Studio K
UX/UI DESIGN
Tools
Balsamiq
Illustrator
SquareSpace
Roles
Web Designer
Graphic Designer
Copywriter
Type
2 months
Freelance
Team
Individual
Introduction
Studio K is a beauty salon, located in New Westminster, BC. They specialize in a variety of hair services, as well as eyelash extension services. They are multi-certified with many years of experience and credibility in their market, however they did not have a platform to show that.
Design Problem
Prior to opening their salon in 2019, Studio K showcased their work and booked appointments through Instagram. They needed a user-friendly website to provide a reliable platform for their clients, as well as attracting new ones.
Research
To discover how to begin the design solution, I began by identifying …
The Business
I first spoke with the client to understand their business and overall goals. This included their requirements, needs and expectations for their website. They wanted a feminine but bold looking site that showed their credibility and talent.
The Competitors
After a deeper understanding of the business, I went on to research their competitors to evaluate their strategies. This competitive analysis established the strengths and weakness’ relevant to Studio K.
The User
The last and most important step of the research, was identifying the target market. Utilizing the completed research I was able to seek out what were the users behaviours, goals, needs, pain points and overall persona. The ideal user of Studio K are women ages 16-28, who get frequent maintenance on their hair and eyelashes. These users find artists and book their appointments through Instagram which takes more steps than it should. They are in need of a site that allows them to submit their actions quick and easily.
Wireframes
Referencing the research done, I laid out how the site should be organized. I created low-fidelity wireframes on balsamicq to help visualize the distribution of the content.
The challenge of this stage was figuring out how to contribute a way for users to purchase products sold in the salon without having to create a full-on e-commerce feature. The solution I found was to create an order form where users select a pickup time for their order. An email would then be sent to the salon owners and payment would be done in person.
User Interface
I created a variety of mood boards to allow the client to choose which one better represented them. Each mood board contained a colour palette, font combinations and photos that would compliment the other assets.The overall goal was to create a minimal and clean user interface that allowed users to navigate seamlessly.
Takeaways
Reflection
This was my first freelance web design project that pushed me out of my comfort zone and ultimately strengthened me as a UX/UI designer. I maintained the balance of the heavy content that was important to the site, while having it be laid out in a clean and simple manner. Since it was a solo project I had some challenges evaluating if the approach for the design solution would be effective. I targeted this by discussing with the client to define the solution together. Overall, I took initiative through each stage of the project while always having the user in mind. This project also showed me that aesthetic designs are nothing if it does not bring value to client, or to the users.
Result
All project goals were met for Studio K. With their new and clean website, users can now book appointments promptly while finding all the necessary and important information quick and easy. The users no longer have to struggle and scroll through Instagram profiles or click through stories to find what they are looking for. Their site is also eye catching but minimal while professionally showing the work of Studio K. Studio K continues to hold success in their business today and with the help of their new website, have a 4.8 star review on Google.