Bridal Web Heuristic Evaluation
While working as a bridal stylist at Grace Loves Lace, I looked for opportunities to practice my growing UX skills in a real business environment. I approached my manager about taking on a small internal project, and she connected me with the E-commerce and CRM Manager.
Together, we defined an internal project that would allow me to apply UX research and auditing methods in a real-world context. This allowed me to apply UX methods—from mapping processes to identifying points of confusion—and gain hands-on experience analyzing a live digital workflow inside a corporate setting.
Goal
Synthesize a report composed of a website usability audit, competitive audit, and recommendations based on industry standards.
The company’s website -though visually beautiful- posed some usability challenges for brides and stylists alike, potentially leading to losses in revenue. Some examples are bookings that were accidentally made at other locations, inaccurate suggestions on the website, and unclear expectations when booking appointments.
My goal was to identify these friction points using a heuristic evaluation, analyze competitor practices, and provide actionable insights that could guide future design decisions — all while balancing this initiative alongside my day-to-day stylist duties.
Process
User journey mapping
Created a persona (Anika) based on observational insights from working with brides over several months—no company analytics were available
Walked through the booking flow from her perspective, documenting friction points and moments of delight
Heuristic evaluation
Audited the site against Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics
Catalogued specific pain points and successful patterns for reference
Competitive analysis
Selected competitors strategically: a neighboring shop brides often visited back-to-back with Grace Loves Lace, a brand known for strong online experience, and one with distinctive curation and brand identity.
Evaluated each on unique value proposition, strengths, weaknesses, and solutions to identified pain points
Synthesis & recommendations
Compiled findings into a presentation with actionable insights
Outcome
I delivered a comprehensive research report including
A website usability audit highlighting 8 key friction points across the booking flow (including mobile experience).
User journey maps capturing the emotional and practical steps brides take from discovery to appointment booking.
A competitive audit comparing major bridal brands’ online experiences, identifying opportunities to improve navigation, personalization, and trust-building.
From this project, I learned…
How to evaluate a website using Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics.
How small details (for example, the absence of a single word in a booking flow) can lead to tangible losses for a company - and how this can often go undetected in user testing, showing the value of collecting internal feedback about systems.
What good UX looks like (from what GLL did correctly): clear information architecture, cohesive brand identity and "voice", and great accessibility options.
Projected Effects
Increased revenue and no-show prevention due to a clearer boutique selection process during appointment booking.
Reduced time lost to follow-up calls/messages by uncovering why appointment forms frequently lacked bride details.
Reduced drop-off rates due to clearer breakdown of gown timeframe options.
Clearer navigation and stronger brand trust for brides exploring online.
