Hia is a vital magazine in the Middle East, providing a powerful modern voice for women. Their physical magazine was successful but their digital presence had fallen behind. They needed a rebrand and a general overhaul of their UI. There was also an opportunity to enrich the features of Hia, exploring cutting edge concepts in the lifestyle and fashion space such as ‘try on the look’ AR.
Navigating the human challenge of propelling Hia into a modern era involved overcoming various cultural obstacles. Our aim was to shift the company away from inflexible, lengthy presentations, restrictive control over data and assets, and a deeply ingrained waterfall management system. To address this, we adopted a triple diamond approach: Discovery, Concept, and Formalize. Extensive desk research was conducted, encompassing brand studies, audience data collection, and the identification of Jobs To Be Done (JTBDs). Through meticulous comparative analysis, we established Strategic Themes and formulated Product Principles to guide the design formalization process. This discovery phase facilitated the development of detailed wireframes, leading to the creation of prototype reboots for user testing.
This project encompassed various deliverables. The Research and Discovery phases not only established our conceptual principles but also aided Hia in grasping a contemporary, product-focused design approach. Information Architecture (IA) and Wireframes played a crucial role in structuring a sprint platform for incrementally developing individual product components. Additionally, the visual representation of the new brand, along with the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) of product functionality, was carefully crafted to align with both Eastern and Western methodologies, encompassing aspects such as text alignment and content hierarchy.
