Irina Demenev

Focused user-centered designer with an aptitude for communication and creative problem solving. Designing to have a positive impact on users’ digital experiences by translating business requirements into intuitive and efficient designs.

DIYcraft – craft video tutorials

OVERVIEW

DIYcraft is a catalog of different craft tutorials. You can browse various art and craft step by step instructions.

The problem: Aspiring crafters often face difficulty finding high-quality, beginner-friendly, or advanced craft tutorials that are clear, step-by-step, and tailored to their skill levels or interests.

The goal: To provide an engaging learning experience by including features like downloadable resources, detailed written guides accompanying videos and progress tracking tools for users.

My role: Understand the needs, preferences, and pain points of potential users. Design an intuitive and visually appealing interface for seamless navigation.

Summary of Persona Insights

Craft enthusiasts often feel overwhelmed by the abundance of unstructured content on platforms like YouTube, which makes finding relevant, high-quality tutorials challenging. They value a simple, well-organized interface that categorizes content by skill level and project type, enabling easy navigation and discovery.

Users also require precise, detailed guidance for niche techniques, ensuring tutorials are clear, actionable, and tailored to their specific needs. Additionally, many users, such as educators or hobbyists, appreciate the availability of printable resources like templates, patterns, and lesson plans to enhance their crafting experience and streamline their projects.

DESIGN

Taking the time to draft iterations of each screen of the app on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address user pain points. For the home screen, I prioritized a most popular tutorials to help users save time. 

As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on feedback and findings from  the user research.

Easy navigation was a key user need to address in the designs in addition to equipping the app to work with assistive technologies.

Using the completed set of digital wireframes, I created a low-fidelity prototype. The primary user flow I connected was finding and booking a tour, so the prototype could be used in a usability study.

REFINING THE DESIGN

Insight: Users need precise, detailed guidance for niche techniques.
Design Solution:

  • Provide step-by-step breakdowns with timestamps for video tutorials.
  • Include written instructions alongside videos for quick reference.
  • Highlight key details like required materials, estimated time, and cost upfront.

Feature Examples:

Progress Tracker: Helps users resume where they left off.

Material Lists: Interactive lists with links to purchase items.

What I learned: While designing the DIYcraft webpage, I learned that the first ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the app’s designs.