Style Connect

Overview

Style Connect is a mobile first application geared toward finding a service provider that fits your needs and conversely, sourcing clientele for service providers in the area. Through user profiles and the opportunity to see the service providers work before you book, Style Connect provides the environment that consumers need to be able to make an educated and swift decision when booking a service experience.

The problem

Many independent hair and beauty service providers struggle to find a strong scheduling application. Users in this industry, such as: barbers, colorists, and stylists are in need of an efficient application in which they are able to view their appointments and block time off. Conversely, users looking to book appointments have limited access to their service provider including a limited messaging structure, minimal ability to customize their experience, and little to no communication outside of email.

Methodology

I conducted a Contextual Inquiry to find out more about the habits of the consumers, along with the service providers. Additionally, I conducted a Competitive Audit to see what is already working in this industry, along with identifying the key areas of opportunity.

Research findings

Through my initial research, I found that 10 out of the 15 people that I surveyed go to an independent contractor to get their haircut, among other services. Users also indicated that their service providers didn’t have an effective way to book appointments. Finally, over half of the people I interviewed stated that they book their services via text or social media messaging.

User Personas

Through my research I was able to create a persona for both a client and a service provider. These personas represent real users in this problem space. Blake, the barber, is a young professional looking to grow his business and gain clientele in the Minneapolis area. He has struggled to source new clients for his business and his mentor introduced him to Style Connect as a way to grow his business! Julian, the client, is new to the Minneapolis area and has had trouble in the past finding a service provider that fits his specific needs. He heard about Style Connect through a friend and decided to give it a try.

Implementation

After researching and low-fidelity prototyping I took the opportunity to learn a new design tool and use Adobe XD to create my high fidelity wireframes. Using a new tool presented a lot of challenges initially, however, I found Adobe XD to be very intuitive. Additionally, I used the interactive prototyping capability of Adobe XD to create a walkthrough of the application’s main user flow to be found below.