HOAS — Navigation redesign through user research & information architecture
Project delivered at Knowit
Role: Senior Service Designer / Knowit
Client: HOAS
Duration: ~3 weeks / Spring 2025
Focus: User research / Information architecture / Navigation design / Usability testing
Outcome
Reframed website information architecture based on user research
Simplified navigation structure and clarified key user flows
Improved content findability for primary user groups
Validated the new structure through usability testing (7 participants)
Helped shift stakeholder focus from navigation fixes to long-term service structure
Overview
HOAS provides student housing services for a diverse user base, including young adults, families, and international exchange students. Over time, the website’s navigation had evolved in ways that no longer clearly supported different user needs.
The project focused on redesigning the information architecture and navigation to better reflect real user goals and journeys, with particular attention to young adults and exchange students.
Challenge
The website structure had evolved over time and did not always clearly reflect different user goals or priorities. Some users experienced difficulties locating specific information, particularly when navigating unfamiliar service processes.
The main challenges were to:
Better align the structure with real user goals and journeys
Improve content discoverability across different user groups
Maintain familiarity while refining the navigation model
Validate the updated structure with real users
Navigation redesign Miro board.
Approach
I led the research and design work from analysis to validation.
My work included:
Analysing key user groups and their goals
Auditing the existing navigation structure and terminology
Defining a new information architecture and navigation model
Introducing a dedicated entry point for exchange students
Iterating the structure collaboratively with stakeholders
Planning and conducting remote usability testing in Finnish and English
The UI layouts and clickable prototype used in testing were produced by UX/UI Designer Samuli Kemppi, based on the navigation structure I defined.
Usability testing focused on realistic tasks such as applying for housing, finding maintenance instructions, and locating community-related content.
Impact
Testing showed that users found the new structure logical and easy to adopt, while also identifying areas for further refinement in terminology and content placement.
The project provided HOAS with a validated navigation model and clear recommendations for implementation. More importantly, the work helped shift the focus from isolated navigation fixes to a clearer, user-informed structure for future development.
New navigation structure.