Transforming an art workshop: from a basic to an ecommerce platform
When we started our ecommerce project, the first challenge was to choose a business that needed to revamp its website or did not yet have a digital presence. After brainstorming, our team came up with several options: an art centre, an online handbag shop, a spy services website and a pottery and painting workshop. In the end, we opted for the latter. The workshop’s website was too basic and we saw a great opportunity to improve it and enhance its reach.
That’s how we contacted Covadonga, the owner of the workshop. She told us that her motivation to create this space was born out of her passion for art and her desire to bring it closer to more people. In May 2024, she turned that dream into reality.
The workshop offers two types of classes:
🔹 Monthly classes: scheduled on weekdays for adults, children and teenagers.
🔹 One-off workshops:designed mainly for adults, they are held on weekends and for special events such as birthdays or company meetings.
The public of the workshop is very diverse, from children who attend as an extracurricular activity to older adults who share their hobby with friends. However, the majority of the students are women between 30 and 60 years old who attend regular classes.
With the growth of the workshop and the high demand, Covadonga saw the need to improve its online presence. Her existing website was a basic template created with the help of an acquaintance, but she felt that it did not reflect the essence of her project.
Her main goal now is to optimise her time, and to achieve this, she is looking to transform her website into an ecommerce platform where customers can book and buy classes directly.
We are ready to help her make this digital transformation a reality!
Competitor analysis: keys to create an effective website
In order to develop an optimised website for the workshop, the first step was to research the competitors. We explored various websites in the sector to analyse their structure, the elements they emphasised and, above all, how they managed the purchase of activities.
Each member of the team selected several reference websites and, together, we evaluated the aspects that seemed most effective. From this information, we conducted a detailed analysis using a traffic light system to prioritize key factors based on the owner’s perceived importance:
🔹 Overall design: the aesthetics and usability of the website.
🔹 Closeness: that it conveys the welcoming spirit of the workshop.
🔹 Presence in social networks: content that reflects its day to day.
🔹 Menu structure: clear navigation.
🔹 Display of products and services: well-organised information.
🔹 Differentiation of services: regular classes vs. weekend workshops.
🔹 Age segmentation: specific offer for different audiences.
🔹 Information architecture: order and ease of finding key data.
🔹 Detail of services: clear and complete explanations.
🔹 Booking and purchasing system: easy to register for activities.
🔹 Interactive calendar: intuitively visible availability.
🔹 Purchase summary: clear confirmation before payment.
🔹 Payment process: simple, fast and secure.
With this analysis, we went into the research phase to design a website that not only met these needs, but also optimised the user experience and facilitated management by Covadonga.
Understanding the audience: customers, non-customers and their needs
In order to design a website that truly met the needs of the users, we focused on getting to know in depth both those who were already attending the workshop and those who were potential clients.
We started by developing an interview script, and in the process we realised that it was not only important to understand the reasons why existing customers were choosing the workshop, but also to identify what barriers were preventing non-clients from taking the plunge.
💡 Key interview questions:
🔹 Customers: What motivated them to choose this workshop, how did they find it (online search, recommendation, proximity, etc.).
🔹 Non-customers: What are the reasons why they have not yet signed up? What would encourage them to do so?
In addition, we wanted to delve deeper into what information they considered essential on a ceramics and painting website. After analysing the competition, we discovered that the Hilario workshop had a simple and intuitive purchasing process, so we decided to test it with users and evaluate its effectiveness.
In the end, we conducted six interviews: four with customers and two with non-customers. The main learnings were consistent across both profiles:
Motivations to attend the workshop:
✔ Artistic expression and creativity: many participants are looking for a space where they can let their imagination run wild and express themselves through art, without restriction or judgement.
I have always felt I had a creative side, but I never knew how to channel it. In the workshop, I can finally express myself without fear of being wrong. It’s my moment of disconnection and creativity.
✔ Relaxing and therapeutic activity: modelling ceramics or painting allows you to disconnect from everyday life and focus on something tangible, which generates a sense of calm and well-being. For many, it is a kind of active meditation.
After a stressful day at work, sticking my hands in the clay and moulding something with my own hands helps me relax like nothing else. It’s my personal therapy.
✔ Learning something new: attending a ceramics workshop is a way of acquiring a new skill, whether out of curiosity or a desire to develop a specific technique.
I love learning new things, and ceramics always caught my attention. Not only do I enjoy the process, but I also leave with something made by me, which gives me great satisfaction.
✔ Disconnect from stress and enjoy the moment: today’s pace of life is frenetic, and finding an activity that allows you to relax and enjoy the moment is key. Many people see pottery as an escape from the stress of work or routine.
Between work and daily routine, I barely have time for myself. These classes are my escape, my space to be present and enjoy myself without worrying about anything else.
Essential content on the website:
Information about classes and workshops: detailed explanation of the options available, differentiating between regular classes and one-off workshops.
When I was looking for a workshop, I struggled to find clear information about the types of classes offered. It is important that they explain well the difference between regular classes and one-off workshops.
Clear timetables and prices: show availability and costs in a simple way, avoiding confusion.
Nothing makes me more desperate than having to send an email or call to find out prices and timetables. Everything should be on the website in a clear and updated way.
Gallery with real images: photographs of the workshop, the creative process and the finished pieces help to convey the essence of the space and build confidence.
Before I sign up, I like to see photos of the workshop, the atmosphere and what is actually done in the classes. That way I know what to expect and if it fits with what I’m looking for.
Reviews from other clients: real testimonials that reinforce credibility and show the experience of other students.
I always read reviews before hiring any service. Seeing reviews from other people who have attended gives me confidence and helps me make up my mind.
‘About us’ section to get to know the team.
I like to know who is behind the project, their story and their passion. It’s not the same going to just any workshop as going to one where you feel there’s someone with a vocation teaching.
Barriers to enrolment:
❌ Lack of time (work, family, etc.): work, family and other commitments mean that many people are reluctant to commit to a regular activity.
I would love to go, but between work and the children, I can’t find a time to do it. If there were more flexible schedules or shorter workshops, I would think about it.
❌ High financial investment: some people perceive ceramics as an expensive activity, especially if it involves a monthly subscription or the purchase of materials.
I have always been interested in ceramics, but I feel it is a big investment. If there were more affordable options or the possibility to try a class before paying for a full course, I would be more encouraged.
❌ Insecurity about their artistic skills: many people believe that art is not for them or that they are not talented enough, which makes them hesitate before enrolling.
I’m afraid to sign up because I feel I’m too clumsy for these things. I don’t want to make a fool of myself or lose money on something I might not be good at.
Key elements for an effective website:
✔ Intuitive and attractive design: the website must be easy to use, with a fluid navigation that allows you to quickly find the desired information.
If a website is complicated or cluttered, I get frustrated and close it. It has to be easy to navigate, with everything well organised and accessible.
✔ Information accessible to both beginners and experienced people: both beginners and those with more knowledge should find details to help them make an informed decision.
I already have some experience in ceramics, so I am interested to know more specific details: length of the course, techniques taught, what level is required, etc.
✔ Real photos of the workshop, teachers and activities: authentic images that convey the atmosphere of the place and make it more attractive.
I don’t like websites with generic stock photos. I prefer to see real images of the workshop, the teachers and the process, to get a clearer idea of what it’s like.
✔ Clear details about prices, schedules and cancellation policies: avoid doubts and possible friction with accessible and well-organised information.
If I’m going to book, I want to know exactly how much it costs, what happens if I can’t go one day and if there is an option for a refund or change of class. All of this should be on the website.
Through this research process, we gained valuable information to design a website that not only reflected the essence of the workshop, but also eliminated friction and made it easier for new students to register.
Defining the main problem and the pain points
After analysing the competition, understanding users’ motivations and barriers, and detecting what information was key for them, we synthesised the main pain points and formulated our problem statement:
Our main problem was to improve the shopping experience of a class of ceramics, ensuring that users find the key information in a clear and accessible way.
From this general problem, we identified three specific sub-problems that hindered the user experience:
1. Lack of information about faculty and space.
One of the aspects that most concerned users was not knowing who was teaching the classes and what the space where the activities took place was like. For many people, this raised doubts about the quality of the course and whether they would feel comfortable in the workshop.
Before signing up, I would like to know a bit more about the teachers. To know their experience, their teaching style… that would help me decide.
I couldn’t find any real photos of the workshop on the website. I would have liked to see pictures of the space, what the atmosphere is like… so I can imagine if I fit in there or not.
2. Too much information about the activities and lack of clarity on the levels.
Many users expressed feeling overwhelmed when trying to understand which class was best for them. Information was available, but it was not clearly organised. In addition, it was not clear what level of experience was needed for each type of class.
I went on the website and there was so much information that I didn’t know where to start. I struggled to understand which classes were for beginners and which were for experienced people.
I was reading for a while and in the end I got tired. Too many technical details that didn’t help me make up my mind.
We start with the creation…
Therefore, we started the ideation phase to address the problems identified. We decided to structure our ideation in two stages, considering that the first one focused on the confidence generated by getting to know the creative space and the workshop teachers better, while the second one was more related to the information about the class and the process of purchasing these activities.
For the first problem, we applied the Crazy 8 technique and selected the most promising ideas through voting. Subsequently, we followed the same procedure for the second and third subproblem.
3. Lack of clarity on time availability during the purchase process.
One of the biggest problems in the user experience was the lack of information about the availability of schedules at the time of purchase. Users had to scroll through the process to find out if their desired time slot was available, which led to frustration.
I was excited to see a class I liked, but when I wanted to book, it turned out there were no spaces available. It wasted my time and annoyed me a bit.
If I could see right away what times are available, it would save me the whole process of choosing a class only to find out later that there are no places.
Once the voting process and selection of the best ideas was completed, we proceeded to the design of the low-fidelity prototype.
Our objective was to map the complete experience of a user visiting a ceramics and painting website, from arrival to registration and payment for an activity:
We designed a highly visual home page, accompanied by a top menu that makes it easy to explore the different options available.
When accessing the ‘Classes’ section, the user could choose between the two disciplines offered in the workshop: ceramics and painting. Given that the classes were segmented by age, we selected the option for adults, which allowed detailed information about the activity to be displayed. We wanted the design to enhance the visual dimension, clearly conveying the creative process and the type of experiences the user could expect.
The availability of the class was then presented and, finally, the user completed their details to formalise registration and payment.
To answer our problem statement, we focused on the following points in the tests:
Know the users’ shopping experience: whether they found it intuitive and easy to buy the activity.
Know if the amount of information in the activity was correct or if they needed more information.
Find out if the availability of the classes and their times were displayed correctly and if they found it easy to find this information.
*In this first part of the study we did not develop and investigate the first subproblem (lack of information about faculty and space) as our main focus was to develop the process of purchasing the activity. This will be done in the second phase*
After testing this low-fidelity prototype, we identified several opportunities for improvement that allowed us to further refine the user experience:
Transforming ideas into style: style tile making
Based on the identified areas for improvement, we set to work carefully on the design of the website. The goal was to create a brand design that would allow us to produce a high-fidelity prototype that was as accurate and effective as possible.
To begin with, each team member developed an individual moodboard, which we then shared and discussed. From this exchange, we selected the colours and typography that would serve as the basis for the creation of our style tile.
Each chosen colour generates specific emotions that can be better aligned with the product’s message or identity:
#61250C brings warmth, strength and authenticity. It is an earthy, relatable colour that can evoke tradition, quality craftsmanship or a human approach. Ideal if you are looking to connect emotionally.
#B5A11F is a rich and vibrant shade, suggesting energy, optimism and distinction. It works as an accent colour or to highlight important information without resorting to classic bright yellow.
#D7AE89 adds softness and elegance, very useful as a background colour or to contrast with more intense colours. It is feminine, but also neutral and modern.
#6E848C is serene and professional. It brings visual balance and is very versatile. It is ideal for typography, buttons or secondary backgrounds.
As for the typography, we opted for Roboto, a font specially designed to be easy and clear to read. We used it throughout the website, both in the body text and in the titles and links. We made sure that its contrasts and different weights would help establish visual hierarchies, favouring a fluid and well-organised browsing experience.
With all these elements in mind, we set to work on the development of the high fidelity prototype, the result of which is this:
Towards the future: the next steps in design
Continue with the design of the remaining sections of the website, such as the contact section, gallery and other key areas.
Conduct detailed usability testing for each section, ensuring an optimal user experience.
Adjust and redesign as necessary based on the test results, in order to refine the final product.
Finally, present the finalised version of the project to our stakeholder, aligning expectations and showcasing the progress made.