Case study
Subpage for technical documents and whitepapers creation
Time range
Jul 2024 – Sep 2024
Time for reading
~ 6 min
Tags
new product, desktop, printing files
This task was a part of a bigger project — preparation for the 2024 International Broadcast Convention (IBC) for createctrl. The primary goal was to create a subpage in createctrl’s website, where whitepapers would be storage, as well as creation of the whitepapers itself.
Context
The stakeholder
The owner of this project is createctrl — company which have been developing IT solutions for Television, Radio & Streaming.
The goal
Creation of the whitepapers for WebSuite and developing a storage space on createctrl’s website.
Timeline issues
Like all other projects related to the Event subbrand, we had only two months to prepare all content. As a result, some steps were cut to meet the deadline.
Development team
3 PMs, 2 UI/UX designers, 1 frontend developer.
All materials, designs, and insights presented in this case study are the property of createctrl. This work is shared for portfolio purposes only, with the sole intent of demonstrating my role and contributions to the project. No unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is permitted.
The outcome
Altough the very tight deadline, we were able to deliver the whole project on time. Also, COO’s announcement that all projects from the 2024 event, including the subpage and whitepapers, would be reused for future editions.
Design process
Design process
Research
The main task was to redesign the existing whitepapers, which was primarily the responsibility of the second designer, Paulina Krowińska. She conducted research, summarized her findings, highlighted key issues with the previous version, and presented several improvement options.
While Paulina focused on designing the Whitepapers, I took charge of developing a subpage on createctrl.com and provided support for her in the primary design work.
Previous version
Since the main design system was already in place, our wireframes were more advanced than usual, as we had a clear vision of the final look. We also maintained the navigation from the main page.
Previous whitepapers.
Navigation from the website
Initially, we considered linking them directly to the Product page, as they were closely tied to the apps. However, the page would also serve as a destination for hyperlinks in newsletters and QR codes in POS materials at the IBC.
This required a standalone page dedicated to the Whitepapers. To ensure its longevity beyond the IBC, we also added a button linking to this page on the Product page.
Page creation
We considered a PDF preview window with options for quick switching between documents. However, the Product Manager opted for a direct download approach instead.
For the visual design, we reused the style guide from the IBC 2024 subpage and the WebApps Tablet Presentation App, ensuring consistency across all related projects. There was no need for LoFi & HiFi wireframes, as the page was simple.
Mockup with declined PDF preview version.
Mockup of selected subpage draft with tiles for downloading.
Images for features in whitepapers
After finishing my task with subpage I joined Paulina, to assist her with the main project. While she worked on the overall drafts, I concentrated on correcting illustrations. The old version used a mix of inconsistent, non-descriptive, and unattractive images and icons, which I worked to improve.
The preview of old versions of icons and illustrations in Whitepapers.
Illustrations problem & solution
Initially, we planned to create custom illustrations for all sections of the Whitepapers. However, with approximately four images per feature page across 12 documents —totaling around 48 illustrations — it became clear that this was unfeasible given the time constraints.
I explored solutions on Freepik and discovered the Storyset illustration packages. Their library and customizations proved ideal for our needs. After presenting and discussing this approach with the Product Manager, they approved the use of these illustrations in a "Bro" style for the Whitepapers.
The preview of storyset illustrations pack in “Bro” style.
Adjustments
We incorporated each app's primary color as the dominant shade in the illustrations, complemented by minor elements in CreateCtrl's signature orange. This approach allowed us to achieve a cohesive and visually unified set of illustrations across all the Whitepapers.
Preview of example illustrations created by storyset, adjusted for the whitepapers.
Icon comparison
The comparison between old illustrations (left) used in whitepapers and the new ones (right).
Covers
To support Paulina in creating the Whitepapers, my second task was to propose a template for the cover page. I opted for a simple design, distinguishing each Whitepaper with its primary color and app icon. This approach was well-received by the Product Manager, and we implemented this version for the final covers.
Final Whitepapers
Final version of whitepapers consisted of unified version of the main page, the information about the app and their feature. As last, there were a reusable 4 pages about the integration, the life of content, the overview of all WebApps and the last page with the contact data.
Summary
We were able to deliver the Whitepapers and connected products a few days before the final deadline. Although we didn’t conduct specific research to track its success, the COO’s announcement during the IBC summary — that all projects from the 2024 event, including the subpage & whitepapers, would be reused for future editions.
We successfully delivered the project, even with short deadline.
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