FISHERWOOD FARM
BOOKING EXPERIENCE REDESIGN
UX Case Study
OVERVIEW
Client: Fisherwood Farm
Project Type: UX Research, Content Strategy, Website Redesign
Duration: 9 Weeks
Role: UX Designer
Tools: Figma , Mock up - UX/UI, Photoshop, Illustrator, WIX
THE PROBLEM
Fisherwood Farm, a private countryside animal farm offering unique experiences, struggled with an inefficient website.
Users found it difficult to book visits due to a confusing booking process and unclear content about the farm’s services and policies.
The original website lacked a transparent booking system and failed to answer users’ key questions, such as availability, dietary accommodations, or whether visits were private.
This led to high task abandonment and misaligned expectations.
CHALLENGES
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The lack of a calendar created uncertainty, leading users to abandon the booking process.
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Overloaded text and scattered information made it difficult for users to understand the farm’s offerings and policies.
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Users had questions about accessibility, dietary options, and the private nature of visits that weren’t addressed on the site.
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The inquiry form appeared vague and didn’t instill confidence in users.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aims and objectives for this project were developed through a comprehensive exploration of Fisherwood Farm's needs and user challenges, informed by multiple research methods.
Stakeholder interviews with the farm’s owners were conducted at various stages of the project to ensure alignment with their vision and goals.
These discussions provided valuable insights into the farm's operational needs and the desired user experience.
Aims
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Increase booking form completion rates by creating a user-friendly process.
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Provide clear and accessible information about the farm’s offerings, policies, and ethos.
Objectives
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Integrate a real-time availability calendar on service pages.
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Design a detailed FAQ section to answer common user questions.
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Simplify navigation and reduce cognitive load by organising content with clear visual hierarchy.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Based on stakeholder interviews, I conducted primary research to address the usability issues and content clarity of Fisherwood Farm's website.
This phase focused on gathering insights from real users through direct interaction and observation, providing actionable feedback to inform the redesign.
Methods and Activities:
Usability Testing:
Participants were tasked with completing key actions on the website to evaluate its usability and identify pain points:
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Task 1: Book a 1-Hour Cream Tea: Tested the booking flow, including navigation and user comprehension of the process.
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Task 2: Learn About the Farm and Animals: Evaluated how well the website communicated the farm’s ethos, services, and animal experiences.
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Task 3: Submit an Inquiry Form: Focused on the clarity and usability of the form, as well as users’ confidence in completing it.
Think-Aloud Protocol: During usability tasks , participants verbalised their thought processes.
This revealed frustrations, expectations, and decision-making strategies, offering deeper insights into user behaviour.
System Usability Scale (SUS):
After completing the tasks, participants filled out an SUS survey to quantify their overall satisfaction with the website.
Card Sorting Exercise:
Following the completion of all tasks, participants were invited to take part in a close card sorting activity to understand how users naturally organise information,
ensuring the website’s navigation and menu structure aligned with user expectations.
RESULTS AND KEY FINDINGS
Usability Testing:
Task time
Tasks | Participant 1 | Participant 2 | Participant 3 | Participant 4 | Participant 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Task 3 | 1 min & 7 seconds | 1 min & 59 seconds | 2 min & 11 seconds | 1 min & 1 seconds | 1 min & 47 seconds |
Task 2 | 39.57 seconds | 2 min & 47 seconds | 1 min & 59 seconds | 25 seconds | 16 seconds |
Task 1 | 1 min & 58 seconds | 3 min & 46 seconds | 3 min & 25 seconds | 2 min & 45 seconds | 1 min & 25 seconds |
Error rate
Tasks | Participant 1 | Participant 2 | Participant 3 | Participant 4 | Participant 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Task 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Task 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Task 1 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
Successful task completion rate
Tasks | Participant 1 | Participant 2 | Participant 3 | Participant 4 | Participant 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Task3 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Task2 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Task 1 | 100% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Observation:
Usability testing revealed significant frustrations with the website’s design, particularly related to the booking process, access to basic information, and content readability.
Below are the key points collected from these observations:
Users were startled by the sound of the video autoplaying on the homepage.
They were confused about where the sound was coming from until they scrolled down and found the video.
Feedback & Recommendation:
After completing the usability testing tasks, participants were asked to share their thoughts on Fisherwood Farm's current website.
Using the 5 Whys method, I explored why they struggled with specific tasks and asked for their recommendations on improvements.
Below is the summarised feedback and corresponding recommendations:
SUS Survey:
To gain more quantitative insights, I asked the participants to complete a SUS survey, which provided additional metrics on how they perceived their experience and benchmarking.
Below are the results:
SUS Score (Grade F - Worst Imaginable): 0(P1) + 12.5(P2) + 15(P3)+7.5(P4)+0(P5) = 29%
5
Card sorting activity:
Based on the usability testing & The SUS, I decided to extend the evaluation with a card sorting activity, as many participants expressed frustration with the website’s navigation,
the long form, and the overwhelming amount of text.
The results of the closed card sorting activity provided valuable insights into how users perceive the navigation and organization of Fisherwood Farm’s website.
Although this was designed as a closed card sorting exercise, participants were given the option to add new cards to suggest elements they felt were missing. Many participants took advantage of this option, offering valuable input that helped refine and enhance the website structure.
Below is the refined navigation flow and content hierarchy, incorporating participant feedback and their added cards.
(Please note that while most participants organized the information similarly, the wording they used has been refined for consistency.)
Home page
Book experiences
Our Experinces
Therapy goats visit
About us
Any questions?
Contact us
Video of the farm
Input the number of attendees
Introductory text describing the farm’s offerings.
Introductory text explaining therapy goat services.
Introductory text describing the farm’s history and ethos.
Common questions and answers addressing user concerns.
Contact form to fill: name, city, phone, email, and questions.
Short introduction about the farm
Select the type of activity
(cream tea, farm visit, etc.)
Farm Visit
(No Food, 45 Minutes):
Duration, price, inclusions and an action button to book.
Action button:
“Book Now” for goat therapy sessions.
Photo of the farm
Footer:
Clickable text for navigation, social media links and credits.
Action button:
“Send Form”
for submission.
Action button:
“Book Experience”
for easy access to the booking process.
Choose the date
Farm Visit with Cream Tea (1 Hour):
Duration, price, inclusions and an action button to book.
Footer:
Clickable text for navigation, social media links and credits.
Text about the animals and their stories
Map showing the farm’s location
Action button:
“Our Experiences”
to explore available activities.
Select the arrival time
Farm Visit with afternoon Tea (2 Hours):
Duration, price, inclusions and an action button to book.
Footer:
Clickable text for navigation, social media links and credits.
Input details: name, phone, email, and additional requests.
Footer:
Clickable text for navigation, social media links and credits.
Thank you message
Photos of the animals
Footer:
Clickable text for navigation, social media links and credits.
Footer:
Clickable text for navigation, social media links and credits.
WIREFRAMES
After analysing the results of the formative usability testing conducted during primary research and the competitive analysis,
a follow-up meeting was held with the stakeholders to present the findings.
During this meeting, the stakeholders emphasised the need to focus on improving the navigation and redesigning all screens to address user confusion.
While stakeholders were initially hesitant about implementing a real-time availability calendar,
they agreed to include a simplified calendar that maintains a personal booking experience.
Using mockups and UX/UI tools, I translated my initial sketches into low-fidelity wireframes.
At this stage, the wireframes were detailed enough to conduct preliminary user testing.
Based on the feedback gathered from these tests, I made several adjustments to the design before moving on to create high-fidelity prototypes.
