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Phoenix Model Flying Club

Phoenix Model Flying Club Website UX Design & User Research

Goal: refresh website, take back control, reduce maintenance costs, and focus on member needs.


Current Website Problems

Accessibility & Content
  • Poor contrast making text hard to read
  • Outdated copy & irrelevant information
  • Deprecated scrolling marquees
  • Gallery with old photos
Features & Reliability
  • Unused membership functions (message board, club news, image submission)
  • Weather stats not working
  • Webcams not easily accessible

Proposed Solution

Technology
  • Responsive site: using HTML, CSS, JS & Bootstrap
  • No database or CMS: faster, cheaper, fewer security risks
  • Clean codebase: aiding SEO and future maintenance
User Focus
  • Potential Members: learn about the club and how to join
  • Existing Members: quick access to webcams and weather
  • Easy Navigation: easy access to important functions

Research

Objectives

  • Evaluate member usage and priorities
  • Identify navigation and pain points
  • Test previews with members & iterate
  • Balance needs of users

Methodology

  • 5 members recruited for user testing
  • Contextual field visit observations
  • 2 iterative rounds via WhatsApp group
  • Changes implemented after sessions
Round 1 Findings
  • Mobile menu hard to find - added “MENU” label to nav bar
  • “Join” implied paywall - renamed to “Membership”
  • Webcams identified as #1 priority
  • Weather page newly valued; gallery low interest (recruitment value)
Round 2 Findings
  • Member Area centralizes WhatsApp, newsletter, Facebook
  • Weather simplified to wind speed & gusts; wind widget prominent
  • Club details added: gate access, car park, toilets, free BBQs
  • Webcams improved

Key Insights

Webcams
Top priority for existing members; keep access fast & obvious.
Weather
Provide concise data (wind speed & gusts). Avoid graph overload.
Navigation
Mobile clarity is critical; label the hamburger as MENU in navigation bar.
Gallery Purpose
Used to showcase club culture for potential members.
Reduce Bloat
Remove unused features to improve usability and maintenance.

Design

Before

Phoenix Model Flying Club Old Website

After

Phoenix Model Flying Club New Website

Key Features

Webcams

Top priority for existing members; keep access fast & obvious...

Phoenix Model Flying Club Webcams Page

Weather

Provide concise data (wind speed & gusts)...

Phoenix Model Flying Club Weather Page

Member Area

Provide access to WhatsApp Group, Newsletter, and Facebook Group...

Phoenix Model Flying Club Member Area Page


Website Roll Out Strategy

Access
  • Access to FTP
  • Access to webcam credentials
  • Create preview folder
  • Restrict access to developers
Backup & Clean Up
  • Backup website for rollback
  • Delete remnant files after launch
Comms & Push To Live
  • Communicate new design, go-live date, and webcam login
  • Explain the functionality members will use and why

Website Maintenance Guide

Overview

  • How new site is structured and works
  • How to update/replace content
  • How to change/update webcams
  • Keeping content fresh and accessible

Tooling

  • Edits via simple file updates
  • No CMS/database required
  • FTP account & file management
  • Lightweight workflow: preview - publish

Outcomes


The project delivered a mobile-friendly redesign using a responsive framework, featuring a simplified information architecture and refreshed content. Key user needs, such as webcams and weather updates, were prioritized, while the club regained full control over its site, reducing costs. By avoiding CMS lock-in, the solution lowered risk, streamlined maintenance, and ensured greater flexibility for future updates.


Conclusion

User research and iterative testing informed a simple, fast, maintainable website. The maintenance guide and roll out strategy enable the club to independently run and evolve the site with confidence.


Live Website

The new live website...

https://www.phoenixmfc.org/site/