Bedfordable Boutique Website and App Design
This personal concept project focused on creating a potential website and app design for my small business, Bedfordable Boutique. Bedfordable Boutique is a circular and sustainable shop offering a curated collection of vintage clothing, home goods and original illustrations.
Background
Bedfordable Boutique is an online vintage boutique run and operated by me in my spare time. My business functions primarily on Instagram and occasionally at local markets. I have always had a passion for sustainability, thrifting and sourcing secondhand, which is what birthed the idea of starting my own vintage boutique. I source, clean, repair, photograph and promote all of the products.
Problem
Using Instagram as a platform for selling is increasing in popularity as it’s an efficient way to interact and foster relationships with customers, and grow your client base. It’s also useful for showcasing your products and promoting them through posts, stories and reels. However, this platform also presents several downsides:
There are minimal customization abilities on the app
Customers aren’t able to easily search for products from your account page
Algorithms can make it challenging to get posts viewed by your target market
Customers are not able to purchase directly within the app so sales must be done through e-transfers after they’ve contacted me
User & Business Goals
Build a customized solution that can provide customers and the surrounding vintage community with an accessible way to shop sustainably across all platforms.
Create an intentional experience for users and inspire them through the world of vintage and buying secondhand.
Provide a one-stop shop to view, search, save and purchase products instantly.
Ensure that the user interface and visual elements are reflective of Bedfordable Boutique’s branding and values.
Customized App Solution
Website Layout Design
Results:
Since this project is a concept design, the website hasn’t been launched, nor has the app been shipped. After going through the design of the Bedfordable Boutique website layout and app functionality, the next step would be to build the website platform first since it’s the most accessible option. The website would be linked to my Instagram page, and viewed without having to download anything. This would provide an alternative shopping experience to using Instagram, where customers could easily search for, browse items, and purchase all in one place.
Shipping the Bedfordable Boutique app would provide a more customized shopping experience that empowers buyers by giving them more choice, flexibility and personalization. This would allow them to create a single profile for easy, on-demand shopping, receive points, and be part of the vintage community.
Once these two designs are launched, I would measure the number of visitors that navigate to the website, as well as the call-to-action click through rates to ensure that users are following the process and interacting with the products to eventually purchase something. For the app, I would begin to measure the number of users downloading it, as well as their time and frequency of use to determine if it’s providing value.