Redefining the Digital Presence of Hard Candy Dance Studio
Website Redesign
Role
Information Architecture
Branding
Interaction
Visual design
Timeframe
12/2/2023
Design Tools
Figma
Wix
Collaborators
Marquette Carrington (Owner)
Project Overview
Hard Candy Dance Studio is a pole, dance, and fitness studio owned and operated by a woman of color. The website aims to encourage new members to sign up for classes, answer questions about the studio, link to the resident dance company, and let others contact the studio for any questions or reservations for private parties. My role was to research, design, and rebrand all UIs related to the project. I collaborated with the owner of the studio to launch this project on Wix.
Product Definition
Problem Statement
The existing Hard Candy Dance Studio website faced usability challenges, lacking an intuitive interface and cohesive design, hindering user engagement and inhibiting the seamless exploration of classes, information, and private party reservations, necessitating a comprehensive redesign for enhanced user experience and brand representation.
Cognitive underload
Lack of brand representation
Poor navigation
Research
Competitive Analysis
To gather valuable insights into expectations, design trends, and standards in the market, the team conducted a competitive analysis on similar small business websites.
Industry Best Practices
Accessible FAQs
Private Party and Event Booking
Accessible Contact Information
Event and Performance Information
Engaging Visuals
Class Information Clarity
Clear Navigation
Mobile Responsiveness
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Tease Dance Studio
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Studio 3SixT
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Rockstar
-
Little Miss Nasty
Website Analytics Review
I examined the Wix website analytics to gain deeper insights into the existing user demographics, focusing on key aspects like primary navigation paths, user categories, device preferences, and frequently visited pages. The data unequivocally indicated a predominantly new user demographic, with a preference for mobile devices, emphasizing a strong interest in accessing schedule and pricing information.
Analysis
Personas
Personas are crucial in our case study, offering a clear snapshot of user preferences and guiding the redesign process for Hard Candy Dance Studio. By embodying the characteristics of both new and returning users, personas ensure a personalized, user-centric approach, ultimately shaping a website that resonates with the unique needs of our audience.
Site Map
In preparation for the current case study's final design, I developed a site map to strategically organize information based on hierarchical priority. This deliberate approach prioritized information architecture, ensuring a foundation that aligns with accessibility considerations.
Redesign
Styleguide
Color
I opted for a vibrant and energetic aesthetic by incorporating bright neon colors against a sleek black background. The chosen palette not only imbued the design with a lively feel but also adhered to AAA accessibility standards. This thoughtful use of colors contributes to both the visual appeal and inclusivity of the redesigned website.
Typography
The typography was changed to align with the brand identity, similar to the color. This combination had the best contrast and readability while not sacrificing the fun, vibrant aesthetic.
Accessibility Considerations
This redesign has been checked against WCAG contrast standards. All texts meet AAA color contrast requirements.
Large fonts (19px+)
AA compliant: 3:1
AAA compliant: 4.5:1
Normal fonts (< 19px)
AA compliant: 4.5:1
AAA compliant: 7:1
The culmination of our efforts in this case study is the revitalized Wix website for Hard Candy Dance Studio. Through meticulous research, strategic planning, and creative design decisions, the new website is now a vibrant and user-friendly platform. The revamped color scheme, featuring bright neon hues against a sleek black background, not only exudes energy but also meets AAA accessibility standards. The intuitive information architecture, guided by user personas and a well-defined site map, ensures a seamless experience for both new and returning users. This Wix website redesign reflects a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality, embodying the spirit and inclusivity of Hard Candy Dance Studio.
Validation
Data Analytics
The success of our Wix website redesign for Hard Candy Dance Studio is substantiated by compelling analytics. Within just one month post-redesign, we witnessed a remarkable 20% increase in clicks to contact, demonstrating a heightened user engagement with the website. Furthermore, unique views experienced a 1% uptick, and search performance surged by an impressive 6%, indicating enhanced visibility and discoverability. The substantial 4% reduction in bounce rate underscores improved user retention, while the 2% increase in pages per session signifies a more enriched and immersive user experience. These positive metrics validate the effectiveness of our redesign in driving meaningful interactions and overall website performance.
Learnings Recap
Through the redesign of Hard Candy Dance Studio's website, I learned the importance of striking a balance between aesthetics and functionality in UX design. It reinforced the significance of inclusive design practices, ensuring that the website is not only visually appealing but also accessible to all users. Additionally, I gained valuable insights into the impact of color and typography on brand representation and user engagement.
Insights
The insights from user research, particularly the initial website analytics review, provided some unexpected revelations. Discovering the predominance of new users and their strong preference for mobile devices was surprising. Additionally, the significant interest in accessing schedule and pricing information highlighted a key user need that guided our redesign priorities.
Challenge
The most challenging aspect of this project was overcoming the cognitive underload experienced by users on the previous website. Streamlining the information architecture and simplifying the navigation proved to be complex tasks. To address this challenge, I conducted extensive usability testing and collaborated closely with the studio owner to prioritize content and features. Iterative design revisions based on user feedback ultimately led to a more intuitive and user-friendly website structure.
Measuring Success
Quantitative data collected post-redesign demonstrates the significant improvements in user engagement and website performance. Within one month, we observed a 20% increase in clicks to contact, a 1% uptick in unique views, and a 6% surge in search performance. Additionally, there was a notable 4% reduction in bounce rate and a 2% increase in pages per session, indicating enhanced user retention and engagement.
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