Wedge Studio
Homepage Redesign
Initially, I worked on this project as a web designer. Later, with added UI/UX experience, I revisited and refined the design.
Background
Wedge Studio is a pottery studio located in Newquay, Cornwall. They offer a variety of classes, from short sessions to ongoing workshops and monthly memberships. All of the classes are booked directly through their website, hosted on Squarespace.
My Responsibilities
I was tasked to ensure the website had a clearer structure and navigation system, with the end goal of increasing sales. I also oversaw the scheduling of all courses to ensure a seamless booking experience.
Design Review
I began by meeting with the business owner to set project objectives, and then evaluated the existing website to identify what was working and what needed improvement. To keep things focused, I'll be focusing on the homepage in this case study.
What Works
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A good balance of photos showcasing pottery making and lifestyle imagery
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The website uses font styles that align with the creative nature of a pottery studio
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There is a clear navigation menu
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The footer includes convenient links to social media, the studio address, and contact information
What Could Be Improved
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The lack of visual separation between sections can make it tiring to scroll through the page
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The homepage is overloaded with text, it should function more as a landing page that directs users to other pages
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The font sizing feels unbalanced
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It’s difficult to differentiate between the types of courses
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The same image is used for two different calls to action, which can cause confusion
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Once I had a better understanding of what was required to make improvements, I created a few wireframe options to establish a clear and well-structured home page layout.
Homepage Redesign
After finalising my wireframe and layout ideas, I began to implement the design using Squarespace. My aim was to create a more enjoyable user experience by designing a visually appealing and well-organised layout with clear category separation. I also balanced text sizes and used images strategically for CTA's to prevent any user confusion. The redesign was successful, with a 21% decrease in bounce rate and a corresponding increase in course sign-ups.
Original
Re-designed
Design Revisit
I initially designed the website using my web design expertise. Upon completing my UI/UX course, I decided to revisit the project to identify areas for improvement and created a new prototype to visualise and test these changes.
WCAG Validation
I started by checking that the website complied with the industry’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines:
Content is not cropped
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System is accessible on different screen sizes
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System is responsive & doesn’t take long to load
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Hierarchical heading structure on all pages
Optimal colour contrast ratio
Text size is legible & can be easily changed
Colour Contrast Ratio
The two primary colours had low contrast in the WCAG test, making the text difficult to read, particularly for those with low visibility or colour blindness.
Text Legibility
While the text size is readable, it cannot be easily adjusted due to the use of a custom CSS font.
Style Guide
Colours
#393939
#517F50
#F06E29
#FFCC63
#E2CEBA
#FBF7F3
#FFFFFF
Typography
Grid Style
Body
Column: 3
Margin: 143
Gutter: 40
Components
I designed components that follow appropriate proportions and comply with WCAG guidelines. Additionally, I created expandable buttons for the FAQ section to reduce the initial amount of text displayed on the page.
Buttons
Navigation Menu
Regular
Light Mode
Footer
Regular
Light Mode
Expandable Button
Regular
Expanded
Prototype
A/B Test
After creating the homepage prototype, I conducted an A/B test using Lyssna to compare the new design with the previous version. The new design performed better, with 80% of testers preferring it. However, additional feedback revealed that while the new design was easier to navigate, some participants preferred the more fun feel of the original design.
First Redesign
Selected by 20% of participants
Revisited Design
Selected by 80% of participants
Project Insights
I thoroughly enjoyed redesigning the website for Wedge Studio and learnt a lot from the process. While my first design was effective, the revised version shows a clear improvement, as it was created with more intention and data-driven decisions. In contrast, the first design was solely based on personal opinion, leading to user bias.
Next Steps
The A/B test indicated that many users appreciated the more engaging elements of the original design. Therefore, I would update the prototype by keeping the new, cleaner layout but incorporating some more fun elements, such as buttons and transitions. This would need to be tested again before proceeding with another redesign.
