Project Overview
Simon Business School's navigation exposed 40+ links simultaneously, lacked mobile responsiveness, and created confusion for prospective students. I redesigned the information architecture using progressive disclosure to guide users efficiently to high-priority program and application content.
My Role
Lead UX Designer — Owned the complete design process from research through delivery, including user research, information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, and usability testing. Collaborated closely with two developers and the admissions marketing team to balance user needs with technical constraints and brand requirements. Worked within a tight timeline between application cycles to minimize disruption to enrollment operations.
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Timeline & Constraints
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6-week delivery window between application seasons
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Legacy Drupal CMS with limited customization capabilities
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Must align with new University of Rochester brand guidelines
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No disruption to ongoing admissions and enrollment processes
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Mobile traffic representing 45% of site visits but 0% mobile optimization
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Technology & Resources:
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Figma
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Figma make
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Figjam
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Drupal 9
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Wireframing
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User Flow
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UX Research
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Prototyping
The Problem
Prospective students, current students, and faculty were struggling to navigate the Simon Business School website. Analytics data and admissions counselor feedback revealed that the navigation system was actively hindering the user journey rather than supporting it. The fundamental issue was information architecture: the navigation attempted to show everything at once, paradoxically making it harder to find anything specific.
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Before: No mobile navigation strategy, desktop navigation simply broke on small screens
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After: Mobile-first navigation with hamburger menu and optimized touch targets
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Before: Duplicate links across sections with inconsistent naming
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After: Simplified, consistent naming with single clear path to each destination
Key Metrics:
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65% bounce rate on program pages (vs 40-50% benchmark)
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80% mobile bounce rate (zero mobile optimization)
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4.7 clicks average to reach application information
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47-second average session duration (insufficient for engagement)
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3% of admissions calls were for info already on website
The previous navigation design had confusing breadcrumbs acting as dropdown links. This led to an inconsistent structure with repeated and outdated links, and deep nested elements within each dropdown, limiting page visibility and engagement
Key Design Solutions
1. Progressive Disclosure Navigation
Reduced top-level navigation from 40+ links to 8 parent categories (Academics, Admissions, Student Life, Research, Career Services, Alumni, About, Apply). Sub-content reveals progressively based on user intent, eliminating information overload while maintaining full site access.
2. Separated Breadcrumbs & Sub-Navigation
Split two distinct functions: breadcrumbs show location, sub-navigation shows exploration options. Previous system conflated these, causing confusion when breadcrumbs triggered nested dropdowns.
3. Mobile-First Architecture
Designed hamburger menu with full-screen overlay, optimized touch targets (44x44px minimum), and clear visual hierarchy. Prioritized program and admissions links. Designed for mobile first, then adapted for desktop rather than compressing desktop navigation.
4. Clear Program Differentiation
Added descriptive labels and one-line descriptions to distinguish similar programs (e.g., 'Full-time MBA' vs 'MBA for Working Professionals'). Helped users self-select appropriate path without clicking through multiple pages.
5. Admissions Fast-Track
Added persistent 'Apply' button in top navigation providing direct access to application requirements, deadlines, and submission portals. Reduced path from 4.7 clicks to 1 click. Added contextual CTAs on all program pages.
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Wireframing
Figma prototype (may require logging in to view)
Working Within Constraints
1. Progressive Disclosure Navigation
Reduced top-level navigation from 40+ links to 8 parent categories (Academics, Admissions, Student Life, Research, Career Services, Alumni, About, Apply). Sub-content reveals progressively based on user intent, eliminating information overload while maintaining full site access.
2. Separated Breadcrumbs & Sub-Navigation
Split two distinct functions: breadcrumbs show location, sub-navigation shows exploration options. Previous system conflated these, causing confusion when breadcrumbs triggered nested dropdowns.
3. Mobile-First Architecture
Designed hamburger menu with full-screen overlay, optimized touch targets (44x44px minimum), and clear visual hierarchy. Prioritized program and admissions links. Designed for mobile first, then adapted for desktop rather than compressing desktop navigation.
4. Clear Program Differentiation
Added descriptive labels and one-line descriptions to distinguish similar programs (e.g., 'Full-time MBA' vs 'MBA for Working Professionals'). Helped users self-select appropriate path without clicking through multiple pages.
5. Admissions Fast-Track
Added persistent 'Apply' button in top navigation providing direct access to application requirements, deadlines, and submission portals. Reduced path from 4.7 clicks to 1 click. Added contextual CTAs on all program pages.
Results & Impact
Tracked over 6 months post-launch, compared to same period previous year:
Engagement Improvements
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Bounce rate: 65% → 38% (42% improvement)
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Mobile bounce rate: 80% → 41% (49% improvement)
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Session duration: 47 sec → 2 min 14 sec (184% improvement)
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Pages per session: 2.1 → 3.8 (81% improvement)
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Clicks to application info: 4.7 → 1.3 (72% reduction)
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Business Impact
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Application starts increased 23% year-over-year
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Navigation-related support calls decreased 67%
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Mobile conversion: 2% → 11% (450% improvement)
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Student resources page views increased 34%
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Prospective student satisfaction: 2.1/5 → 4.2/5
Key Takeaways
Progressive Disclosure for Complex Information
Showing everything at once does not improve findability. Progressive disclosure, structured around user intent, guides users more effectively than comprehensive exposure.
Mobile Cannot Be an Afterthought
Mobile users representing 45% of traffic with 80% bounce rate demonstrated that bad mobile experiences drive immediate abandonment. Mobile-first design ensured genuinely optimized experience, not just functional.
Design Within Technical Constraints
Collaborating with developers from wireframing stage ensured solutions were both user-centered and technically feasible within legacy platform constraints.
Future Opportunities
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A/B testing navigation labels and structures for continued optimization
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Sibling page logic to reduce horizontal navigation clicks
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Search integration with autocomplete
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Personalized navigation by user type (prospective, current, alumni, faculty)