Project Background
The goal of this project was to address the limited online presence of smaller, local businesses and to establish an effective e-commerce website to promote the business and increase their revenue. The objective of this design was to revamp Subcultours, an e-commerce platform offering creative workshops in Germany and Portugal.
The goal of this project was to address the limited online presence of smaller, local businesses and to establish an effective e-commerce website to promote the business and increase their revenue. The objective of this design was to revamp Subcultours, an e-commerce platform offering creative workshops in Germany and Portugal.
Research Phase
Starting with a stakeholder interview involving the owner and CEO, we identified the primary user base as curious travellers. The business aspires to expand globally in the upcoming years, needing a comprehensive redesign. Following the stakeholder interview, we did a deep dive into the business and its competitors. A brand comparison analysis showed us that there were three main competitors, which are at the moment dominating the market due their advantages based on lifespan, being more mainstream or exclusive offers. Next, a SWOT analysis of Subcultours highlighted the strengths in their uniquely curated artist selection, weaknesses in limited resources, opportunities in artist relationships, and threats in dominant platforms like Airbnb Experiences.
Starting with a stakeholder interview involving the owner and CEO, we identified the primary user base as curious travellers. The business aspires to expand globally in the upcoming years, needing a comprehensive redesign. Following the stakeholder interview, we did a deep dive into the business and its competitors. A brand comparison analysis showed us that there were three main competitors, which are at the moment dominating the market due their advantages based on lifespan, being more mainstream or exclusive offers. Next, a SWOT analysis of Subcultours highlighted the strengths in their uniquely curated artist selection, weaknesses in limited resources, opportunities in artist relationships, and threats in dominant platforms like Airbnb Experiences.
Subsequently, we conducted user interviews with 6 individuals between 24 and 46 years old, which revealed a common interest in art workshops. While 50% of participants worked in a creative field, only 2 out of 6 had used a workshop website before, and none had used Subcultours. User feedback indicated a desire for workshops that offered new skills, with a notable pain point being the lack of information, leading to a sense of unpreparedness for the workshops.
Problem Statement
Based on the research and user insights, we identified the problem statement as follows: “Creative individuals interested in workshops need a reliable way to discover opportunities for learning new skills. Insufficient information leads to an unsatisfactory user experience.”
Based on the research and user insights, we identified the problem statement as follows: “Creative individuals interested in workshops need a reliable way to discover opportunities for learning new skills. Insufficient information leads to an unsatisfactory user experience.”
Ideation and Prioritisation
During the ideation process we came up with 6 ideas, out of which 3 were must-haves and the other 3 nice-to-haves, all prioritising to inform the users adequately. Must-have features were determined as, including a map with workshop locations, detailed workshop information, and a workshop quality assurance mechanism through reviews and feedback.
During the ideation process we came up with 6 ideas, out of which 3 were must-haves and the other 3 nice-to-haves, all prioritising to inform the users adequately. Must-have features were determined as, including a map with workshop locations, detailed workshop information, and a workshop quality assurance mechanism through reviews and feedback.
Prototyping and Usability Testing
Following the ideation process and analysis of the current website, we started with creating lo-fi wireframes and a mid-fi prototype. Initial usability testing revealed user dissatisfaction with a mandatory login screen, which was included for the purpose of fulfilling quality assurance. Users found the mandatory login redundant and further identified issues with small or unclear buttons, but appreciated the inclusion of reviews as a crucial feature. Based on the user feedback, we included an optional ‘continue as guest’ feature when booking the workshop and adjusted the CTAs.
Following the ideation process and analysis of the current website, we started with creating lo-fi wireframes and a mid-fi prototype. Initial usability testing revealed user dissatisfaction with a mandatory login screen, which was included for the purpose of fulfilling quality assurance. Users found the mandatory login redundant and further identified issues with small or unclear buttons, but appreciated the inclusion of reviews as a crucial feature. Based on the user feedback, we included an optional ‘continue as guest’ feature when booking the workshop and adjusted the CTAs.
Design of the Hi-Fi Prototype
For the final design, we started with creating a mood board, constructed of the brand attributes inspiring, creative, educational, collaborative, and joyful. These attributes were confirmed when presented to the rest of the class. Based on the mood board, we created four design options with different colour schemes and typeface pairings, which were presented and refined based on design critiques from our teachers and peers. Ultimately, we chose a colour scheme that was most liked by the class, most in line with the brand attributes and fundamentally different from the current website
For the final design, we started with creating a mood board, constructed of the brand attributes inspiring, creative, educational, collaborative, and joyful. These attributes were confirmed when presented to the rest of the class. Based on the mood board, we created four design options with different colour schemes and typeface pairings, which were presented and refined based on design critiques from our teachers and peers. Ultimately, we chose a colour scheme that was most liked by the class, most in line with the brand attributes and fundamentally different from the current website
The finalised hi-fi prototype addresses user concerns from the research and incorporates the feedback from the usability testing.
Conclusion and Next Steps
My key takeaways of this project include the importance of user testing and collaboration with stakeholders. We learned how to effectively test our prototypes with users and how to learn and improve from their feedback. Secondly, we worked with stakeholders for the first time, which was interesting as we got a deeper understanding of the involvement of stakeholders and ‘working’ for a business.
My key takeaways of this project include the importance of user testing and collaboration with stakeholders. We learned how to effectively test our prototypes with users and how to learn and improve from their feedback. Secondly, we worked with stakeholders for the first time, which was interesting as we got a deeper understanding of the involvement of stakeholders and ‘working’ for a business.
Next potential steps for the project could include a second usability test with the hi-fi prototype, presenting the prototype to the stakeholder for feedback, and initiating discussions with developers for implementation, resulting in a redesigned Subcultours website that caters to both user needs and business goals.
Here the final prototype:
