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Pristine Marine Aquariums

Project brief

Pristine Marine Aquariums (PMA) is a luxury aquarium business based out of New York. The client requested a desktop and mobile-friendly website that would allow customers to view galleries and contact the business for more information. The client also requested an official company brand/logo that would be used to start social media accounts.

Problem

What started as a sole proprietor business has grown into a successful local company, but its missing a website and branding presence. More customers could be reached if the company established an online platform to showcase their products and services. 

Solution

Establish an official company brand by creating a logo and website that is desktop/mobile-responsive and is cohesive with social media accounts. 

Tools

  • FigJam

  • Figma

  • Notion

  • Jira

  • Confluence

My role

  • Research

  • User interviews

  • UX design

  • Web design

Team

  • 1 UX designer

  • 1 SME (the CEO)

Deliverables

  • Branding

  • Wireframes and mockups

  • Website

  • Presentation to the client​

Timeline

  • Overall 1 month

  • Discovery & research: 1 week

  • Design phase I: 1 week

  • Review with client: 2 days

  • Design phase II: 1 week

  • Finalize with client: 3 days

Research

I began the discovery phase by brainstorming and prioritizing research goals:

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  • How are other luxury aquarium businesses presenting their brand to customers?

  • How do current customers interact with the business?

  • What are the current customer pain points?

  • What makes a positive online shopping experience in this industry?

User interviews

Since this company was a one-man operation, the SME/CEO had easy access to their customers. I was able to interview 5 individuals to learn more about why they loved PMA's products. This helped informed the design and overall the structure of how the product would be built.

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Key insights include:

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  • Customization is key: quantity and frequency of orders vary greatly

  • Do not overwhelm: ease of use and clear information ranked as top requests

  • Leverage testimonials: lack of previous customers' feedback can deter potential customers

  • Include lots of media: customers rely on visual (photos and videos) examples of products and services when it comes to placing an order

  • Easy to contact: customers want/need to directly contact the owner for custom quotes

Design phase I

After discussing my research findings with the client, I began drafting wireframes (via Figma) for the different web flows and features. The information architecture was synthesized and grouped together to provide an intuitive navigation for users:​

  • Home: An introduction of the company which leverages their impressive galleries and provides direct access to the Shop.

  • Shop: Divided into their main selling points: Aquarium Setups and Australian Live Rock. Provides a deeper dive into the services and live stock available for purchase .

  • About: Tells a story about how the organize began and has grown over the years, with a focus on customer service. Highlights customer reviews.

  • ​Contact: Encourages interested users to submit a custom request and promotes social media accounts.

Wireframe

PMA wireframe.png
PMA mobile wireframe.png

Mockup

PMA Final.png

Design phase II

​Once I received approval on the design, I translated the wireframe into a mockup and re-presented the product to the client. Along the way, I updated the client by providing multiple layouts and observing their reactions to the options presented. I was also able to send screenshots to the customers that were previously interviewed had them vote on their preferences. The final product was then developed via Wix HTML site builder.

Results

Pristine Marine Aquariums

It was a great experience leading a project where I had the ability to influence a product's design from end-to-end. Working directly with the business owner helped me to understand the focus points and gain valuable consulting skills.

Gathering real feedback from customers was a rewarding experience as they expressed gratitude that their feedback would be taken into consideration to build something official.

This project helped me become a better communicator, making sure my design aligned with the user's needs and the stakeholder's constraints. Throughout the project I strengthened my wireframing and prototyping technical skills. Moving forward, I'm excited to continue leading product design initiatives where I can influence others and highlight the impact of UX. 

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