Abu Rashid Trading Establishment is considered one of the leading company in UAE, ARTES was established in 1980, and celebrating a 44 years of success and innovation agricultural inspirations, combined with an outstanding reputation and exceptional experiences in local, regional, and international Markets.
Duration:
8 Weeks
Role:
Copywriter / Product Designer
Project Overview
ARTES, an agricultural and general trading establishment in the UAE, has identified a critical need to design and launch its own website to improve its online presence. The goal is to inform customers about ARTES’s new location and improve the company’s reach by leveraging digital marketing channels.
This project will involve:
The Brand Logo Redesign
The Brand Visual Identity
A User-friendly Website
Copywriting
Objectives
Key Deliverables
Logo Redesign
Mini-Style Guide
Homepage with key information and a clear call-to-action.
"About Us" section reflecting the company’s history and vision.
Contact section with an easy-to-use form for customer inquiries.
Services and product offerings.
Digital marketing integration (Meta Pixel)
Phase 1
Discovery
1 week
Phase 2
Definition
2 week
Phase 3
Development
4 week
Phase 4
Launch and Optimization
Ongoing
However, it all started with a
Target Audience
The target audience for ARTES primarily consists of farmers, local businesses, and individual customers. By leveraging sales representative insights and Meta Ads data, I have developed a comprehensive understanding of their needs, behaviours, and pain points. The website will be key in bridging the gap between ARTES and its audience by providing timely and relevant information, especially about the new location and products.
Research Methodology:
Meta Ads Performance
Data from Meta Ads over the past 3 months show:
Reach
Ads targeted towards agricultural communities & business owners received higher engagement (click-through rate: 3.8%).
Conversion Rate
Farmers and business owners had higher conversion rates from Meta Ads.
Demographics
70% of engagement comes from users aged 35–50.Majority of interest comes from rural and semi-urban areas of the UAE.
Behaviour
Users who engaged with the ads tended to browse service section.
Customer Segments
Farmers
(Primary Segment)
Demographics:
Age: 35– +60 years
Gender: Primarily male
Location: UAE, particularly rural and agricultural regions
Occupation: Small to medium-sized farm owners
Needs:
Interested in agricultural equipment, seeds, and fertilizers.
Need updates on product availability and offers.
Touchpoints:
-Sales representatives in-store, direct phone calls, Meta ads.
-Prefer visiting physical stores but are starting to explore digital resources.
Pain Points:
Limited time and technical skills for managing digital platforms.
Uncertainty about product quality and availability.
Local Businesses (Secondary Segment)
Demographics:
Demographics:
Age: 30–50 years
Gender: Mixed
Location: UAE, urban and semi-urban areas
Occupation: Business owners (retailers, restaurants, etc.)
Needs:
Bulk purchasing of products for reselling or use in their business.
Information about delivery options and business-to-business (B2B) offers.
Touchpoints:
-Primarily email, phone inquiries, and online browsing.
-Engage with Meta Ads related to bulk offers or special promotions.
Pain Points:
Difficulty in locating ARTES due to the recent change in location.
Limited awareness of current products and pricing.
Individual Customers (General Public)
Demographics:
Demographics:
Age: 25–45 years
Gender: Mixed
Location: UAE urban areas
Occupation: Working professionals, homemakers
Needs:
Require gardening and small-scale agricultural products.
Interested in purchasing seeds, fertilizers, and home-use equipment.
Touchpoints:
-Active on social media, Meta ads, and online browsing.
-Open to exploring digital purchasing options.
Pain Points:
Lack of information on product range.
Confusion due to the recent store relocation.
User Personas and Their Needs
Primary Persona
Local Farmers and Traders:
Need:
Easy access to location, services, and direct communication with ARTES.
Goals:
They want to find ARTES' location quickly and learn about services.
Challenges:
Navigating the digital space might be unfamiliar; hence, the website must be intuitive and straightforward.
Secondary Persona
New Market Clients
Need:
To understand ARTES' offerings and establish B2B relations.
Goals:
Explore services and send inquiries quickly.
Challenges:
Requires seamless online interaction to generate business leads.
Tertiary Persona
Community Members:
Need:
Stay informed about ARTES' location and updates via online channels.
Goals:
Access contact information and learn about any local events or news.
Challenges:
How to evoke their interest through a simple and straightforward design
User Stories (Based on Personas)
As a local farmer, I need to know the new location of ARTES so that I can plan my visit without wasting time.
As a business owner, I need a quick and easy way to get in touch with ARTES, inquire about their services, and explore B2B opportunities.
As a community member, I want to stay updated about ARTES’ offerings, events, and promotions.
User Journey Map
This user journey outlines the seamless process from discovering ARTES through Meta ads to establishing communication and fulfilling customer needs. The focus is on delivering a simple, clear, and trustworthy experience at every step of the journey, particularly for users interacting with the business for the first time.
Competitor Analysis
I’d research other similar agricultural or trading businesses in the UAE that already have an online presence. Understanding what their websites offer, how they engage with their audience, and what features are most successful could help inform ARTES’ website design decisions.
Limited Local Competition
There are few competitors in Al Ain that can match our comprehensive service offering. However, each competitor lacks in various aspects such as design quality, range of services provided, or Arabic support.
Reliance on Templates
Many competitors rely heavily on pre-made templates, resulting in poor and generic design quality.
Poor Website Performance
Competitors' websites are often overloaded with content and lack a clear information structure, leading to slow loading times and poor user experience.
Overemphasis on Client Lists
Some competitors excessively display their client lists, which can appear disingenuous, especially when the quality of their website design does not match the supposed calibre of their clients.
Lack of Emotional Connection
Competitors' websites fail to create any emotional connection or bond with visitors, which is essential for building brand loyalty and engagement.
Poor User Experience
Many competitors’ websites are not user-friendly and responsive on all devices, with complex navigation and poor layout, making it difficult for visitors to find the information they need quickly.
Limited Innovation
Competitors are not keeping up with the latest industry trends and innovations, leading to outdated service offerings and strategies.
Sustainability and Environmental Awareness
Competitors have not prioritized sustainability or environmental awareness in their business practices, a key area where we differentiate ourselves.
Key Problems Defined
Lack of Online Visibility
ARTES previously relied on in-person visits, word of mouth, and some social media presence to connect with customers. The absence of a comprehensive online platform limited their reach, especially after relocating.
Missed Opportunities for Lead Generation
ARTES had no system in place to capture potential customer information online, which limited their ability to convert digital traffic into actual business leads.
Communication Gap
With the relocation, customers struggled to find ARTES’ new address, which impacted foot traffic. Additionally, the lack of an online hub meant that inquiries and customer engagement were not optimized.
Marketing Inefficiencies
Despite email and Meta campaigns, ARTES lacked a centralized online platform to direct customers to for further engagement, diminishing the overall effectiveness of their marketing strategy.
Problem Statement
ARTES, a well-established agricultural and trading business in the UAE, had recently relocated within the same city, Al Ain. Without a central online presence, there was a risk that customers would remain unaware of the move, leading to a decline in foot traffic and potential revenue loss. Additionally, ARTES was facing difficulties in expanding its market reach, as it lacked an online platform to showcase its services and products.
Defined Success Metrics
1-Increased Website Traffic:
Measuring how many users visit the website post-launch, particularly from Meta and email campaigns.
2-Higher Engagement:
Monitoring lead submissions and inquiries generated through the website.
3-Improved Customer Retention:
Tracking how many returning users are coming back to the site.
4-Reduced Customer Queries Regarding Location:
Fewer inquiries about the new location (as this information will be prominently displayed on the website).
Feature Prioritization (MVP Features):
Based on the goals, we define the core features that need to be implemented in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) version of the website:
1#
Homepage with Updated Location Information:
Clear address and contact information, including a map and driving directions..
2#
Mobile-First Design:
Since many users will be accessing the website from mobile devices, the design must prioritize mobile responsiveness.
3#
Lead Generation Forms
Simple, easy-to-use inquiry forms that users can fill out to contact ARTES.
4#
Marketing Integration:
The website must seamlessly integrate with Meta and email marketing campaigns, enabling users to click through and engage with content directly.
Mental Models and User-Centred Design Approach
When designing the ARTES website, it was crucial to focus on the mental models of our target audience — namely farmers, business owners, and public customers.
—Mental models refer to the assumptions and expectations users bring with them from past experiences. — We leveraged these models to create a seamless, intuitive experience that aligns with their existing knowledge of navigating websites.
Given that many users from our target demographic might not be highly familiar with complex digital interfaces, we prioritized clarity and simplicity over interactivity and complexity.
This approach aimed to ensure that visitors could rely on their prior experiences to intuitively find the information they were looking for and quickly achieve their goals.
Why This Approach Was Critical:
Alignment with User Expectations:
Users expect websites to work in predictable ways, especially if they lack extensive digital experience. By understanding and aligning with their mental models, we reduced frustration and enhanced usability.
Minimized Learning Curve:
Users didn’t have to learn how to use a new system. Instead, they could rely on their previous experiences with other websites to navigate and complete tasks on ARTES' site.
Improved User Satisfaction:
By not overwhelming users with unnecessary complexity, the website allowed them to focus on their goal — finding information or products — leading to a better overall user experience.
Rebranding Process
As part of designing the new ARTES website, it became evident that the current brand identity — including the logo, color palette, and fonts — had become outdated and failed to reflect the core values of the business. The brand elements, designed 44 years ago, no longer had any meaningful connection to the company's mission, its services, or the evolving agricultural landscape of the UAE.
With Us Agri-Culture is Redefined
ARTES
ARTES
#Be Vietnam Pro
#Roboto
Key reasons for rebranding
Why These Changes Were Essential?
Lesson Learned
Lesson:
One of the most important lessons learned was the importance of understanding the mental models of the target audience. The decision to prioritize clarity and simplicity over complex interactions ensured that the website would be user-friendly, particularly for farmers and general public customers who may not be tech-savvy.
Takeaway:
Future projects targeting similar demographics should continue to focus on intuitive navigation and straightforward functionality.
Lesson:
Updating the logo, colour palette, and font choices was essential in modernizing the brand. The integration of the date tree into the logo helped solidify the connection between ARTES’s agricultural roots and its UAE heritage.
Takeaway:
A well-executed brand redesign can enhance a company’s image and solidify its identity while making it more relatable and appealing to new generations of customers.
Lesson:
Constant communication with stakeholders ensured that their needs were understood and addressed. This kept the project aligned with business goals, such as informing customers about the new location and expanding digital reach.
Takeaway:
Open, regular communication with stakeholders is critical to aligning project goals with business needs and securing project success.
Lesson:
The "Request a Quote" form was a key feature that drove customer engagement, showing that easy-to-use calls to action (CTAs) significantly enhance conversion rates.
Takeaway:
In future projects, prioritize strong, actionable CTAs that streamline the customer journey from awareness to engagement.
Lesson:
The need to redesign the logo and brand identity during the website development showed how important it is to remain adaptable throughout the design process.
Takeaway:
Flexibility in design allows for improvements that may arise as the project progresses, leading to better final outcomes.
Lesson:
While visual appeal was important, ensuring the website was functional and accessible was key. For instance, optimizing page loading times and making the interface mobile-friendly enhanced the user experience.
Takeaway:
A balance between aesthetics and functionality should always be maintained to provide both a beautiful and seamless user experience.
Lesson:
Gathering feedback from both stakeholders and customers during the design process helped identify areas for improvement and made sure the website met real-world needs.
Takeaway:
Incorporating user feedback early and throughout the process is essential to creating products that meet user expectations and business goals.
Lesson:
Setting up KPIs like website traffic, customer inquiries through the form, and engagement from Meta ads allowed ARTES to measure the success of the website after launch.
Takeaway:
Defining and tracking performance metrics helps monitor the impact of digital products and informs necessary adjustments post-launch.
