Farmhouse inn
2022 WEB DESIGN
As the lead art director, I was tasked with the web design for Farmhouse Inn, a boutique hotel nestled in the scenic hills of Sonoma County in California. I workshopped with the creative director to establish general visuals before solidifying a more comprehensive visual system to be deployed across the entire site. I started the process with site mapping, content mapping, user flows, wire-framing, prototyping, and finally designing. Other tasks included UI/UX analysis and research methods: card sorting, usability testing, and A/B testing.
Site Map & Content Map
Based on the insights gained from the initial content audit, competitor analyzes and card sorts, I created a sitemap for Deepwaterwind in order to visualize the connections between pages and content.
Content Map & User flows
Based on the insights gained from stakeholder workshops and working collaboratively with the strategist, I created a content map with content themes. I created user flows to explore pathways users would take on the website. The user flow lays out the user's movement through the product, mapping out each and every step the user takes—from entry point right through to the final interaction, so it was important solidify this for the UX process.
Visual Designs
In a workshop with the CD, we created a strategic mood board to set Farmhouse Inn apart from its competitors while leaning into its brand truth; focusing on the owner’s 100-year roots in the Sonoma County community. We created a visual tone that is elegant, warm, and whimsical conveyed through the use of warm earth tones and premium photography. A comprehensice style guide was created ready for developer hand-off.
Design Decisions
I developed their visual tone as warm, whimsical, and elegant.
I applied warm colors to reflect the colors of Sonoma County’s scenic areas.
Custom vintage animal and nature illustrations were created for the website. Other graphics like maps and diagrams were also custom created to be unique to the Farmhouse Brand.
I used typographic hierarchy and variation to lead the user’s eyes through content while creating visual interest.
Conclusion
Content auditing and site mapping played a key role in restructuring the Farmhouse Inn website. In doing so, pages were consolidated and content was arranged for efficiency. Insights from user interviews also led to design solutions addressing user needs. However, it may have been possible to arrive at the same conclusion more efficiently by developing more thorough interview questions. Through this experience, I’ve gained insights into how I might conduct more effective interviews in the future.