THE CANVAS: STARTING WIREFRAMING
I first audited the existing information architecture to see where users got lost (nested menus, dense pages, missing CTAs). Then I reorganized the IA to reflect our insights: introduce a What’s On hub for current content, restructure Visit into scannable sections with anchors, add a filterable Archives hub, and place persistent action CTAs (Buy tickets / Book / Donate) at decision points. Because this is a focused case study, not a full site rebuild, I concentrated on the critical paths we defined (discover - decide - act), and created wireframes only for those flows.
To quickly explore layout and hierarchy, I sketched paper wireframes of the most important user flows. Each wireframe focused on clarity, scannability, and placing calls-to-action at the right moments.
The flows I mapped include:
Homepage - What’s On - Exhibition - Buy ticket (fast path for visitors);
Homepage - Exhibitions - Archives (exploring past projects and history);
Homepage - Programme - Book class (path for teachers and parents);
Homepage - Learn & Engage - High school - Contact (education-focused flow).
These sketches allowed me to visualize solutions early, ensuring that each flow aligned with the insights from testing, empathy, and ideation before moving into Figma.
This short walkthrough shows the lo-fi prototype for PLATO’s primary booking journey. Starting on the homepage, the user scans What’s On, opens an exhibition detail, selects date/time and ticket type, then moves through basket - checkout - confirmation. The demo highlights navigation clarity and IA, proving the ticket flow is discoverable and friction-light even before visual design.