Delivering Transformation: Placement Deliverables
Throughout my WIL placement, I played a role in improving the online presence and user experience of Genics.com.au. I participated in the active transformation of the website, from conducting a thorough landscape analysis to integrating different platforms for better functionality. Each deliverable within the project presented unique challenges and learning opportunities, helping me expand my knowledge of ICT. In the upcoming sections, I will give a detailed account of these deliverables, including the decisions that influenced them and the outcomes they produced for my industry partner.
Landscape Analysis: Laying the Groundwork
The transformation of Genics.com.au commenced with an in-depth landscape analysis. Instead of relying on assumptions, a strategic decision was made to base the transformation on comprehensive research. This crucial first step spotlighted vital areas for enhancement, encompassing user experience, content presentation, SEO, and technological infrastructure.
Project Plan: Navigating the Path
The success of the placement project hinged on a clear roadmap and a well-executed plan. A detailed project plan was strategically created, outlining steps to enhance Genics’ website across various aspects. This plan served as a compass, guiding the project’s execution and ensuring all objectives were met. The project’s success was supported by the effectiveness of the plan and its mostly correct execution. Utilising ClickUp, a project management tool, I effectively monitored progress, navigated roadblocks, and ensured timely completion.
User-Informed Design: Centering the User
The user-informed design deliverable included user personas, user journey mapping, questionnaires, and wireframes. The user-informed design required learning new technologies like Maze for user journey mapping and Figma for wireframing. It also needed the ability to gather high-quality user feedback. The effectiveness of the design was verified through user feedback and improved website performance metrics, such as downtime and load time. However, the perception of users still needs to be assessed.
Migration: Leaping Forward
Choosing AWS Lightsail for its high-performance virtual servers and managed database options was strategic, ensuring the website could handle high traffic volumes. The website migration to AWS Lightsail was a significant step towards enhancing the website’s performance.
The migration to AWS Lightsail required learning how to set up DNS records in Amazon Route 53, use AWS Lightsail, and implement and set up a Bitnami machine. It also needed learning about SSL and other security measures. These technical skills were crucial for successfully migrating and enhancing the website’s performance.
The migration was a critical deliverable to improve the website’s performance. The success of the migration was verified through improved website performance metrics and positive feedback from the industry partner.
Backend Development: Powering Up
The backend development was critical to satisfying the project objective of improving the website’s architecture. The backend development deliverable included setting up a Docker/Bitnami machine for local development integrated with GitLab for CI/CD to the live Lightsail instance of the website. The local development environment was instrumental in allowing improvements to the backend using Timber and Twig. The backend development using Docker Bitnami and the integration with GitLab for CI/CD required learning about these technologies and how to use them effectively. This technical learning curve was steep, but it was necessary for the successful development and optimisation of the website. The decision to improve the backend was strategic, ensuring that the backend could support the enhanced user experience and performance. The effectiveness of the backend development was verified through improved website performance metrics and positive feedback from the industry partner.
Front-End Development: Enhancing the User Experience
The decision to develop a new headless front-end was strategic, ensuring that the front-end could support the enhanced user experience, performance, and future PWA capabilities. The initial development of a new front-end using NextJS, GraphQL, and TailwindCSS was a significant step towards enhancing the website platform. The initial development of the new front-end required learning NextJS, TailwindCSS, and GraphQL technologies and how to integrate them with the existing WordPress RestAPI. Although this deliverable was paused, the learning and initial development provided a foundation for future development. Although this task was paused midway through the project to prioritise more urgent tasks, the initial front-end development provided a foundation for future growth and partially satisfied the project objective of implementing NextJS/GraphQL.
Integrations: Expanding Horizons
The integrations deliverable included successful integrations with WhatsApp, HubSpot, LinkedIn, Google Tag Manager, and Google Analytics. The integrations with these platforms required learning about each and how they could integrate with the current website infrastructure. This technical improvement enhanced the website’s functionality and marketing capabilities. The integrations were critical to enable the marketing team to track user engagement and enact informed remarketing. The success of the integrations was verified through the successful operation of the integrations and positive feedback from the industry partner.
In conclusion, the deliverables produced during my placement at Genics significantly enhanced the website’s online presence, performance, architecture, and user experience. Each deliverable was a learning journey, allowing me to apply my technical and soft skills in a real-world context. The successful execution of these deliverables met the project objectives and contributed to my personal and professional growth. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this transformative project and look forward to applying the insights and skills gained in my future endeavours.