NAKOMA WELLNESS
Nakoma Wellness is a holistic lifestyle coaching service led by two women who offer a personalized one-on-one support to their female clients.
Project Introduction
Project Introduction
Our team consisting of 3 UX and UI interns were hired by Sofvie Inc, a tech company to assist them in designing a website for their client, Nakoma Wellness. The goals of Nakoma over the 4 week period was to have a foundation for their branding and a website homepage. We worked to align our design process with UX principles despite the initial emphasis on visual branding from our project facilitator. Our team also took extra initiatives to conduct user interviews and secondary research to ensure their website had a foundation based in user-first design.
Our team consisting of 3 UX and UI interns were hired by Sofvie Inc, a tech company to assist them in designing a website for their client, Nakoma Wellness. The goals of Nakoma over the 4 week period was to have a foundation for their branding and a website homepage. We worked to align our design process with UX principles despite the initial emphasis on visual branding from our project facilitator. Our team also took extra initiatives to conduct user interviews and secondary research to ensure their website had a foundation based in user-first design.
Timeline:
4 Weeks | 10 hours per week
4 Weeks | 10 hours per week
Roles:
UX & UI Designer, Graphic Design
UX & UI Designer, Graphic Design
WEEK 1: Research & Ideation
WEEK 1: Research & Ideation
Our first week was dedicated to meeting with the owners of Nakoma and understanding their business. They aimed to establish their online identity and carryover their female gym clients to their more private, personalized practice.
We conducted competitive & secondary research to gain a better understanding of what would be needed to have a successful home & identity page. Our team was also introduced to their branding needs and began ideating.
Our first week was dedicated to meeting with the owners of Nakoma and understanding their business. They aimed to establish their online identity and carryover their female gym clients to their more private, personalized practice.
We conducted competitive & secondary research to gain a better understanding of what would be needed to have a successful home & identity page. Our team was also introduced to their branding needs and began ideating.
Secondary Research Summarized:
Secondary Research Summarized:
Evaluation from Competitive Research:
Evaluation from Competitive Research:
Ideating for the week
Ideating for the week
WEEK 2: User Interviews & Flows
WEEK 2: User Interviews & Flows
Nakoma Wellness provided two existing clients to interview, and our team was able to recruit three additional women based on their client demographic. We then translated what we learned from interviews to start drafting user flows.
Nakoma Wellness provided two existing clients to interview, and our team was able to recruit three additional women based on their client demographic. We then translated what we learned from interviews to start drafting user flows.
What We Learned from Interviews
What We Learned from Interviews
Working women with families are faced with time constraints that make finding time to go to the gym challenging. Many women are unsure where to start in terms of nutrition & resources, the amount of information online can feel daunting. Flexible coaching options tailored to personal goals and schedule are seen as very valuable. One-on-one time with coaches not only fosters a sense of community but helps provide the guidance and accountability needed to stay consistent- something anybody with a busy schedule struggles with.
Working women with families are faced with time constraints that make finding time to go to the gym challenging. Many women are unsure where to start in terms of nutrition & resources, the amount of information online can feel daunting. Flexible coaching options tailored to personal goals and schedule are seen as very valuable. One-on-one time with coaches not only fosters a sense of community but helps provide the guidance and accountability needed to stay consistent- something anybody with a busy schedule struggles with.
Persona
Persona
User Flows
User Flows
Despite our team's initial push to create something mobile friendly based on interviews and research, the client requested only a desktop website. We got to work on creating a simple user flow that would introduce clients to the program and coaches.
Despite our team's initial push to create something mobile friendly based on interviews and research, the client requested only a desktop website. We got to work on creating a simple user flow that would introduce clients to the program and coaches.
WEEK 3: Identity
WEEK 3: Identity
While our team was initially hired to focus on UX design, the project evolved by the client's request to prioritize visual branding. Our project facilitator shifted our focus to brand identity for our 3rd week before creating web designs. Our two previous weeks were also dedicated to discussing ideas and sending sketches and concepts to our client. After the two owners of Nakoma were able to align their visions of identity together and convey them to our team, we were able to start finalizing their ideas.
While our team was initially hired to focus on UX design, the project evolved by the client's request to prioritize visual branding. Our project facilitator shifted our focus to brand identity for our 3rd week before creating web designs. Our two previous weeks were also dedicated to discussing ideas and sending sketches and concepts to our client. After the two owners of Nakoma were able to align their visions of identity together and convey them to our team, we were able to start finalizing their ideas.
Type & Color Palette
Type & Color Palette
Logo
Logo
Our final product after multiple revisions. Utilizing their ultra-thin company symbol alongside a font that was still readable was one of our biggest challenges. Another challenge we faced was incorporating their desired script font without it feeling too crowded.
Our final product after multiple revisions. Utilizing their ultra-thin company symbol alongside a font that was still readable was one of our biggest challenges. Another challenge we faced was incorporating their desired script font without it feeling too crowded.
WEEK 4: Key Pages
WEEK 4: Key Pages
During our third week we were able to send low-fidelity mockups to the client for their key pages. For our final week we revised the pages multiple times until we landed on our final high-fidelity pages.
During our third week we were able to send low-fidelity mockups to the client for their key pages. For our final week we revised the pages multiple times until we landed on our final high-fidelity pages.
Some Iterations of Low-Fidelity & Mockups
Some Iterations of Low-Fidelity & Mockups
Final Products
Final Products
Key Pages requested were a Home page and an Identity page to help draw clients in to their business. These pages were intended to serve as a foundation for future page developments, and no additional pages were requested at the time.
Key Pages requested were a Home page and an Identity page to help draw clients in to their business. These pages were intended to serve as a foundation for future page developments, and no additional pages were requested at the time.
CHALLENGES & REFLECTIONS
CHALLENGES & REFLECTIONS
Lack of Usability Testing & User-Centered Design
Lack of Usability Testing & User-Centered Design
Due to our project focus shifting to visual identity halfway through, we were not able to conduct any usability testing and instead focused on prioritizing specific requests from the client. We were left unsure if our designs would reach users in the ways the clients hoped. Any form of usability testing would have helped validate design decisions to ensure it aligned with user needs.
Changing priorities and uncertainties surrounding goals from the project facilitator posed as a challenge early on. However, our team adapted by maintaining open communication, focusing on the client’s evolving needs, and integrating user-centered principles wherever possible. Pushing for user-interviews during our first week and getting them done during our second helped ground our designs in real user insights.
Due to our project focus shifting to visual identity halfway through, we were not able to conduct any usability testing and instead focused on prioritizing specific requests from the client. We were left unsure if our designs would reach users in the ways the clients hoped. Any form of usability testing would have helped validate design decisions to ensure it aligned with user needs.
Changing priorities and uncertainties surrounding goals from the project facilitator posed as a challenge early on. However, our team adapted by maintaining open communication, focusing on the client’s evolving needs, and integrating user-centered principles wherever possible. Pushing for user-interviews during our first week and getting them done during our second helped ground our designs in real user insights.
Conflicting Opinions from Stakeholders
Conflicting Opinions from Stakeholders
Despite our team's best efforts to meet deadlines and complete tasks on schedule, we encountered several rounds of revisions with differing opinions, which extended the process. Our team luckily was able to meet the needs of each client by the end of the project but we were overall left with less time to focus on other initial goals.
Despite our team's best efforts to meet deadlines and complete tasks on schedule, we encountered several rounds of revisions with differing opinions, which extended the process. Our team luckily was able to meet the needs of each client by the end of the project but we were overall left with less time to focus on other initial goals.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
This project was a valuable learning experience that helped me grow my skills in collaboration and flexibility. It helped remind me of the importance of communication between a good team. Despite facing multiple challenges, I was able to adapt and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with talented individuals who helped solve problems and create solutions with me.
This project was a valuable learning experience that helped me grow my skills in collaboration and flexibility. It helped remind me of the importance of communication between a good team. Despite facing multiple challenges, I was able to adapt and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with talented individuals who helped solve problems and create solutions with me.