Choreo
About
This is a student project from my graduate program.
Choreo started as a project built on no pre-existing platform, instead it's a concept application designed to help dancers. This case study evaluates a possible platform that can be used to fill this market need.
Year
2019
Responsibilities
Product Designer, Visual Design, User Research
What is Choreo?
Choreo is a platform that helps dancers of all skill-levels (beginner to professional) find dance classes and dance studios by aggregating studios near by. Choreo focuses on providing information dancers look for before booking a class –things like denoting the skill level of the class and showcasing instructor choreography through video.
Find the perfect class
Choreo gives you many ways to find classes; search by classes, studio or genre. We also give you more information that pertains to dance; things like proper attire, a separate menu for instructors and better filter functions.
Choreography preview
It's hard knowing what to expect before class. With our video feature see what kind of choreography the teacher will teach before you enroll. Saves time and money!
The Problem
I spoke to five long-term dancers and 60% of them made comments about frustrations in finding classes. This was the common thread that was reiterated in different context; some dancers wanted to take more classes sometimes in a genre different to what they normally practiced, others mentioned finding fundamental type classes. All the interviews pointed towards pain points with finding classes.
The Pain Points
Finding classes is a endless search
A dance studio's schedule doesn't always describe the class well. Sometimes, it only gives you basic information like class name, instructor & duration. There isn't enough information to provide you with the ability to make a decision.
Studio schedules don't provide enough information
A dance studio's schedule doesn't always provide a description of the class. Sometimes, it only gives you basic information like: Title, Instructor & Time, which isn't enough to give you the ability to make an thoughtful decision.
Dance choreography is naunced & user preference is paramount
Dance classes are not one size fits all. Dance choreography and movement ranges from class to class, and instructor to instructor –even within the same genre. You can have instructors who teach choreography that is aggressive in movement, more feminine, or more modern inspired –it ranges wildly. They are no websites or apps that take this into account.
The Research
To help me form a foundation for Choreo I took inspiration from aggregators out there like Yelp, Classpass & Mindbody. My target audience was having trouble finding classes and the solution that could solve their problem was an aggregator specifically for dance classes and studios. Choreo needed to be a combination of the things these apps did well.
The Information Architecture
The Wireframes
Early wireframe exploration
The Flows
1. For experienced dancers
Dancers who know what type of classes they want can simply search for a class and choose the best class that fits what they are looking for.
2. For beginner dancers
This flow is for first time dancers or people who have an interest in dance classes but don't know what type of genre they would enjoy. Users can search through different genres, see similar classes within the genre and watch previews to get a better sense of the dance style.
The Iterations
I user tested the designs to five dancers. Users rated the usability 7 out of 10 and most commented that if Choreo were real, they would use it.
The main issue with Choreo was users wanted a video feature. Dance is a visual art form, and having visuals helps the user better understand the type of choreography.
