Challenge and Constraints
ISA wasn’t a single product. It was a dense collection of overlapping offerings, surfaced inconsistently across pages. Users often couldn’t tell which features applied to them, what was free or paid, or how to take the next step. The challenge was to bring structure to that sprawl—clarifying entry points, guiding navigation, and helping writers feel grounded in their experience.
At the same time, we were designing without a formal roadmap. Feature priorities came directly from the founder, and there was no product manager to filter or sequence the work. Our dev team handled requests as they came in. That meant we had to prioritize clarity, modular design, and careful documentation to make sure handoff was successful—even if timelines shifted.
Design Approach
While I worked on nearly every part of the site, we focused the redesign on three core experience areas that spanned the writer journey:
- Account creation and onboarding
- Personalization and content targeting
- Submission and checkout
Each phase needed to feel seamless and self-explanatory, especially for users encountering ISA’s services for the first time.
Account Creation and Role Routing
We designed a role-specific onboarding flow that let users self-identify as a Writer, Industry Pro, or Service Provider. Each path included tailored sign-up questions and led to a dashboard experience designed to reflect that user’s goals.
Letting users self-select their role created the foundation for a more personalized experience.
We followed with a Free vs. Premium selection screen, shown only to Writers. The free plan was given equal visual weight: same styling, same CTA, clearly labeled as $0. We used a side-by-side comparison to clarify what each tier included — with red Xs marking the differences — but avoided urgency tactics or pre-selected defaults. The goal wasn’t to convert on the spot, but to present the options clearly and let users proceed without pressure.
A clear side-by-side breakdown helped users choose without pressure.
Personalization & Content Targeting
We introduced a quick set of onboarding prompts that asked about users’ writing interests—genre, goals, and experience level. This allowed the dashboard to show relevant competitions, services, and resources immediately.
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By asking just a few targeted questions, we could curate the experience from the start.
Writer Dashboard
This was ISA’s first true dashboard — a central hub built from scratch to help writers orient themselves, find value quickly, and move forward with confidence. We structured it into three predictable zones: center content, left sidebar, and right sidebar. The goal was to make the experience feel welcoming, scannable, and easy to act on — whether a user was just joining or returning to pick up where they left off.
1
Customizable focus tabs
Writers could toggle between Pro Tips, Motivation, and Inspiration, or set one to appear by default.
2
Primary project actions
Two key CTAs — “Share Projects” and “Add/Update Projects” — kept next steps visible without overwhelming new users.
3
Curated content feed
Beneath the fold, users could browse articles, podcasts, and writing tips — organized into tabs like “Recommended for You,” “The Industry,” and “Read/Watch List.”
4
Next-step carousel
A rotating set of cards pointed users to relevant actions like submitting to competitions or upgrading their plan — reinforcing value without adding clutter.
5
Left sidebar
Profile links, quick adds (awards, stories, expenses), and submission management were consolidated in one consistent place.
6
Right sidebar
Time-sensitive updates — like writing gigs or competition deadlines — lived in collapsible sections to stay visible but unobtrusive.
This layout made a dense ecosystem feel more usable. We had to fit a wide range of actions and value props on a single page—a founder-driven constraint aimed at keeping everything within reach. By anchoring the page around three predictable zones, and surfacing only the most relevant tasks upfront, we gave the experience a sense of structure without losing flexibility.
Global Navigation Redesign
ISA’s original navigation grouped tools, programs, and paid features under unclear categories like “Screenwriters Toolbox” and “Get Connected.” These labels lacked context and often led to overlapping dropdowns, which buried core features under vague or redundant paths. For first-time users, it wasn’t obvious how the site worked or what value it offered.
We reorganized the nav around concrete actions and recognizable categories:Competitions, Events / Classes, Gigs, Writer’s Showcase, Screenplay Library, Success Stories, Feedback, and ISA Insider.
This version didn’t solve every issue — repetition remained, and some paid features were still unlabeled — but the structure made key services easier to find and removed one layer of confusion.
The redesign was also shaped by founder direction: nearly every offering needed to be reachable from every page. This included contributor shortcuts—like adding competitions or submitting articles—which stayed prominent to encourage participation. So our focus became clarity through labeling and grouping, not minimalism. The result was a still-dense nav, but one that reflected the core ISA ecosystem more honestly. Below, you can see examples of the original and redesigned navigation, including dropdowns and contributor actions.
Before: The original navigation grouped everything under broad labels and repeated links across dropdowns. Users had to guess where to start and what applied to them.
After: The redesigned nav used clearer category names and more structured grouping. While contributor shortcuts and some duplication remained, the structure made core actions easier to scan.
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