Vow View
Vow View is a streamlined mobile platform designed to revolutionize the wedding venue search for couples.
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How might we help newly engaged couples find a wedding venue that is within their price range, can accommodate their number of guests, is in their desired geographic location and with their preferred aesthetic so that they can have the perfect venue without having to visit multiple locations in-person?
Problem Background
The challenge lies in assisting newly engaged couples in Canada to discover the ideal wedding venue without enduring a cumbersome and time-consuming search process. Couples struggle to align their preferred aesthetic, location, and guest capacity within their budget, often leading to stress and uncertainty. Presently, available search methods lack upfront pricing details, adding to the frustration. Addressing this issue now is crucial due to evolving preferences, increased demand for personalized experiences, and gaps in existing search methods. Research, both quantitative and qualitative, underscores the stress and time consumption inherent in venue hunting, highlighting a strong need for a streamlined, transparent, and curated solution that aligns with couples' specific preferences and requirements.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
Through user interviews and surveys, we found that newly engaged couples navigating the search for the perfect wedding venue encounter several key pain points.
- The process is overwhelmingly time-consuming, demanding extensive research and numerous visits to various locations to find one that aligns with their desired aesthetic, location, guest capacity, and budget.
- the lack of upfront pricing information compounds the stress, leaving couples uncertain about the financial feasibility of their desired venues. This ambiguity often results in frustration and makes decision-making challenging.
Supporting Data
Surveys conducted among engaged couples reveal that 85% of respondents found the venue search process to be excessively time-consuming, involving extensive research and multiple in-person visits to various locations. Furthermore, 70% of surveyed participants expressed frustration over the lack of upfront pricing information, highlighting the stress caused by uncertainty regarding the financial feasibility of potential venues. Qualitative insights from user interviews emphasize the overwhelming nature of the process, with 80% of interviewees expressing feelings of being inundated with choices and lacking a streamlined platform providing curated, transparent details about venues. These findings collectively underscore the challenges and frustrations experienced by couples during the venue selection process, highlighting the need for a more efficient and transparent solution.
Feedback
- Time-Consuming Process: Users express frustration at the extensive time investment required for venue searching. Comments include sentiments like "The process is exhausting and takes too much time," "I wish I had spent less time looking for a venue," and "I wish… I didn't have to visit as many venues to get a good understanding of what they truly offered”.
- Lack of Upfront Pricing Information: Users highlight the stress caused by the absence of clear pricing details. Feedback includes statements such as "Not knowing prices upfront adds unnecessary stress," "It's hard to budget without knowing costs," and "Venues should be more transparent about pricing from the start.
These sentiments collectively underline the challenges faced by users during the venue selection process and highlight the demand for a solution that simplifies and streamlines the search, offering clear, upfront information to ease the decision-making process.
Landing on the Solution
Based on our target users’ pain points, we knew we wanted to work on the following features:
- Personalized Venue Matching: Utilize innovative matching technology inspired by user-preferred aesthetics to curate personalized venue options aligned with users' desired aesthetic, location, and capacity.
- Transparent Information & Pricing: Offer transparent pricing upfront, along with detailed venue profiles containing specific services, accommodations, and a breakdown of costs to eliminate surprises and facilitate budget adherence.
- Virtual Tours & Comprehensive Details: Provide virtual tours or 360-degree views for venues, along with comprehensive details such as space, services, and accommodations, empowering users to make informed decisions.
- Customer Reviews & Testimonials: Include customer reviews and testimonials within detailed venue profiles to offer social proof and confidence in the chosen venue, enhancing user empowerment through information.
Explanation of Solution
The proposed solution aims to revolutionize the wedding venue search experience by offering a user-centric platform that simplifies and streamlines the process for couples. Through a user-friendly interface and curated options, the solution aims to reduce stress, save time, and eliminate uncertainty linked with this critical aspect of wedding planning. Transparency and clarity are prioritized, with upfront pricing, detailed venue profiles, and immersive virtual tours provided to eradicate hidden costs and unknown details, empowering couples to make confident, well-informed decisions.
By aligning with user preferences and specific criteria, the solution seeks to enhance user satisfaction and enable couples to select the perfect venue that suits their desired aesthetic, location, and occupancy needs. Leveraging innovative technology like advanced matching algorithms and virtual experiences, the solution adapts to modern preferences, aiming to redefine and innovate within the wedding industry. Ultimately, it strives to redefine the entire venue search experience, offering a smoother, efficient, and enjoyable journey for couples in their quest for the perfect wedding venue.
User Flows/Mockups
Future Steps
Looking ahead, our aspiration for the app extends beyond Ontario, aiming to broaden our reach and assist couples across various regions in their quest for the perfect wedding venue. We envision expanding our services to encompass multiple locations, catering to the needs of engaged couples beyond provincial borders.
Additionally, we aspire to evolve into a comprehensive wedding planning platform, not just limited to venue selection. Our goal is to offer assistance in finding other essential wedding vendors, such as florists and caterers, thereby providing a holistic solution that simplifies the entire wedding planning process for couples, regardless of their location.
Images
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Zaynah Oseki
During my time in the Co.Lab product management program, I relished the opportunity to immerse myself in learning new skills while honing my existing ones. The experience was beyond rewarding as it encouraged building in public, allowing me to openly share my progress, challenges, and learnings with my network. Embracing this transparent journey not only solidified my understanding of product management intricacies but also fostered a supportive community where insights were exchanged and growth was celebrated. The chance to actively share my learnings enriched my experience, providing invaluable connections and a sense of fulfillment as I contributed to a collaborative learning environment.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.