Starting Point – How It All Began
As a UX/UI designer who moved to Germany a year ago, I needed to use the Künstlersozialkasse (KSK) website as part of my registration process. KSK provides social security insurance for self-employed artists and publishers, but the user experience on the website was quite challenging. Navigation was cumbersome, information was unclear, and the design felt outdated.
Coming from Israel, where digital services are highly developed with a strong emphasis on design, usability, and accessibility, I expected a similar experience. However, I was surprised to find a website that was difficult to navigate, and as someone still learning German, I found it hard to understand the content clearly.
I found myself using the website but struggling with navigation and determining what content was relevant to me as an artist. I realized there was an opportunity to improve the user experience and visual clarity for both current and future users.
As an independent designer, I saw this as a chance to provide valuable insights for improvement while also creating an opportunity for a new project in Germany—one that I would be excited to design and develop.
Goals I Set for Myself
The first goal was to identify key usability issues on the homepage and understand the pain points that users encounter. From there, I aimed to propose a fresh and clear design that would significantly improve the user experience, making navigation simpler and more intuitive.
I also wanted to present information in a structured and accessible way, ensuring that users could quickly find what they needed. Additionally, my focus was on creating a visually appealing and user-friendly design while maintaining the brand’s identity and core values.
The Design Process – What I Improved
1️⃣ Diagnosing the Homepage & Identifying Pain Points
I identified areas where navigation was unclear, the design language was inconsistent, and important information was getting lost within cluttered content.
✅ Solution: I structured the information more clearly and reorganized elements on the page to create a logical content hierarchy, making it easier for users to find relevant details quickly.
2️⃣ Adapting the Design for the Website’s Target Audience
The site is intended for two main types of users: artists and creators and companies that use KSK services. The idea was to use a very simple and familiar component and thereby create a clear separation between the two personas and present information to them in an organized and convenient way. For this purpose, I used Tabs, and in each Tab, I presented different content tailored to each persona.
This way, you can quickly understand which tab you belong to and present the content tailored to each persona.
3️⃣ Branding Enhancement & Expanded Color Palette
I introduced additional complementary colors to the existing brand palette, helping to create better visual hierarchy and improve accessibility.
Additionally, I designed custom icons to help users quickly understand different sections and navigate more efficiently.
I placed emphasis on selecting images and personas that contribute to the organization’s story. By combining graphic language and elements on the images, I created a new world and the graphic language was enriched and became up-to-date and interesting.
4️⃣ Reorganizing Website Components for a Better Experience
I rearranged the elements on the homepage so that they were presented in a logical and clear way, making it easier for users to find what they were looking for. The goal was to create a friendly and inviting structure that helps users immediately understand where to go and what actions to take.
Presenting My Proposal to KSK 🚀
Once the design was finalized, I created a structured presentation showcasing my proposed improvements and solutions. I sent this proposal to KSK with the hope of opening a discussion and helping them enhance their website’s user experience.
Conclusion – Why This Matters
As a designer in a new city, I decided to take an active approach by seeking out organizations where I could contribute my expertise and establish a professional presence. This project was an opportunity to take initiative, approach KSK with a well-structured improvement plan, and demonstrate how a redesigned website could be more accessible, modern, and user-friendly while maintaining high design standards.
What do you think of the redesign? Share your thoughts with me!
