Carolina Clay Connection
Class registration for new and existing students
Overview
A pottery studio that doubled as the regional clay supplier, relied on a static landing page and contact information to a landline to manage heavy customer traffic and new customers.
Tools
Figma
Microsoft Word
Key activities
Customer research, surveys, and interviews to understand users
User personas to summarize findings
Site map to plan development
Prototypes and UI kit to plan design
Usability testing to test product
Stakeholders
Business owner
2 full time employees
50+ Students and teachers at the pottery studio
The results
Delivered a design strategy and UX assets for a website redesign that included features allowing users to browse, purchase, and track class enrollment on a responsive device.
My role
UX research & design
Brand design
Product marketing
Understand the problem
When I began as a student at Carolina Clay Connection, I gathered information about the business, identified its biggest challenges, and defined my priorities.
Background
During a boot camp project, I encountered a small business grappling with issues related to online presence, customer communication, and class management.
Expanded their website to include more self-service capabilities, such as online class registration
Created a digital style guide to reinforce the brand identity
Problem
Without a digital registration process, students were less likely to enroll in classes.
Reputation-Users were unable to view the website or register online.
Inconvenience- Limited hours led to lower retention rates, and missed potential customers.
Research and empathize
I conducted primary and secondary research to better understand students, and the issue of limited communication channels.
Competitive analysis
Goal: It was essential to understand what advantages other studios have and to benchmark against the local standards for classes in the area.
Method: I researched and defined top 6 competitors based on location, price range, and services offered.
Takeaways:
Many local studios provided 24/7 open studio access at equal or lower pricing.
Studios also offered online registration and membership rewards.
User interviews
Goal: Identify the commonalities among potential pottery students and their needs.
Method: I interviewed 6 pre-screened individuals between 18-30 in the US, who were open to taking a pottery class.
Takeaways:
Students preferred classes within a 10-minute commute.
They hesitated to attend their first pottery class alone.
If waitlisted, users were more likely to not return for a class.
A compilation of user interviews I conducted virtually
Synthesize and define
I conducted an analysis of my research findings, focusing on core themes to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem's root causes.
Proto- personas
Goal: Create a goal-based persona that reflects behaviors, motives, and frustrations derived from my recent research.
Method: I based the persona off of how proto-personas in “Jobs to be Done” (Jim Kalbach).
Takeaways: This exercise helped me understand her intent and the goals behind her behavior.
A proto-persona of Bailey
Themes from user analysis
Based on the interviews, secondary research, and user persona I made, I concluded that Carolina Clay Connection students desire the four following qualities most.
The pain points I addressed in my new design solution fell into one of three themes; connection, discovery, and convenience.
Ideate
I ideated and prioritized potential features based on feasibility.
Brainstorm
Goal: Think of a variety of solutions that would address Bailey’s pain points.
Method: I used a traditional mind map to create new ideas, and connect them to each other
Takeaways:
Class tracking and registration
A voice feature that would make registration easier on the go
An app for class tracking and registration
FAQ and self administered quiz that guides users in finding the right class
Video and FAQ
A chatbot for signing up and registration
I drew out the user journey for the user
Sitemap
Goal: Plan a simple layout of the website screens, and the flow of new class registration.
Method: I created a site map of the studio website, organized by the different pages available on the navigation bar.
Takeaways: This exercise showed me what information was most essential to users in completing the “job to be done”, and how to best group them in an intuitive manner.
The site map for the new website
Prototype
I blended my design decisions with the site map and features into a prototype and UI kit.
Low-fidelity prototype
Goal: Visually map out the new features so I could start making design and usability decisions.
Method: I used Figma and artistboard.io to create lo-fi prototypes.
Takeaways: I structured the website to attract new and existing students by focusing on landing pages, and informative class descriptions. However, the business model Carolina Clay used was heavily dependent on the b2b supply side.
UI Kit
Goal: With a lo-fi prototype in motion, I began formulating the hi-fi prototype to ensure all elements were consistent and unified with the brand identity.
Method: I created the color palette, main design components for form completion, and typography for the website.
Takeaways: I ensured consistency and brand unity in the experience, but didn’t impede the user’s job to be done
Test
Usability testing
Goal: Test out assumptions design decisions were based on, and adjust accordingly. I focused on the website usability, and the specific task of registration.
Method: Virtual testing on 5 people who have not participated before.
Find a class you want to try
Register and pay for a class
Takeaways: User testing revealed a lack of accessibility on the desktop and mobile version. I also…
Changed brand colors and adjusted spacing for visual understanding
Added a tile menu on each page for easy access to various services
Final Design
I created a design intended to increase conversion rates, and lower the amount of in-office and phone-call traffic with the redesign of a responsive website and registration flow for classes.
