Willow Oak Weddings
Willow Oak Weddings is a “romantic rustic” wedding venue in Montpelier, Vermont that has an outdoor garden for ceremonies and a renovated barn for indoor ceremonies and receptions. We created an app to allow people to explore the venue through a virtual tour to accommodate those who may not have the time, resources, or ability to tour the venue in person. Willow Oak Weddings focuses on personalized experiences for their couples through custom features and additions to allow their business to compete in the market, improve their sales, and attract clientele. Willow Oak Weddings strives to make the wedding process less overwhelming, starting with visualizing the venue from the comfort of one’s own home.
UX Researcher & UX Designer
September 12 - November 12 (2 months)
Understanding the User
Problem
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Users are frustrated with limited touring options for wedding venues and find the wedding planning process to be time-consuming, overwhelming, and discriminatory.
Pain Points
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Limited accessibility to venue (i.e. physical challenges, time constraints, limited resources, etc.)
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Overwhelming wedding planning process (i.e. multiple step process to tour & book)
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Language & Cultural barriers (in-person tours may pose hindrances)
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Time-consuming venue exploration (i.e. travel time, tour time, follow-up, etc.)
Goal
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Our Virtual Tour app will let users tour the wedding venue remotely which will affect users who do not have the time or money to tour venues in person by letting users explore the wedding venue in the comfort of their own homes comprehensively and easily. We will measure effectiveness by analyzing the number of users who book a consultation while touring the wedding venue.
"I wish I could figure out a way to look at wedding venues and plan without needing to be in two places at once..."
"Traveling and touring in-person venues can be a very exhausting day for someone with a mobility impairment; I wish there were remote options..."
User Persona: Milena Cimini (24)
User Persona: Nate Rhodes (36)
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Graduate Student & TA
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Engaged for 6 months
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Needs a venue that allows flexible and affordable options
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Anxious, Hard-Working, & Intelligent
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International Furniture Company CMO
- Engaged for 1 month
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Needs a venue that is inclusive of disability
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Outgoing, Impatient, & Creative
Discover more user research, such as the User Journey Map
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Starting The Design
Market Gaps:
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Lack of personality​
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Limited viewpoints
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Spare usage of text descriptors
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Lack of accommodations
Site Map
Storyboarding & Sketching
Mobile
While sketching, we found that the elements that worked best were:
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Menu header on the left
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A carousel of photos
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Ability to book a consultation/tour
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Image/Text combination of app sections
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Large photo with title above the fold
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Social medias linked at bottom
Desktop
While sketching, we found that the elements that worked best were:
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Menu header with all sections
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Large photo/video to take up majority of space above the fold
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Ability to book a tour
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Image/Text combination of app sections
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Less text, more imagery
Close Up Storyboard
Big Picture Storyboard
Unmoderated Usability Study + System Usability Scale Completion
Study Details
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What can we learn from the user flow of using Willow Oak Weddings app?
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Are there any design changes/features we can make to improve the user experience?
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Do users find the app useful, easy, and enjoyable?
Observations
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4 out of 5 participants felt there were too many elements on the screen
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3 out of 5 participants felt drop-down options would be easier for certain questions
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4 out of 5 participants rapidly went through the navigation without reading the information
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3 out of 5 participants stated they would still rather do an in-person tour
Insights & Recommendations
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Users want to see more of the Virtual Tour itself
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Eliminate non-essential features & consolidate items for better viewing
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Users favored drop-down options versus typed-in responses
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Include drop-down options for necessary questions
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Users were confused after going through the app too quickly
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Add more cues/explanatory text so users can read and understand navigation and buttons
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Users felt the in person tours have the potential to offer more
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Implement features/designs that replicate what in-person tours offer (i.e. voice-guided, various views, etc.)
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Affinity Diagrams
Refining The Design
To avoid rushing through the experience, we added explanatory texts to indicate what the screens represented so users could make conscious decisions during the navigation process. We eliminated the left sidebar on the Virtual Tour screen, as users can click on the back arrow key to go to the previous page and utilize the “Menu” function there. We also minimized the photo gallery and moved key features lower to make more space. We also added special features, shown in the high fidelity prototype so users can have a voice-guided experience during the tour. Lastly, we selected answer choices that needed background knowledge to answer effectively and made them into drop-down options for easier and more comprehensible use.
Accessibility Considerations:
1. Closed Captioning
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Ensures users with hearing impairments can fully engage with the content through both visual and textual elements
2. Translations
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Multilingual translations allow users from different linguistic backgrounds to explore the venue
2. High Contrast
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Users with low vision or contrast sensitivity are ensured that the content stands out distinctly from the background
Final High Fidelity Prototypes
Takeaways
The Willow Oak Weddings Virtual Tour brings the romantic rustic charm of the venue to a global audience, offering a tailored experience for couples planning their wedding. By providing a virtual alternative, we address accessibility concerns, by considering those with time constraints, resource limitations, and physical challenges. This not only expands the venue’s market reach but also elevates its competitiveness in the wedding industry. The app enhances sales by attracting a diverse clientele, simplifying the wedding planning process from the initial exploration of the venue to the final celebration.
Technical Skills in Figma
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Seamless/Visually appealing interface
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Usability Studies
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Value of user feedback for iteration
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Inclusive Design Principles
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Create solutions accessible to diverse audiences
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Project Management
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Organizational and creativity skills - effective design process from conception to execution
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User-Centric Approaches
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Enhancing the user experience
