This was a great accidental project. The business owner is actually a friend of mine - our kids are the same age and they play together quite often. One day, over a cup of coffee, she mentioned to me that she would love to take her small photography side business to the professional level and make some significant revenue for her. I inquired further - what did she have in mind? That's where I realized this would be the perfect project for me to undertake!
The Problem
My friend Sandra wanted to take her part-time side business and make it professional. She is a photographer and wanted to grow her business but she didn't quite know how to do it. She had many different social media outlets for her business, but she didn't update it consistently, plus she would like just one central place to steer people to when they wanted a professional photographer. She also had many different colors fonts and logos in many different places, such as on social media and various business cards - nothing was consistent.
My Role
I was the lead designer - brand designer, web designer, graphic designer, even a social media marketer. I presented the idea of having one central website, one central logo, one set of colors and fonts, and then the off-shoots of different social media platforms would unilaterally be updated and connected from there and vice-versa.
Design Process
I used a 5-stage process for design. What I like best about this is that it is not a linear process and always leaves room for adjustments and improvements. I always like to have the option to go back and make things even better!
This gave me a much better understanding of what she wanted to get out of this project and helped me make a list of items to accomplish.
User Persona Profiles
To empathize with the user, I had to consider what they wanted from the website. After asking Sandra and a few of her past clients, I found that it should be user-friendly and easy to schedule a photoshoot. Another point is to make it secure to pay online, not just in person. After a little bit of research, I found that Square can handle both - paying online securely AND scheduling a photoshoot with Sandra!
I made a few user persona profiles to better understand what I was working to accomplish in the design.
Information Architecture
I also had a series of questions to get a better understanding of the content she wanted on her website.
• Home page (Landing page)
• About Me page
• Contact page
• Gallery - show examples of photography skills
• Different sessions with descriptions and price
• Page to schedule and/or pay for their session
I made a visual structure to show the website's arrangement and what it could look like.
Wireframes
I started with gray-scale wireframes to get an idea of how it should be laid out. I made a desktop and mobile version with arrows pointing to where each nav and button was supposed to lead. As requested, I used as many of her photos as I could! I also made sure to show her step-by-step exactly how this website should flow. She was very impressed!
Mood Board
I asked my client what feeling she wanted to give to the client - from her photography and her website. After a bit of deliberation, clarification, and giving a few examples, this is what she and I came up with:
- Light, Airy
- Fun, Cute
- Lavish
- Memorable
Accessibility and Inclusion
I checked all the colors I was using with a WCAG Color Contrast Checker by GitHub. It's a great resource that gives excellent color combinations that will be great for accessibility and better usability. The more people who can successfully navigate the website, the better!
Before designing the website itself, I wanted to check everything with the owner of the company. I got a brand board together to share my vision of it all - the logo, colors, typography, etc.
Figma Website Design
I started designing the website on Figma so I could consistently share it with the client. I started with the desktop version to show her the potential it could have. We communicated consistently and, through some trial and error, I came up with the final product. She loved the use of all the photos and the organization of it!
The main reason I love using Figma is making interactive prototypes. This brings the product to life before the final launch!
When it came to finally getting this online and showing it to the world, we hit a roadblock - the original hosting platform to upload her website was no longer available. I suggested, at least for right now, for me to use Wix. I could build it very quickly, it would be responsive to both desktop and mobile versions, and it can be hosted for free. Plus, when she could afford to host it with her original business name (www.sandrajoannephotography.com), it would be an easy switch. And I made sure to keep an eye on emails from Wix about a half off hosting sale they frequently have - anything to save some money!
Social Media Marketing
Now that we had everything in one central website, I then updated the three main social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I used the same logo and tagline on each as well as the central website.
I've let the client know that she should update her social media once a week advertising specials and monthly mini-sessions, and that I can help her with a series of ads.
The next level is opening up another social media: TikTok. We're currently working together and planning out videos that show a more in-depth behind-the-scenes of her studio and her photography methods, what she plans to do for monthly mini-sessions, etc.
I've advised her about going to expos to advertise her business, such as the Baby and Beyond Expo in Detroit, and I would help create a series of ads to put in local magazines like the Metro Parent.
Business Card
Normally, I design business cards shortly after I design the logo, but I ended up doing this one last for this project! I realized that this would be the perfect thing to have on-hand at baby expos, and it made the perfect opportunity to advertise her social media platforms as well as the website.
The Results
Combined with her professional logo, business cards, website, and social media outlets, the waves of new business really came in! In the first 3 months, her clients have increased 60% due to weekly advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Instagram. Due to the new organization from clients signing up on Square, she was scheduled perfectly for photo shoots back to back, tripling her revenue. I am so glad I was able to do this for her!