Come Home Louisiana: Designing a Path Home

Louisiana has always been a place of rich culture, tight-knit communities, and growing opportunities, yet many former residents had left, unsure if they could build a successful future there. My job as a UX designer was to craft a digital experience that rekindled their connection to Louisiana while providing the resources they needed to make moving back a reality.

Finding the Heart of the Experience

Before jumping into design, I took a step back to understand the people this site needed to reach. What would convince someone to leave a stable life in another state and return to Louisiana? Through research, it became clear that nostalgia wasn’t enough, people needed proof that Louisiana was a place they could thrive, with strong career opportunities, affordable housing, and a great quality of life.

That’s where the Come Back Louisiana microsite came in. I envisioned it as more than just a campaign page; it needed to be a personal guide, helping users explore what Louisiana has to offer based on their own needs and aspirations.

Building the Interactive Regional Explorer

One of the most exciting parts of the project was designing the Interactive Regional Explorer, a tool that would bring Louisiana’s regions to life. Instead of overwhelming users with static lists of cities and stats, I designed an interactive map where they could explore different areas based on what mattered most to them.

Rather than relying on standard Google Maps, I focused on a custom, illustrated experience that felt engaging and immersive. Smooth motion interactions made navigating the regions feel dynamic and fluid, helping users visualize their future in Louisiana in an intuitive way.

Making It Actionable

A great design isn’t just about aesthetics, it needs to drive action. Throughout the site, I placed strategic calls-to-action to encourage visitors to take the next step, whether that was exploring job listings, signing up for relocation support, or connecting with Louisiana-based business resources.

I also considered how busy professionals would interact with the site. Instead of relying solely on email sign-ups, I collaborated with developers to implement lead forensics tracking to gain insights into visitor behavior, ensuring the campaign could continuously adapt and improve based on real data.

A Digital Invitation to Come Home

By blending storytelling, intuitive navigation, and interactive exploration, the site became a personalized invitation to rediscover Louisiana as a place to live, work, and succeed.