FISHERWOOD FARM
Booking Success Up 40% After UX 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 CONTEXT
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Fisherwood Farm is a family-owned alpaca experience farm in Robertsbridge.
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Unique offer: feeding alpacas, pygmy goats, sheep, chickens + optional afternoon tea in a private land overlooking the Southdown's.
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Client request: “We want a brand new website that attracts more families, clearly shows what the farm is ,and makes booking easier - but keeps our process personal.”
THE PROBLEM
Fisherwood farm website made it frustrating to book visits.
Fisherwood Farm, a private countryside animal farm, faced challenges with an inefficient website that made it difficult for users to book visits.
Users struggled to complete bookings due to a confusing process and unclear service information.
The website lacked a transparent booking system and did not provide a dedicated Q&A section, making it harder for users to find essential information.
Instead, answers were buried in long blocks of text on the homepage, leading to frustration.
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.
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The client wanted to keep manual, personal booking control.
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 intuitive 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 client 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.
FORMATIVE 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
SOLUTION SUMMARY
To improve the booking experience and reduce frustration for visitors, the Fisherwood Farm website was redesigned with a focus on simplifying navigation, enhancing the booking process and providing clearer service information.
HYPOTHESIS
By introducing a clearer navigation structure, a step-by-step booking process, and a dedicated FAQ section, users will experience:
1) Higher booking completion rates because they can easily find and submit their inquiry.
2) Reduced time spent searching for key information, making the process smoother.
3)Increased user confidence in booking their visit due to clearer messaging and confirmation.
THE RESULT
Improved SUS (System Usability Scale) Score,
indicating higher user satisfaction.
SUS SCORE- BEFORE
(Grade F - Worst Imaginable)
SUS SCORE - AFTER
(Grade A - Best Imaginable)
Task completion time reduced,
with users completing bookings faster than before.
TASK COMPLETION TIME - BEFORE
TASK COMPLETION TIME - AFTER
TASK COMPLETION RATE- BEFORE
TASK COMPLETION RATE- AFTER
Higher task success rate, as more users successfully completed key actions.
Lower error rate, reducing confusion and frustration during the booking process.
Enhanced overall usability, with clearer navigation, a structured booking flow, and improved readability.
THE APPROACH
User-Centered & Insight-Driven UX Design
The approach to improving Fisherwood Farm’s booking experience was deeply user-centered and driven by a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Using System Usability Scale (SUS) scores, I measured usability improvements over time, while usability testing revealed task completion rates, error reduction, and time-on-task insights. This data helped pinpoint friction points in the booking process, unclear navigation, and readability concerns.
Iterative & Collaborative Design Process
The project followed an iterative UX process, ensuring that design decisions were continuously tested and refined based on real user feedback.
I conducted card sorting to improve the information architecture, collaborated with stakeholders to align business and user needs, and used prototype testing to validate new designs.
The highly collaborative nature of this project ensured that both usability and operational efficiency were prioritised.
Validated & Tested for Usability
Multiple rounds of usability testing were conducted to measure the effectiveness of changes.
Users were observed completing key tasks, and success rates were compared before and after implementation.
A SUS assessment showed a measurable increase in usability, and task error rates were significantly reduced, leading to a more seamless booking experience.
The result? A clearer, more structured booking flow, improved content readability, and a higher success rate for users completing essential actions.