UX/IA Audit — 2026-03-08 (v2) — Stratum Collective

01 — Scope

Audit Scope

Competitive analysis, information architecture review, and three design directions for stratumcollective.co. Covered all 9 primary nav pages plus sub-pages.

Pages Audited

9+

Primary nav + sub-pages

Competitors Analyzed

2

Thoughtful AI, Waystar

Design Directions

3

Direction A recommended

02 — Information Architecture

IA Problems

Critical 9 nav items + CTA

Best-in-class B2B sites use 4–6. Nearly double the cognitive load of competitors.

High No hierarchy in navigation

Tools and intelligence elevated to same level as core product pages.

High Sprint and Pricing are siblings, not peers

Same buyer decision, should live together.

Medium SCAI Network in primary nav

A future product in primary nav creates confusion.

Medium About page doing homepage work

Strongest “why” messaging lives on About, not Homepage.

03 — Design Hypothesis

Design Hypothesis Evaluation

Original hypothesis

“Clinical publication, not SaaS” — dark editorial palette, section numbering, serif + mono typography.

Verdict: Hypothesis holds but is half-executed

Working

Dark palette is distinctive
Section numbering reinforces authority
Typography creates clear hierarchy

Missing

No data/charts/case studies
Publications show data, we show assertions
Flat hierarchy
No human faces or bylines

04 — Competitive Landscape

Competitive Analysis

Company	Nav Items	Lead With	Social Proof
Thoughtful AI	5	Quantified proof ($10M+)	Trust badges
Waystar	5 + mega-dropdowns	Branded AI (“AltitudeAI”)	Case studies
Stratum	9	Problem-led hero	Zero

Pattern: Every high-performing site leads with quantified proof or product demo.

05 — Recommended Restructure

IA Restructure: 9 → 5

1

How It Works

2

Solutions ↓

3

Pricing

4

Resources ↓

5

About

+ CTA button. Dropdowns on Solutions and Resources consolidate sub-pages.

06 — Cross-Cutting Issues

Cross-Cutting UX Issues

Medium Identical assessment CTA on every page

Every page ends with nearly identical assessment CTA. No contextual variation.

Medium No active nav state

Most pages lack active nav state highlighting.

High Inconsistent running headers and footer taglines

Mixed messaging across page footers and section headers.

High ~575 lines of inline CSS on Intelligence page

Duplicates the design system. Should use shared stylesheet.

07 — Design Directions

Three Design Directions

Recommended

Direction A: Evolved Clinical Publication

Double down on the publication metaphor. Add an evidence layer — data visualizations, case study excerpts, quantified proof points. Keep the dark editorial palette and section numbering. Layer in bylines, timestamps, and citation-style references to build credibility without abandoning the distinctive aesthetic.

Direction B: Consulting Authority

Pivot toward a consulting firm aesthetic. Cleaner, lighter surfaces. Structured case studies front and center. Thought leadership content hierarchy. Risk: loses the distinctive dark palette that differentiates Stratum from SaaS competitors.

Direction C: Focused Conversion

Strip to essentials. Optimize for conversion. Minimal pages, aggressive CTA placement, social proof above the fold. Risk: commoditizes the brand and loses the narrative depth that positions Stratum as a domain expert, not a vendor.