experiences and vision driving Sorbet. Each profile was thoughtfully designed to balance professional achievements with personal passions, helping users connect with the human side of this Web3 platform.
The redesigned About Us page successfully transforms Sorbet's story from a standard company profile into a compelling narrative about global creative empowerment. By combining personal stories, clear values, and refined visuals, we created a page that builds trust and emotional connection with our users while maintaining the professional, innovative spirit of the platform.
Through strategic asset development, expanded page content, and refined user journeys, we transformed Sorbet's digital presence into a cohesive platform that effectively communicates our value proposition to both freelancers and clients. The comprehensive redesign, from the main landing page to specialized sections like the Client page and About Us, demonstrates our ability to serve multiple user groups while maintaining a consistent, modern aesthetic that aligns with Web3 principles.
The website has now launched, marking a significant milestone in Sorbet's growth. Our balanced approach to design decisions - from creating new assets to refining existing ones, maintaining brand consistency while pushing creative boundaries, and translating complex blockchain concepts into accessible visual narratives - has resulted in a digital presence that effectively introduces Sorbet to the world. As we move into the testing phase, we'll analyze user behavior and gather feedback to continue optimizing the experience and ensuring our design decisions resonate with our target audience.
Following the launch of Sorbet's redesigned website, we entered a critical phase of testing and refinement to ensure optimal functionality and user experience. Our testing approach combined internal quality assurance with user feedback to identify and address any issues quickly. We conducted thorough internal testing sessions where team members attempted to "break" the website, systematically testing every interaction and user flow. This rigorous approach helped us identify several areas for improvement. Early user feedback proved invaluable in spotting issues that weren't apparent during internal testing. Key findings included:
Based on both internal and user feedback, I made a strategic improvement to redesign this specific section on the Clients Page to better align with Sorbet's current brand identity. By developing customized assets to replace third-party visuals, we're ensuring complete brand ownership while enhancing visual consistency across all pages.
This testing phase demonstrated the importance of continuous iteration and attention to detail in creating a polished, professional web presence. Each round of feedback and refinement brought us closer to our goal of delivering a seamless user experience that truly represents Sorbet's brand and value proposition.
The comprehensive redesign of Sorbet's website represents a successful transformation of the company's digital presence. Through strategic design decisions and close collaboration across teams, we created a cohesive platform that effectively communicates Sorbet's value proposition in the Web3 space while maintaining accessibility for traditional users.
The project's success is evident in several key achievements. We developed a modern, visually engaging website that aligns with Web3 design principles while remaining approachable for all users. The creation of custom assets and illustrations effectively communicates complex blockchain concepts, while targeted content strategies successfully address both freelancer and client audiences. Throughout the process, we evolved the brand's visual identity while maintaining recognition and trust.
As Sorbet continues to grow, the website will evolve to meet changing user needs and market demands. We're currently analyzing user behavior and engagement metrics to inform future optimizations and guide the development of additional features and content. The visual identity system we've established will continue to be refined, ensuring brand consistency across all touchpoints. Our focus remains on enhancing the connection between the marketing site and product platform, creating an even more seamless user journey.