Stone House Vineyard

This project has been a crucial step in my growth as a UX designer, particularly in solidifying my understanding of iterative design and the importance of user feedback. It was a hands-on lesson in moving from abstract concepts and lo-fidelity prototypes to a concrete, data-driven plan for a final product.

The most satisfying part was translating the brand's elegant, rustic, "Tuscany in Texas" feel into a functional digital experience. The key problem was bridging the gap between this premium brand and a functional, user-friendly digital experience that supported key conversions like reservations and wine club sign-ups.

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My main insights during my research phase were that users expect immediate interactivity and pricing transparency is crucial for conversion-focused pages. The most surprising finding was the strong reaction to the inactive navigation; I had anticipated prominent CTAs would guide them, but the frustration with the non-functional navigation showed a clear user expectation for a fully-featured, active site.

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My process was guided by the principle of validating assumptions early. I began by creating a lo-fidelity prototype to get straight to the core of user flows and information architecture. A key challenge I faced was deciding what to test—I questioned whether to test a broad range of tasks or to focus on a few key user goals. Ultimately, I decided to focus on the main user goals to gather deep, actionable insights rather than a shallow overview of many features.

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I ensured design solutions aligned with user needs by making the usability test the cornerstone of the project, with every finding translating directly into a design revision. My main focus was the lo-fidelity prototyping and usability testing stage to fix the "bones" of the site first. The main trade-off was prioritizing the resolution of foundational usability issues (like navigation and pricing) over adding visual polish, ensuring the site was functional before it was beautiful.