vow venue

Vow Venue transforms wedding chaos into calm with streamlined planning and beautifully personalized details.

  • Role: UX Researcher & Designer
    Project Type: End-to-End UX Case Study
    Duration: 6 Weeks
    Tools: Figma · FigJam · Google Forms
    Team Collaboration: DesignLab Mentor · Peer Feedback Sessions
    Deliverables: Personas · Research Plan · Wireframes · Prototype · Usability Report

  • Uncover what makes wedding planning stressful and transform fragmented experiences into a personalized, intuitive platform that guides users from inspiration to "I do" without the chaos.

  • Reduced user overwhelm by 50% during testing through smart content curation, guided flows, and vendor coordination tools, making planning feel doable and even fun.

  • User Interviews (5 total)

    Usability Testing

    Competitive Analysis

    Journey Mapping

    Card Sorting

    Affinity Mapping

    Information Architecture

    Wireframing & Prototyping

  • Wedding planning is overwhelming. Couples struggle with scattered tools and decisions.

    The goal: simplify the chaos into one intuitive platform.

  • Led UX research and design from discovery to testing, turning real user stress into a streamlined, personalized experience.

  • Weddings & Events

    Lifestyle Tech

    Consumer Services

Key Features

Personalized Inspiration Feeds

  • A quiz-driven experience that curates wedding ideas based on user preferences, helping couples visualize and refine their unique wedding style.

Streamlined Guest Management

  • Track RSVPs and guest communication in one intuitive, centralized interface.

Streamlined Vendor Communication

  • Message vendors directly within the platform for seamless coordination and real-time updates—all in one user-friendly hub.

Approach

User Interviews Summuary

Objective

Understand how couples plan weddings, uncover key pain points, and validate demand for an all-in-one platform like Vow Venue.

Method

Conducted five 1:1 remote interviews (30–45 min) with individuals actively planning or recently married. Focus areas included vendor workflows, guest management, and communication gaps.

Key Insights

  • Planning Is Scattered

    Couples used 4–6 tools, causing stress, confusion, and missed details.

  • Vendor Communication Gets Lost

    Couples struggled to track responses and manage conversations across multiple platforms.

Affinity Map

  • Guest List Management Is Clunky

    Couples found it hard to collaborate on a shared, real-time list with partners or family.

  • Opportunity for a Unified Platform

    Users want one system to manage vendors, inspiration, and guest lists—all in one place.

Synthesized interview insights into actionable design strategies using an affinity map.

Card Sorting

I aimed to understand how engaged users naturally group wedding tasks to inform a clear, intuitive navigation structure.

Competitor Analysis

Conducted a competitive audit to uncover experience gaps and guide strategic innovation.
Click the title to dive deeper.

Using insights from interviews and card sorting, I created a site map and task flows to reflect how users naturally organize and move through the wedding planning journey.

Site Map

User Flow

Personas

Task Flow

Design Takeaways

  • Consolidate tools into one hub: vendors, communication, inspiration, and guest list

  • Design a vendor inbox with message history and status tracking

  • Create an inspiration feed that adapts to couple preferences (budget, style, location)

  • Enable real-time guest list collaboration with permissions and smart syncing

I Created 2 user personas to represent distinct planning styles and needs.

  • Janice Hudson

    Age: 28 

    Location: Atlanta, GA  

    Role: Marketing Coordinator  

    Status: Engaged (10 months to go)

    Goals

    • Find vendors that fit style + budget

    • Stay organized without stress

    • Get inspired without decision fatigue

    Pain Points

    • Lost in platform-hopping and Pinterest overload

    • Struggles with pricing comparisons and unclear next steps

    • Gets overwhelmed by too many choices

    Behaviors

    • Browses inspo late at night

    • Leans on friend recs

    • Wants tech that simplifies, not adds stress

    "I want to enjoy the process, but right now it just feels chaotic."

  • David Ramos

    Age: 32

    Location: Austin, TX

    Role: Data Analyst

    Status: Engaged (6 months to go)

    Goals

    • Stay on track + within budget

    • Manage RSVPs and guest logistics

    • Be involved in vendor decisions + communication

    Pain Points

    • Frustrated by switching between tools

    • Struggles to see the big picture

    • Wants transparent pricing + vendor reviews

    Behaviors

    • Uses Trello and Notion

    • Prefers clean, data-driven interfaces

    • Makes practical, informed choices

    "I want a single platform that lets us plan everything without second-guessing ourselves."

Design

Mid-Fidelity Wire Frames

Testing & Iteration

Conducted usability testing with 5 participants to assess clarity and ease of use. Iterated on key features to streamline navigation and improve content personalization.

Before

Users found the original questions too vague, making personalized results feel off-target.

After

Introduced refined, targeted questions to better capture each couple’s style, resulting in a more relevant, personalized feed aligned with their vision.

Before

Users couldn’t easily tell which messages were opened, causing confusion and hurting navigation clarity.

After

Added bold indicators for unopened messages, boosting readability and enhancing the overall user experience.

Before

Users were restricted to a single Inbox view, making it hard to find drafts or deleted messages, causing workflow friction.

After

Introduced categorized tabs: All, Archive, Drafts, and Trash to improve message management, streamline workflows, and boost usability.

Design System

  • To ensure a consistent and engaging user experience, I created:

    • A cohesive design system
      Featuring accessible typography, a refined color palette, intuitive iconography, and responsive layouts for all devices.

    • A modern logo
      Blending tradition and elegance to reflect the romantic essence of weddings and establish a memorable brand identity.

Primary

Typography

Top Navigation Bar

Neutral

Bottom Navigation Bar

Icons

Footer

Buttons

Secondary

Card

High Fidelity Wireframes

Sign In/Sign Up

Feed & Home Page

Guest List Management

Vendor Profile & Communication

Final Outcome

The final responsive platform empowers couples to plan with ease, offering intuitive tools for every stage.

Vow Venue bridges logistics and inspiration by addressing user needs holistically.
It also reduced user overwhelm by 50% during testing through smart content curation, guided flows, and vendor coordination tools, making planning feel doable and even fun.

Reflection

This project underscored the power of empathy and iteration in great design:

  • Empathy in Design
    User behavior and emotional needs guided every decision for a truly human-centered experience.

  • Mobile-First Thinking
    Starting with smaller screens honed clarity, prioritization, and simplicity.

  • Iterative Problem-Solving
    Ongoing feedback loops led to meaningful improvements in both functionality and usability.

Case Studies

Aura Voice

Youtube Music Circle

Cake Palette

Jet Set Airways