Overview
BachPlace is a new startup that was created to take the stress and chaos out of planning bachelorette parties. It was formerly called Effie when I was working on the initial designs.
My Role
I was the first User Experience Designer and Researcher to work on this new startup.
Problem Statement
Users looking to plan bachelorette parties need a way to easily connect with other guests and book accommodations, activities, etc. that are required for an unforgettable experience.
We will know this to be true when users book and purchase items through our platform.
The Solution
We will design a web-based application that will help users to start a party, invite & manage guests, browse & book all aspects of a trip, and maintain a budget. BachPlace will create To-Do lists tailored to the party and will provide suggestions of activities, accommodations, etc. based on the bride's interests.
User Flows
Before I began designing, I worked with stakeholders and existing user research to map out user flows for both the primary party planners as well as party guests.
Party Planner
Party Guests
Wireframes
Once we established user flows, I began designing wireframes, focusing first on the Planner's platform.
Usability Testing
After creating basic wireframes for the planner side, I made the prototype clickable in Figma and began the process of conducting usability tests. I started with a couple of moderated, remote tests to work out any major issues and then pushed out an unmoderated remote test to a wider audience. I chose to use Maze, so that I could record user's screens, facial expressions, and voices while they navigated through the prototype. This platform also allowed for some open written questions between tasks.
Design Iterations
Based on feedback from the usability tests, I made some changes to the prototype to make it as user friendly as possible. Below are some examples of changes that I made.
Homepage
Issue:
Some users had a hard time figuring out where to navigate to book things for their trip and took various paths to find what they were looking for.
Solution:
I added buttons to book accommodations, dining, activities, and swag directly at the top of the homepage, so that users do not need to search for these fields. I also moved the To-Do list and Updates to a column in the right to accommodate for the new Book section on the homepage.
Interim Homepage
Issue:
In the initial prototype, users were taken directly to the homepage above after completing the sign up process, however, this was confusing since a date, location, and total number of attendees may not yet be available yet while waiting for responses from the invited guests.
Solution:
I created this interim homepage that would show the current status of RSVPs, poll insights, and suggested dates in the meantime, along with the Updates and To-Do List that will remain on the final homepage.
Conclusion
I am no longer working with BachPlace, but their current website that was based off of my initial wireframes can be seen here.
