Overview 

This case study highlights how systematic experimentation across navigation and information architecture improved content discoverability and user engagement for a high-traffic sports media platform. By testing and refining the main navigation, the project delivered measurable gains in click-through rate (CTR), recirculation, and session depth—demonstrating how data-driven UX decisions directly support audience growth.

Challenge

WEEI’s existing navigation structure had grown organically over time, reflecting internal content structures rather than user intent. Key challenges included:

• Friction in content discovery across live audio, shows, and editorial content
• Navigation labels and hierarchy that did not align with how users explored sports coverage
• Missed opportunities to guide users toward high-value actions such as live listening, show pages, and topical hubs

The goal was to improve discovery efficiency without disrupting editorial workflows or brand consistency.

Strategy 

     I led a structured A/B testing program focused on optimizing navigation and information architecture based on real user behavior.

Key components included:

• User-Intent Mapping
  Analyzed engagement data to identify primary user journeys (live listening, team coverage, shows, personalities).
• Navigation Variants
  Designed test variants that:
  • Reprioritized high-intent actions (e.g., “Listen Live,” shows, teams)
  • Simplified category groupings
  • Reduced cognitive load by clarifying labels and hierarchy
• Experimentation Framework
  Deployed statistically valid A/B tests to measure performance against the existing navigation.

Testing & Measurement

Traffic was split between control and treatment experiences. Performance was evaluated using:

• Click-through rate (CTR) on navigation elements
• Engagement with downstream content (show pages, articles, live audio)
• Session depth and recirculation behavior

Results

The optimized navigation variant delivered clear, statistically significant gains:

• +20% improvement in navigation CTR
• Increased engagement with priority content areas
• Improved content discovery and recirculation across the site

These gains validated that small, intentional IA changes can materially improve audience engagement at scale.

Outcome

The winning navigation model was rolled out as the new standard, providing:

• Faster access to high-value content
• Improved alignment between user intent and platform structure
• A repeatable experimentation framework for future UX and discovery optimization

Key Takeaway

Discovery optimization is not guesswork—it is a measurable, testable discipline. By treating navigation as a performance surface and validating changes through experimentation, WEEI improved user experience while driving meaningful engagement gains across a large editorial platform.