Project Overview
I had the opportunity to collaborate with Universal Student Living, a premier student accommodation management company in the UK. They reached out to me with the aim of enhancing their WordPress website.
The project involved integrating a WorldPay payment form, conducting a homepage redesign, improving visual elements across the site, and developing custom WordPress plugins. This comprehensive project was not only about enhancing functionality but also about elevating the overall user experience.
Project Gallery
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WordPress WorldPay Integration
My primary goal was to streamline the payment process for students on their website. To achieve this, I developed a custom WordPress plugin, enabling the integration of a WorldPay payment form.
This form was designed to collect student details and, upon validation, securely process payments through WorldPay. The beauty of this plugin lay in its flexibility, allowing the site owner to seamlessly embed the payment form across various pages or posts.
Project Results
Following the successful integration, my focus shifted to revamping their WordPress site. A significant part of this was developing a new home page, that was provided by a third party designer.
The previous homepage had issues with mobile and tablet compatibility, so designing a fresh, mobile-responsive homepage was essential. The new design not only resolved compatibility issues but also put a spotlight on showcasing their student accommodations.
In tandem with the homepage redesign, I reworked the website’s footer to align with the new aesthetic. My aim was to ensure a cohesive look across devices, so I made necessary theme adjustments for optimal display on tablets and mobiles.
Further enhancing their brand identity, I updated the website’s color scheme and logo in 2015, transitioning from a red and grey palette to a more vibrant blue and green, which was applied throughout the site.
Challenges and Limitations
The transformation of Universal Student Living’s website was a multifaceted endeavor. Not only did it improve the site’s functionality and user experience, but it also brought about a significant visual uplift. These changes led to a more intuitive and engaging interface for students, greatly enhancing their interaction with the site.
Despite the initial success, we faced a challenge with the multilingual aspect of the website. Initially, we integrated Google Translate for content translations, but towards the end of 2014, we decided to phase this out due to accuracy concerns. This decision underscored the importance of maintaining the quality and clarity of website content.
Key Achievements
- Successfully integrated WorldPay with a custom WordPress plugin, enhancing the site’s payment processing capabilities.
- Designed and implemented a new, mobile-responsive homepage that effectively showcases student accommodations.
- Updated the site’s visual appeal with a refreshed color scheme and logo, aligning with the latest brand identity.
- Improved site functionality and user experience across various devices with targeted theme and layout adjustments.
- Addressed and resolved the challenge of multilingual content integration, ensuring content quality and accuracy.