2022
4 Weeks
UX, UI, Product Design
UX/UI Designer | UX Researcher
VenDec is a solution for those who are in need of a venue and decorations for the party. Even though the app is designed to meet users' needs for any kind of event, the main idea behind VenDec is to help users celebrate smaller occasions in a more unique, affordable, and easier way by creating a one-stop app where they can shop, like, save, and communicate.
There is an opportunity to create an app that would have various vendors and space hosts in one place for an easier events-organizing process, which would save users their time and money, while also enabling them to keep all the necessary details in one platform.
Users of different ages agree that throwing a party is a time-consuming and stressful experience. At times it seems like an endless scavenger hunt for the perfect location, decorations, food, and the list goes on and on. The main drawback is that venues and vendors are scattered across the internet, which is the main obstacle preventing users from finding them, communicating with them, and simply checking out their services. Additionally, the event industry mainly revolves around big events - galas, proms, and weddings, not leaving enough options to find affordable yet unique solutions for smaller occasions.
VenDec integrates the two most desired things in the events industry - venues and decorations. Making the process of throwing a party of any size easier, the app saves users’ time and serves as the marketplace for small vendors at the same time.
The main goal of my research was to get a better understanding of users' wants and needs as well as to detect their pain points in organizing events. Starting this project with the assumption that the app might be a solution, I needed to check my hypothesis.
What do users find helpful in organizing events?
Do users need an application that would help them with organizing events?
What digital products do they use for this purpose and why?
What features would be the most useful for the users in such an application?
I conducted in-depth interviews with 5 participants to learn about their experiences with organizing events while uncovering their frustrations, motivations, wants, and needs layer by layer.
Additionally, I interviewed 2 small business owners to better understand how to create a better experience for the possible app collaborators.
100% of participants need an easier and more affordable way of organizing events
80% of the participants would like to have one platform for organizing events
60% of the participants think that it’s time-consuming to call or email vendors
Currently, there is no one platform that would connect with various small vendors
The event planning industry is lacking a niche for smaller events
Users struggle with finding affordable yet unique ways of celebrating their life events
I conducted the competitive analysis to evaluate competitors’ strengths and weaknesses which helped me to shape VenDec’s Information Architecture. As a result, no one platform offers comprehensive event-organizing support.
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User Interviews allowed me to look beyond my own hypothesis and better understand what users want, need, and what pain points they currently experience with other products. After analyzing all the participants' responses, I discovered opportunities and features that could turn VenDec into a solution.
An affinity map was created to group similar insights and themes from the user interviews to better understand their frustrations, wants and needs and define product requirements.
The next step was putting all the similarities, that I discovered in my research into a persona. Since the future app would have 2 types of users: regular users that need space or/and decorations for their party and small business owners, which would either rent out their spaces or decorations for such events, I created 2 personas that represent those users.
To visualize the process that a user would go through in the future app, I created two user journeys for each persona.
Fleshing out my ideas in sketches helped me to visualize the app's elements and features and choose the most appropriate version for creating lo-fi wireframes.
Two User Flows showcase how each persona would use the app to achieve different goals. User 1 is Helen, who is a consumer. User 2 is Anne, who is a business owner that provides services for other users on the app.
Balancing the simplicity and functionality of the VenDec's IA and utilizing the research findings, I created the following sections of the app.
Equipped with the information gained from research, analysis, and sketching, I created mid-fidelity prototypes.
To communicate a visual style, I created the style tile. The goal was to achieve a minimal, classy yet functional look and feel.
VenDec makes the process of finding a venue and/or decorations and communicating with the host or vendor simple. Users can choose from a variety of options and save time on looking for solutions in other places. Vendors, on the other hand, get their foothold in the marketplace, which might be a good incentive for their business growth.
Integrates venues and decorations into one platform making the search for the party essentials faster and easier
Serves as the marketplace and communication hub for users and business owners
Provides a source of reputable reviews from trusted friends and influencers
A usability test was conducted with 8 participants to check how users perceive the app and detect what improvements could be made to make the user experience smoother.
100% of participants stated that the app is easy to use
80% of participants liked the minimal and clean design
80% of participants highlighted that the most useful info about the spaces was on one page, which is useful
Usability Testing with 8 users demonstrated a high success rate: 100% of participants completed all missions and stated that they could find all the necessary information. Testers highlighted: minimal design, easiness to use, and the possibility to simplify the process of organizing parties.
No pain points have been detected during the process. As a result, no iterations are necessary at this stage.
The biggest challenge of this project was the time constraints. I learned how to better prioritize and focus on the most important areas. Building the whole app from the scratch, including coming up with the idea, was an exciting and inspiring project to undertake. Being a solo designer has its pros and cons. On one hand, I was the only one accountable for all the steps and final solutions, which provided the freedom to explore various directions. On the other hand, I could also benefit from a collaborative experience, which might bring even more ideas and opinions.
If I look back and think about what I would do differently, I would name a few things. First, I would try to find more participants for the interview to uncover more insights. Especially, the business owners that could provide valuable information on how they prefer doing business and how the app might make it easier for them. I would also explore more options design-wise, including the dark mode of the app.
