Giving users a menu of options for their next mountain visit
Deer Valley is one of three ski resorts in the country that is ski only. It has a loyal customer following, but new users were having difficulty finding and booking ski school lessons and making dining reservations. This case study outlines the UX process followed to reveal user impressions and the usability testing data to support why Deer Valley would benefit from a site redesign.
Model
B2C
Category
User Research · UX/UI Design
Year
2024
Process
Understanding learner needs
In-depth user research was conducted and the target user groups identified. Users were segmented, interviewed, given well-defined user tasks, and observed during usability testing. User interviews and observation revealed 100% of users tested would only ski Deer Valley if ski school for their children was offered.
Users all reported that it was unclear whether ski school was available at the resort. Users also reported dining as a key motivation for visiting Deer Valley. Usability testing data suggested that the dining options offered would not engage users enough to want to visit Deer Valley.
Goal to increase engagement
Qualitative and quantitative usability test results emphasized key opportunities for Deer Valley's website. The goal was to solve user issues in a way that would be engaging and still appeal to target users, but also offer ski school, dining, and other resort benefits in a more accessible and visible way.
Wireframes were produced based off the usability test results. The homepage design now featured ski school, dining, and other resort activities in a visible top-level navigation bar. These were each displayed as interactive icons with labels
The final design included engaging images, poignant messaging, and call to action buttons that users said were clearer, more effective, and more engaging. Users said the new site was significantly more intuitive and easier to navigate. 100% of users tested expressed a stronger preference for the new design over the previous one.
