I led the brand direction, UX research, and UX design for this small business.
Brand identity and Responsive Web Design
UX / UI Designer
UX research
Stakeholder interviews
Prototype and user testing
Brand direction
Information architecture
Iteration
Thread Wellness
Design a website and develop brand identity for Thread Wellness (Lauren Cameron Prendergast) services, products, and events.
• Examine stakeholder’s needs
• Research users current behavior
• Branding direction
Through user interviews it became clear that they were not fully aware of the range of services and products that Thread Wellness offers. They were also unaccustomed to navigating directly to the pre-existing website for class signups. Instead, services are accessed through third-party studios. Users described the ease of booking, but would like to be better informed about all upcoming events.
The site needed to be representative of the users expectations regarding yoga wellness. Accessibility for the user who may be new to their services is a primary goal.
Through several cycles of user interviews we discussed current behavior in interacting with Thread Wellness services and it brought to light the following key insights:
1. Preference for email newsletter over social media. It was mentioned multiple times that this would be the most reliable method as they do not stay abreast of postings.
2. Needs more information regarding their available services. Most users shared they had a lack of awareness about what is currently being offered.
3. Easy to sign-up and not overwhelm. Most of the users voiced they would love to be involved with their future events and upcoming services.
• The majority of these sites use Mindbody as their scheduling platform. It is familiar and easy to use.
• 4 of these competitors websites are content rich, but do not have a search bar.
• In search filter section could also include time duration of class.
• Include studio space image gallery
• Focus on well organized informational content, imagery is secondary.
• Clean minimal UI
• Include search bar
• Prioritize instructor bio, testimonials, and review section for this service-based website.
Through several cycles of stakeholder interviews we discussed branding direction and honed in on the focus of the specific services they would like to offer.
1. A yoga-centered design approach. Include their company values in branding: calm, serene, expansive, and minimalist.
2. Establish Thread Wellness offerings: yoga therapy, music events, classes, workshops, and weekend retreats.
3. Create a sense of cohesion by establishing a central informational access point. The Calendar is the primary focus of the website because it displays all offerings in a clear format.
4. Narrow focus of offerings by providing specific target pages: Wellness, Music, Calendar, About, and Contact Us.
The information architecture had to be simple, allow flexibility for future additional products, and provide clear organization of the content.
Consider the target audience. The primary user for these products are not tech-savvy. The website design had to approachable, have in-depth information, and be accommodating to the first-time yoga user.
Engage the client in the design process. To establish the brand identity it was important to integrate their personal style and values.
Be clear about constraints. When forming the information architecture, Lauren and Cameron were prompted to be decisive about their services offered so as to establish a sense of organization and leadership.
Allow for a flexible system. Rather than focus on definitive pages with separate categories, the use of a central destination, such as the Calendar page, will accommodate new offering changes seamlessly.
The overall development included many back-and-forth conversations regarding business priorities. It was important to flexible in adapting to new circumstances. This project was also for Designlab’s UX academy and involved student-peer feedback. My mentor, Chris Key, provided tremendous guidance during the development.