Booz Allen Hamilton:
Reimagining a Digital Experience

Project Overview

After a decade without a major digital overhaul, Booz Allen Hamilton sought to modernize its digital communications ecosystem to better align with its brand and user needs. As the lead digital strategist and product designer, Hella Creative Solutions embarked on a two-year journey to redesign their web presence.

The project focused on improving user experience, streamlining content, and migrating to a new, advanced content management system. This delivered a responsive, user-centric platform that supported both B2B and B2C users while reducing operational costs.

Challenge & Objectives

Booz Allen's digital presence had become outdated and cumbersome, struggling with over 22,000 pieces of content, inconsistent user experiences, and a high-cost legacy content management system.

Key Challenges

• Overwhelming content, with more than 22,000 items to audit and prioritize
• Disjointed user experience with outdated design and poor navigation
• High operational costs related to an aging content management system
• Need for seamless content migration across multiple domains

Objectives

• Streamline the site's content and user journey to align with Booz Allen's brand vision
• Enhance the user experience through a modern, responsive design
• Migrate the platform to Adobe Experience Manager for better scalability and reduced costs

Discovery & Research

Our People-to-People framework helped us dive deep into understanding the diverse user base of Booz Allen Hamilton's platform, including stakeholders, corporate users, and B2C audiences.

User Research

We conducted stakeholder interviews and analyzed site traffic data to understand the most valuable content and how users were interacting with the platform.

Content Audit

We led the audit and prioritization of over 22,000 content pieces, streamlining the number down to just 8,000, focusing on relevance and value to both internal and external users.

Key Insights

• Users needed clearer navigation, fewer content redundancies, and a cleaner interface
• The internal team required better control over content management to respond faster to market needs

Strategy & Planning

The strategy focused on aligning the redesign with Booz Allen's evolving business goals, ensuring a scalable, user-centered platform that could support future growth.

User-Centered UX Design

We employed People-to-People principles, creating personas and journey maps to ensure the redesigned platform met the needs of all user groups, from government clients to corporate partners.

CMS Migration Strategy

We developed a migration plan that transitioned the platform to Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), reducing operational costs by approximately $30,000 per month.

Design Workshops

Throughout the project, we held collaborative workshops with Booz Allen's internal teams, ensuring every design decision was informed by user needs and business goals.

Design & Implementation

The design phase focused on developing a streamlined, intuitive user interface that allowed users to easily find the information they needed, regardless of device.

Wireframes & Prototyping

Created high-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes to test with key user groups, allowing us to gather feedback and make iterative improvements.

Visual & Interaction Design

We designed a clean, modern aesthetic aligned with Booz Allen's brand, featuring responsive layouts, intuitive navigation, and personalized content recommendations.

Content Strategy

We implemented a robust content management system using AEM, allowing Booz Allen's internal teams to manage their content more efficiently and dynamically.

Results & Impact

The transformation led to measurable improvement in user engagement and operational efficiency.

Quantitative Impact

• 60% increase in user engagement, with users spending more time on-site
• $30,000 reduction in monthly operational costs due to AEM migration
• 64% reduction in content, leading to a more streamlined platform

Qualitative Impact

• Stakeholders praised the new platform for its modern design and improved content accessibility
• The internal content management team noted faster response times when updating content

Lessons Learned

The Booz Allen Hamilton project highlighted the importance of balancing user needs with technical requirements while ensuring a flexible, scalable digital platform.

Key Takeaways

• Streamlined content and user flows lead to a more focused and efficient user experience
• Collaborative workshops with internal teams ensured the redesign met both strategic business needs and user expectations
• Reducing content bloat while maintaining relevance requires careful stakeholder alignment

Future Opportunities

• Continue evolving the platform by incorporating AI-driven personalization
• Explore opportunities for integrating additional automation tools