This project is a responsive website for an outdoor wedding venue, including information, pictures, and a scheduling flow. Target users are mostly younger adults and some older who are planning a wedding.

I carried out all aspects of this project as a part of the Google Coursera UX Design course. Project duration: May 2023. Project created using Adobe XD.

The Problem: 

Users need a way to reserve a wedding venue fully online. Wedding venue websites typically require users to fill out a contact form and wait or call during business hours, which is a pain point for many users.

The Goal:

The goal of the project was to create a wedding venue website that offers an online scheduling flow to reserve the space, while also clearly providing information users need to decide, such as typical seasonal weather.

Understanding The User

user research, personas, problem statements, user journey maps

User Research: Summary

My user research included competitive audits, empathy maps, user personas, user stories, problem statements, and user maps. I used these to identify possible pain points as well as wants/needs of users. In my research, I found that users want a way to book a venue for their wedding ceremony online without having to call or visit the venue. While a contact form is convenient, users wanted to know immediately if they would be able to book their preferred date. Furthermore, calling can be difficult for users who work during business hours, who live in a different time zone, or who have disabilities which make calling a challenge. An additional concern users had while booking an outdoor wedding venue was the weather. Particularly for users who live in a different state and are unfamiliar with typical seasonal weather, users want to have a way to make a more informed decision about their wedding venue.

User Research: Pain Points

1. Weather

Users want an outdoor wedding ceremony, but planning for weather so far in advance can be difficult. It’s hard to guess what a venue might be like in different seasons.

2. Online Booking

Venues don’t offer a fully online way to reserve a wedding date. You generally have to call or fill out a contact form. This can be especially difficult for users in different time zones or with certain disabilities.

3. Availability

Users have to wait to be contacted about availability. They can’t view availability online and they have to wait to hear back, risking losing their preferred date.

User Personas

Persona 1: Ashley Parker

Ashley is a recently engaged, outdoorsy business analyst who needs a way to book her ceremony entirely online because she wants a convenient scheduling alternative to in-person or phone options.

Persona 2: Zayir Jackson

Zayir is a recently engaged interior designer who needs an informed way to schedule his ceremony venue because he wants to book his venue with ease and confidence.

User Journey Map

ZAYIR JACKSON

Users have a lot of choices to make when they are booking a wedding venue. They need features to simplify the process to make it less overwhelming.

Starting The Design

wireframes, low-fidelity prototype, usability studies

Wireframes

In drawing my paper wireframes, I was looking for the best way to include and organize the information that users need about the venue, while still emphasizing the pictures, since users will base their decisions largely on how the venue looks.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

Users can access pages with information about the venue, the individual spaces, and vendors from a menu bar. From the menu or from any page, they can click Reserve, which will bring them through the reservation flow.

Usability Study

Unmoderated usability study, remote US, 5 participants, duration 15 minutes

Round 1 Findings

1. Reservation flow is clear and easy

2. Hard to find vendors section

3. Wanted a clear pricing page

Round 2 Findings

1. Smooth, intuitive flow with attractive design

2. Not enough contrast between text sizes for hierarchy

3. Users wanted larger images on mobile version

Refining the Design

iterative designs, mockups, high-fidelity prototype, accessibility

Iterative Design

The tabs on the menu of the Reviews page were too close together to easily click and were too similar to the body text, so I moved them to their own bar at the top and spread them further apart. Going straight to the reviews was somewhat jarring, so I added an introduction with a colored container to separate it. I also added original text for each review to show how the spacing should be for realistically varying lengths of reviews. 

I initially thought it would be useful to be able to access more information about the venue from the reservation flow, but a user pointed out that she was “stuck in a loop” because she clicked  “View More Information” instead of the picture of the venue. I simplified the page to just buttons with the names of the venues.

Mockups

High-Fidelity Prototype

Desktop Prototype

Mobile Prototype

Accessibility Considerations

1.

An online reservation flow makes booking accessible for users who have disabilities that might hinder their ability to make a phone call.

2.

Clear menus and headings will be compatible with screen reader devices.

3.

Contrast and color use compliant with WCAG standards.

Going Forward

takeaways, next steps

"Very simple, no issues. I like that I could book without calling."

Collin, Usability Study Participant

Impact:

The scheduling flow which allows users to view availability and place a temporary hold on the venue is particularly helpful for users. The information is clearly organized with a lot of images to guide users in making choices.

What I Learned:

I learned what users expect to find on a wedding venue website and how to organize large amounts of information in a way that is both intuitive and attractive. 

Next Steps

1.

Add text descriptors and contact information to vendors to help users find information more easily to narrow down their choices.

2.

Add text descriptors to seasonal galleries to elaborate on the images to help users make a more informed choice.

3.

Add a historical weather feature to further help users decide on dates. Current picture with the availability calendar and seasonal galleries useful, but may not be specific enough.

Thanks for reviewing my case study! Please reach out if you have any questions.