View Project PDF

UX DESIGNER

Cypress Valley Canopy Tours offers an immersive outdoor experience with ziplining adventures through the treetops. The goal of this UX project was to enhance the online booking experience, streamline information delivery, and ensure users could easily navigate the site to book tours or find relevant information. This case study focuses on improving the digital experience for visitors and highlights the key design decisions made throughout the project.

 

User Research

Cypress Valley offers canopy views, zip-lining adventures and luxury treehouses for visitors to stay in for a night in the tree tops. Visitors have several choices between zip-lining experiences, lodging options, and event spaces. They needed a website that could facilitate the introduction to these experiences to potential visitors, the ability to book or inquire about the availability of these options, and also aims to educate visitors about the nature of the Texas hill country. We explored the needs from a range of participants, including traveling visitors booking a vacation at the resort, event planners looking to use the event space, and thrill-seekers looking to embark on a zip-lining experience. Key insights included:

  • Guests: They found the booking process cumbersome, particularly around understanding availability and package options.
  • Potential Customers: Some users were hesitant due to unclear safety details and difficulty finding specific information about the tours.
  • Staff: Highlighted frequent customer queries, including confusion about tour schedules and what to bring for the experience.

 

These insights shaped the redesign’s focus on clarity, ease of use, and trust-building through better information presentation.

GENERAL TOURIST

  • Typically a traveling individual or group who stay for a few days to experience the resort
  • Needs: Clear booking process with ample information about each experience option available to guests.
  • Goals: To confidently secure a luxury experience without roadblocks or friction.

EVENT PLANNER 

  • Typically organizing weddings or corporate events
  • Needs: Clear family-friendly options, safety information, and smooth booking for multiple participants.
  • Goals: To have a fun, safe, and memorable family adventure.

ADVENTURE-SEEKING FAMILY

  • Typically parents with kids age 10+
  • Needs: Clear family-friendly options, safety information, and smooth booking for multiple participants.
  • Goals: To have a fun, safe, and memorable family adventure.

Based on the interviews, we developed three primary personas:

Personas

User Journey

Between these main personas, we pulled together the overlapping key pain points:

Information Architecture: Users struggled to get relevant information quickly about their desired experience, both with zip-line excursions as well as event rentals and lodging experiences

Booking Flow: Potential customers found it difficult to access updated information about active booking options. Users needed clear visual queues, like a calendar view.

With these design focuses, we started with our low-fidelity prototypes. Initial wireframes focused on solving the major pain points identified:

  • A streamlined homepage with easy access to tour, lodging, and event space information.
  • Simplified booking forms that allow users to select dates and experiences with minimal effort.
  • A prominently displayed “FAQ” section to address user concerns upfront.

Wireframes

Initial wireframes focused on solving the major pain points identified:

  • A streamlined homepage with easy access to tour, lodging, and event space information.
  • Simplified booking forms that allow users to select dates and experiences with minimal effort.

 

We focused on redesigning the brand style to better reflect the stunning landscape that draws people to Cypress Valley Canopy Tours. Our initial designs emphasized incorporating natural greens and illustrative elements to capture the beauty of the surroundings.

Our approach centered on a mobile-first design; we structured wireframes for both mobile and desktop screens but prioritized creating a high-fidelity mobile prototype before adapting it for the web.

UI Designs

As we explored visual design options, we began developing wireframes to solve the pain points for our intended user flows. Moving from V1 to V2, we gathered feedback on both the wireframes and brand identity, incorporating these insights into our second prototype. Our refined brand style and design focused on reflecting Cypress Valley’s connection to nature, using earthy tones and rich imagery of the treehouses and ziplining experiences

 

The main design elements included:

  • Visual hierarchy to prioritize the most important user actions: booking and learning about the experiences.
  • Typography: Clean and easy-to-read fonts with high contrast for accessibility across devices.
  • Imagery: Using high-quality visuals of the ziplining tours, luxury treehouses, and event spaces to inspire potential visitors.
  • Icons and Microinteractions: We used illustrations to capture the resort's lush landscape, incorporating these visual details to create engaging and memorable user experiences.

 

Final Design

The redesigned Cypress Valley Canopy Tours website significantly improved user satisfaction by simplifying the booking process and clarifying essential information. The new design reduced booking friction and increased user confidence in the experience. The clarity of safety measures and eco-friendly practices built trust, while the streamlined user interface led to a 20% increase in online bookings. Future improvements include expanding mobile optimization and adding more user-generated content to continue building credibility and engagement.