CareerBuilder Redesign: Hubbard Project - "A Unified Content and Design Initiative"

"Hubbard" was a "next generation" web product for CareerBuilder. The goal was to provide a localized experience for the end-user and also enable our more than 100 unique web properties the ability to co-brand or sole-brand the property, meeting their basic design specifications and editorial needs. It was also the first time we were going to boldly use our new Content Management Software (CMS) to auto load and update the content onto all these sites. I had just spent a number of months working with my team and our new CMS vendor, getting the product spec'd, tweaked to our specific needs (it wouldn't work fresh out of the box for our unique need), and then implemented in Beta. The WET (our team at CB) did a remarkable job, I was lucky to have such talent on the team. Next was to make Hubbard a reality.

• After a great deal of research on market needs, we went forward with the design process. I designed a research model to determine the best possible physical structure to the website (more on that usability model to come). The next step was the website flow Part 1 and Part 2 (later updated with reference points for design requirements). It's worth noting here at the research model I devised was later prepared for the Patent process.
• With the flow complete now it was time to develop our physical structure. First I started with a basic blueprint.
• After the physical flow, came design of the actual operational structure of the site and how it will meet the needs of the client. We had some remarkable designs developed, using our own research, the basic blue print and some technology needs for the new CMS. We selected a few designs, built some basic mock-ups and went back to our new usability research model to help limit the designs down to a few for the management to choose from.
• We presented the designs to management, which we felt best fit the corporate needs. We presented each one with pros and cons and then selected the "winning design." I was thrilled that the winning design in fact came from our own in-house designer.
• To assure a standard along the more than 45 websites which required localization for more than 200 locales, we developed, finite Design Requirement document and an even more detailed Functional Requirements document.
• Now it was time to present the design to our clients and owners. This was done in a series of conference calls and in-person meetings I led. The basic elements of each meeting was our mocked up website and two core documents I developed. "Meet Hubbard" was one and "Go Local" was the other. The supporting documents were the longer and more detailed requirements documents, but at the executive level we knew these would only be references.