Competitor Research And Interesting Features
One feature I noticed that was common on most Bonsai and Bonsai Festival Websites is that there was a list of market sellers that will be at the event. There is evidence to suggest that a lot of Users will be going to the Festival just for the Bonsai market, and so the user’s would like to see which vendors are going to be present.
In addition to this, it can also be noted that these websites had a section at the bottom of the home page showing their stakeholder logos, and so I had to consider this idea as it was very common, and an easy way for users to see which organisations are behind the event.
Menu and Count down bar Feature Consideration
Another feature from these similar websites included having a creative UI/Menu, and a countdown bar to the next festival, which could make customer’s feel excited and more likely to buy tickets.
Register a tree form composition/UX
This is a register a tree form for a Bonsai website; something like this would be a very familiar layout/context for users and therefore will be easy to understand and fill out.
Here I was looking at UI design, and banner design, seeing what works and what doesn’t, and which ideas would make my website easy to use, without causing any stress of overwhelming Users.
I found this photo inside a banner to be a really clean design which I felt was simple and not distracting from the content via constant moving banners etc. Due to this, it can be seen that this style looks nice, while providing some context for users, and meeting accessibility needs for those who are neurodivergent due to it being static and minimalist. According to the UX Design Institute:
“Accessibility is about ensuring your product or service is accessible to and usable for as many people as possible. It includes catering to the needs of people with disabilities, as well as understanding how different environments or situational factors might impact the user experience.”
Trader’s Floorplan/Maps for Users
User Research
Users thought that the colours already present in the low fidelity wireframes were satisfactory and work well together, and so these colours will be continuing into the mid-fidelity prototypes, with the exception of changing the white background to a very light green, as suggested by a peer.
Some users felt that the tabs were appropriately ordered, but others felt that they weren’t and could be ordered better, suggesting that
“Maybe if the festival is the main part it could be the first tab, and you could put a very slightly green colour for background too instead of the white just to give it a bit more colour”
Due to this, the festival tab will be more prominent as the first tab, for IA, and hierarchy, and so that users can find the main event page the fastest, as that’s the aim of the website, to encourage interest and sales.
Accessibility Re-considered
Above are some accessibility concerns I came across whilst doing competitor research, and wanted to add them to the mood board so as to show which UX/UI I am avoiding for my demographic.
- By Removing multiple drop downs for every menu item, it makes the website more simple
- Constant moving banners are overwhelming to users and a deterrent
- Too much small text on the home page is also a deterrent
- Headings that use light colours are hard to read for those with sight issues
Have Users Needs Been Met?
Upon re-considering user needs, it can be seen that a “market sellers” information section (on any page), is something users want to see, and I will incorporate it into my prototype.
Harvard References
| Expo Bonsai UK (N.D.) ExpoBonsai UK- Home. Available Online: https://expobonsaiuk.weebly.com/[Accessed: 25/03/2024] |
| E.Stevens (2022) 7 Fundamental UX Design Principles All Designers Should Know. Available Online: https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/blog/ux-design-principles/ [Accessed 04/04/2023] |
| Federation of British Bonsai (N.D.) Federation of British Bonsai. Available Online: http://www.fobbsbonsai.co.uk/index.html [Accessed: 24/03/02024] |
| The Bonsai Show Live (N.D.) The Bonsai Show Live-5th-6th. Available Online: https://www.thebonsaishowlive.co.uk/ [Accessed 24/03/2024] |
| Trophy Bonsaiassociation. (N.D.) Trophy Bonsaiassociation. Available Online:https://bonsaiassociation.be/trophy/ [Accessed: 24/03/2024] |
| Mid Herts Bonsai Club (N.D.) Galleries- Mid Herts Bonsai Club. Available Online:http://www.midhertsbonsaiclub.co.uk/galleries.html [Accessed 25/03/2024] |
| UK Bonsai Association (N.D.) Event Calendar- UK BONSAI EVENTS DIARY. Available online:https://www.ukbonsaiassoc.org/event-calendar.html [Accessed: 24/03/2024] |
| UX Planet. (2019) 98 Questions UX Designers Must Ask. Available Online: https://uxplanet.org/98-questions-ux-designers-must-ask-9b6984c6bd67 [Accessed: 18/032024] |