The Vancouver Chinatown BIA (VCBIA) was in need of both a functional and cosmetic redesign. Their objectives were to create a visually-engaging, user-friendly hub that would better serve the Chinatown community and its visitors in promoting its diverse selection of businesses, both old and new.
Our team stepped in to provide just that — a website and business directory that could engage and convert, improving public presence and connecting meaningfully with the community.
services.
- UX research & design
- User interface design
- Web development
- Design sprints
- Project management
the brief.
The original VCBIA website was falling short of its potential — it was difficult to maintain and update and was in need both a functional and cosmetic redesign. As an organization serving Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, VCBIA understood the importance of a website that could effectively connect Chinatown merchants with potential buyers and showcase the district's services and character to both residents and visitors alike.
With audience groups spanning residents, business owners, operators, and visitors, VCBIA needed a comprehensive understanding of their many end-users to provide a web experience that would meet the distinct needs of each of these groups.
the solution.
VCBIA brought our team in to create a user-friendly directory and an engaging website that would make discovering Chinatown's businesses and services easy.
We collaborated closely with VCBIA’s Board of Directors & Staff, as well as with Chinatown’s diverse local businesses. Putting our end-users first, we researched and listened to their specific needs in order to ensure the VCBIA website would address their concerns and desires.Using Webflow and leading with Design Thinking, we created a site that is easy to navigate and pays equal attention to each of Chinatown's many businesses. Its simple user experience is matched by elegant design elements that celebrate Chinatown's unique character.
an easy-to-maintain CMS.
By implementing Webflow, we ensured VCBIA had a flexible, user-friendly CMS, making the site simple to update and maintain in both the short and long-term.
leading with Design Thinking.
By leading with user research, we’ve created a resource that is useful to both visitors and community members looking to find and patron businesses in the area. Through this redesign, VCBIA is able to easily reach their distinct audiences, and ensure all their local businesses get the attention they deserve.
a dynamic homepage.
By adding Featured Blog Posts to the homepage, we give the impression of constant activity and events in Chinatown. This ensures that site visitors always have something new to engage with, and keeps the VCBIA homepage dynamic with as little maintenance as possible required from their team.
keeping the heart of Chinatown front-and-centre
Chinatown is one of Vancouver’s most historic and interesting neighbourhoods. It was important to us to express this vibrancy at every touchpoint through visual design elements that reflect the specific characteristics of our Chinatown (rather than falling into cliché or cultural stereotypes). To accomplish this, we used local street signage as visual cues for directing users through the site’s pages.
