kanmani ocassions
kanmani occasions
BACKGROUND
Kanmani Occasions emerged from a vision to streamline the booking process for Bharatanatyam dance event services, including makeup, hair, and costume arrangements. Recognizing the challenges within the Bharatanatyam community, especially the complexities surrounding the organization of Arangetrams—a significant debut solo performance marking a dancer’s proficiency—we sought to transition from the traditional, fragmented word-of-mouth and WhatsApp communications to a cohesive online platform. This initiative aimed to offer a professional and user-friendly experience for clients seeking to arrange musicians, venues, and beauty services for their grand events.
Empathize
I crafted a set of interview questions to deeply understand the experiences of individuals involved in the Arangetram process. Despite my personal journey through the trials and tribulations of preparing for an Arangetram, I recognized the value of gaining perspectives from a broader and older demographic. This approach not only enriched my understanding but also highlighted how the community’s needs and challenges have evolved since my active participation. From these insights, I developed a persona that encapsulated the user I was designing for, ensuring that the solutions would resonate with and effectively serve the current and future needs of the Bharatanatyam community.
DEFINE
I honed in on the specific needs and pain points of our persona, Darshini the Dance Mom, through a detailed user journey map. Her experiences and challenges shed light on crucial design considerations for Kanmani Occasions. Darshini’s journey underscored the importance of a platform that not only facilitates easy booking but also fosters community interaction and referrals, essential elements in the Bharatanatyam circle. Consequently, I envisioned a design that leverages social media dynamics, enabling users to effortlessly share, communicate, and endorse our services. The idea to utilize Instagram comments for feedback emerged as a strategic choice, offering a straightforward avenue for clients to leave and read reviews. Given the visual-centric nature of our business, from makeup to costumes, this approach would allow Darshini and others to visually explore and assess the quality and style of our offerings, aligning perfectly with their expectations and needs.
IDEATE
I embarked on sketching out the layout of our social media presence, meticulously planning the placement and content of each post. These sketches served as blueprints for how we would showcase our services, from detailed information about our offerings to vivid examples of makeup, hair, and costumes. I also envisioned posts that would highlight performances, capturing the transformative impact of our work on dancers’ presentations. This careful planning was aimed at creating a rich, engaging online portfolio that not only informs but also inspires our audience, offering them a comprehensive glimpse into the breadth and quality of Kanmani Occasions’ services.
Prototype
For the Prototype phase, we crafted a cohesive brand identity for Kanmani Occasions, blending modern aesthetics with traditional elements to resonate with our diverse user base. Our Instagram feed was carefully curated to serve as a digital prototype, featuring informational posts that articulate the nuances of our services, alongside a rich array of visual content showcasing previous clients. Each post was meticulously categorized—makeup, hair, costumes—to facilitate easy navigation and exploration by potential customers. To streamline the booking process and provide transparent pricing, we included a link in our Instagram bio that directs users to a detailed breakdown of our packages, ensuring this vital information was readily accessible with just a few clicks. This strategic approach aimed to blend visual storytelling with practical information, offering a comprehensive and engaging online experience reflective of Kanmani Occasions’ ethos and services.
FEEDBACK & TAKEAWAYS
After two years of active engagement, our Instagram page for Kanmani Occasions has significantly boosted client engagement and visibility. The familiar interface of Instagram has leveraged users’ “recall” ability, making navigation intuitive and enhancing the overall user experience. This ease of access has not only simplified communication but has also been mutually beneficial for both our clients and our business, streamlining interactions and service delivery.
However, feedback revealed a gap in reaching some segments of our audience, particularly older customers who may not be active on Instagram. Responding to this insight, we expanded our digital presence by linking our Instagram content to a Facebook page. This strategic move has successfully broadened our reach, making our services more accessible to the older demographic, thereby inclusively addressing the needs of our diverse client base and reinforcing the effectiveness of our user experience design.
Through this iterative process, I learned the importance of flexibility and responsiveness in UX design, especially when catering to a diverse audience. The integration of user feedback into our digital strategy underscored the value of continuous improvement and adaptation. Additionally, the experience highlighted the significance of understanding and leveraging the strengths of different social media platforms to maximize reach and engagement. This journey has not only refined my approach to UX design but also deepened my appreciation for the nuanced needs of our users, driving home the critical role of empathy in creating truly user-centered solutions.