Atlantis Bahamas

The Ask

Redesign five critical sections of the site (Home, Specials, Stay, Dine, and Meeting) which just so happen to also be the most trafficked and business-critical for the brand.

• Improve the UI with a mobile-first design
• Inspire with emotive and immersive video and imagery
• Increase performance through positive consumer actions and booking conversions
• Bring forth a touch of our “Bahamian Personality” and style
• Help guests navigate an expansive set of accommodation choices 

Make the initial window into the world of Atlantis awe-inspiring and emotional, while ensuring the basic user and business needs are met. Make our hardest working page work harder, and further harvest the demand of potential guests.

Help us clearly communicate the breadth of our varied accommodations ensuring the perfect stay for a variety of guest preferences and priorities.

Hypothesis

As a result of its new website, Atlantis will be able to create a more immersive experience for their guests, resulting in more bookings.

Customer Behavior:

✅ 63% of visitors from mobile

✅ 30% Desktop

✅ 7% Tablet

As a result, we need to create an online experience that represents Atlantis and provides a memorable guest experience. The site should be engaging and responsive.

Process

Understanding the customer was crucial to the redesign’s success. First, I identified key elements of the user experience on each page, consolidated content, mapped the navigation, and examined the booking process.

For example, identifying the primary audience, 35-44, female. I was able to analyze the data and see how they booked rooms. I also reviewed other historical behaviors to determine why certain design elements were used more frequently than others.

We also knew that:

• Kids average age was 10-12 
• Technology Adoption was above average
• Household income averaged 125K-250K

Research

In order to identify competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, a competitive analysis was conducted. This was followed by a thorough review of the site map and organizational structure.

To identify opportunities and resolve potential problems, a heuristic review was conducted.

It was important that these UX recommendations provide a positive experience for all visitors-new and returning alike. For this reason, the design needed to be familiar but exciting, the ability to locate content was crucial to the success of this project.

Field Research

For this project, my visit to the resort was invaluable. It was possible for me to walk through the lobby, beach area, rooms, restaurants, and pools. This provided insight as to what I was designing and how it would be implemented.

Unstructured interviews were conducted with various staff members to understand their interactions with guests and how existing features were used. These conversations helped to clarify ambiguities about the Atlantis brand, its mission, and key audiences.

Our most interesting and unique experience of all was visiting Dolphin Cay (pronounced “Key”), a marine habitat dedicated to conservation, rehabilitation, and education. The organization has rescued and saved hundreds of marine animals, including sea lions and dolphins.

Site Map

In order to capture and document all existing content, over 200 pages were reviewed and organized. 

After all the research was completed, a design strategy framework was created. I was able to conceptualize the site’s look and feel from this and made each section clear and transparent to the team and stakeholders.

This process included:

• Identifying changes that were needed  
• Prioritizing site map revisions based on priority and user experience  
• Creating a flowchart of the current site for reference

Wireframes

Wireframe templates for the new pages were developed based on the new flow.

Wireframes clarified undocumented inconsistencies and improved site navigation by providing access to all widgets and amenities, including special offers, news, and on-site resorts activities.

The goal was to make the user experience more appealing by accommodating all the resort had to offer without making it too cluttered.

As part of these new templates, global components were also included that could be used on any page. With this approach, it was easy for any page to update its content according to the appropriate formula. In the future, this will allow designers and developers to easily update websites with less technical know-how, while still allowing them to maintain control over header sizes, footer heights, and other key brand characteristics.

Design

Together with the design team, we came up with a design that would be cohesive and easy to use. The new website’s color palette, typography choices, and imagery were created based on this direction. 

During the design phase, we aimed to show off the resort’s historical site, while still incorporating elements that reflect its modern, fun vibe.

Results

At launch, we QA’ed a few bugs fixes, but the site went live without any major issues. We now track key customer metrics to ensure the new design is meeting goals and objectives. This allows for an increase in user experience, website satisfaction, and overall conversions (from site visitors to customers).

Here are some metrics post-launch:

• The bounce rate on the new site is down from 10.5% to 4.4%

• The average session length has increased from 4.50m to 7.05m

• Pageviews per user have also increased from 6.78 to 9.44

Another interesting statistic is that the new site is doing a much better job of driving people through the sales funnel we designed. By the time they click the book, 80% have viewed the Stay and specials content compared to just 18% before. (the design is being followed, resulting in higher conversions).