During this project I acted as the sole designer for a web app that showcases instructional videos. With a large global following, Sammy Picone is a successful pole instructor leading innovation in the community.
Our site enables Sammy’s students to join her from all over the world, with integrations from Vimeo and Patreon.
We aimed to create a site that was grounded in ease of learning and beautiful in use. I led the planning process, from iteration of features to creating flows, wireframes, and designs.
Research
Systems thinking grounds the core of my process, which begins in research. My industry analysis led me to discover that competitor sites were both lacking in aesthetic and functionality, whilst a look into related industries such as yoga, provided further contrast.
During the research phase I worked to:
- Collaborate with the developer during handoff
- Create feature-lists
- Mapped user flows
- Plan use cases for components
Process
Our features were shaped around analysis of what our users would need and want from the site. Refining these features was a process of reflection and iteration, each round of early revisions bringing us closer to meeting the needs of our end users. Constant evaluation enabled us to hone in on core functionality, with the best parts of each version assembling the final map.
From sketches, to wireframes and hi-fi designs
As sammypicone.com is a video sharing platform that functions as a learning space, familiarity was a large focus when structuring final designs. A priority throughout, was to ensure that the layout and functionality would be easily adopted by our users.
Whilst exploring possibilities, I developed many versions of lo-fi mockups before the final product began to take shape. I believe that design and development processes should inform one-another. Each stage of the design evolved during collaboration with the lead developer, as this project became a strong example of engineering and design informing each other.