Let's Start a Project

About the Company

Greenwich Library is a large public library system serving a wide range of audiences — families, students, professionals, and lifelong learners across multiple branches. The website is a critical access point for services, resources, and daily patron needs.

www.greenwichlibrary.org

THE
Problem

The previous website functioned like an overgrown digital garden — rich in content, but difficult to scan, navigate, and understand.

Key challenges included unclear navigation labels, buried services, underrepresented branch libraries, and heavy reliance on search due to navigation friction. At the same time, SEO visibility on Google had to be maintained.

THE
Solution

Our role was to restructure and redesign the website to improve clarity, usability, and findability while preserving and strengthening SEO performance. Key Features:

  • Homepage: The homepage was restructured to act as a clear entry point, prioritizing core library actions and aligning its structure with inner pages to support fast orientation.
  • Mega Menu: Navigation was redesigned into a task-based mega menu with simplified labels and logical groupings, reducing ambiguity and supporting scan-based decision-making.
  • Branch Pages: Branch pages were standardized to present location-specific information, services, and events consistently, helping users quickly understand what’s available at each branch.
  • SEO: Page structures, URLs, and internal linking were preserved and refined to maintain search visibility while improving clarity and page intent.

Research Snapshot

Instead of traditional user personas, the project relied on behavioral patterns identified through analytics, usability testing, and session recordings. These patterns revealed how users actually entered, navigated, and exited the site — and directly informed the UX decisions outlined below.

Observed constraints are mapped to corresponding design signals, translating research findings into structural and hierarchical decisions across the experience.

Search-first users (Google → inner pages)

Search-first entry patterns

Nearly 50% mobile users

Mobile usage parity

Low scroll depth (most users stay within 2–3 folds)

Early content prioritization

Users confused by navigation labels and hierarchy

Navigation friction

Multiple user groups: patrons, staff, first-time visitors

Multiple audiences

FROM DESIGN SIGNALS TO UX WINS:
WHAT WAS IMPROVED

Wireframes as a Tool for Clarity

Wireframes were used early to validate structure, hierarchy, and navigation logic. This prevented visualizing unresolved content problems and aligned stakeholders early.

A Homepage Designed to Guide, Not Overwhelm

Research showed low scroll depth and heavy reliance on search, requiring immediate clarity. The homepage structure mirrors inner pages, making it intuitive even for users arriving after browsing internal content. Content density was reduced through clearer hierarchy, spacing, and labeling.

Mega Menu
That Reduces Friction, Not Adds It

Research revealed that navigation labels and hierarchy caused confusion, forcing users to rely on search. Navigation was redesigned around user intent, not internal library structure. The mega menu was redesigned to align with user mental models and support fast scanning across devices.

Clear Visual Hierarchy
Above the Fold

Critical content is prioritized above the fold in direct response to low scroll depth and search-driven entry patterns observed in research.

Greenwich library logo

Events Integrated, Not Dominating

Events are integrated into the homepage without overpowering core services.

Mobile-First Hierarchy

Research showed that nearly half of users accessed the site on mobile, with similarly low scroll depth and high reliance on search across devices. In response, the homepage and navigation hierarchy were designed mobile-first, ensuring that content priority, labeling, and structure remain clear even on smaller screens.

Core actions and services retain their order and meaning on mobile, preventing the experience from collapsing into clutter and supporting fast, scan-based use in short sessions.

UX Win:
SEO

SEO was a critical constraint throughout the project. Research confirmed that search was the primary entry point for most users, making it essential to preserve existing visibility while improving usability.

The redesign maintained URL equity and indexing while restructuring pages to function as clear landing experiences. Page intent was clarified through hierarchy and headings, duplication was reduced, and internal linking was improved — supporting both search engines and search-first users without compromising discoverability.

THE
Results

  • Users can now understand where to go within seconds, regardless of whether they arrive via the homepage or from Google search.
  • Navigation friction was reduced by aligning labels and structure with real user expectations, decreasing reliance on search as a fallback.
  • Branch libraries gained clearer visibility and identity, improving access to location-specific services and information.
  • The website maintained strong Google visibility while becoming easier to scan, navigate, and maintain.
  • The platform is now scalable, accessible, and structurally prepared for future content growth.