Miraval Resorts
Client Miraval Resorts via Wallop (Agency)
Date 2022
Overview
The Mission
We took on the exciting challenge of completely revamping Miraval Resorts’ websites. Our goal was clear: to enhance user experience, boost the site's performance and speed, and infuse the Miraval Resorts brand essence into every pixel of the online experience.
Objectives
Craft brand-new websites from the ground up for the Miraval brand and each of its three resorts in Arizona, Austin and the Berkshires. The focus was on fresh layouts, an improved booking experience, and innovative features like an activity planning calendar and a wishlist for each website.
My Role
In the Driver's Seat
As the Lead Designer at Wallop, I steered the creative ship. My days were filled with brainstorming sessions, stakeholder meetings, and a whole lot of design magic. I worked hand-in-hand with both the Miraval Resorts and Wallop teams, taking their feedback and weaving it into the creative work, especially focusing on the UIs for our activities calendar and wishlist features.
The Dream Team
Our internal crew included project and account managers, developers, sales folks, and a copywriter. The Miraval Resorts team brought their marketing and sales gurus to the table, making this a true collaborative effort.
Process
Digging Deep
Grounded in thorough research and user feedback, our preliminary phase involved immersive discovery sessions with Miraval, uncovering their aspirations and challenges, which notably included the cumbersome activity booking process on their previous sites.
Blueprints and Brainstorms
Given the project's scale, I rolled up my sleeves and created wireframes for key pages and interfaces. This groundwork was crucial for visualizing the new site, from the homepage to the activities calendar and the unique Journeys with Intention landing pages. As always, the focus was on user-friendly navigation and intuitive design.
Design Dance
The Miraval Resorts team was a dream partner, offering insightful feedback that kept us focused on enhancing the user experience. The synergy between our teams meant that the final design closely mirrored our initial vision.
The Final Product
We crafted websites that effectively meet Miraval Resorts' objectives, offering solutions that resonates with the needs of their guests. While they build upon existing platforms, they introduce thoughtful enhancements aimed at enriching the guest experience—a solid step forward in online hospitality services.
Challenges and Solutions
Hurdles Overcome
The activity planning calendar and wishlist was our Everest. It represented a significant overhaul, demanding a creative rethink of how activities were displayed and booked online. It was a beast of a project, larger and more complex than anything we'd tackled before, but we reached the summit, and the results speak for themselves.
Innovation On Display
Taking to heart the feedback from Miraval’s guests, we overhauled the activity planning system. Our redesign simplified the process, making it much easier for guests to find and book what they’re interested in, thereby cutting down the previous reliance on phone bookings. We made sure to clearly outline how to reserve activities, enriched activity descriptions with handy filters, and integrated a Google Calendar-like interface to make navigation a snap. This upgrade not only smoothed out the guest experience but also gave the Miraval team better insight into guest preferences, greatly reducing the planners' workload.
Results and Impact
Victory Lap
Our redesign efforts have been warmly received, significantly boosting site usability and overall guest happiness. The more intuitive booking process has markedly decreased the need for phone bookings, with feedback indicating a smooth shift to managing activities online.
Looking Back
This project has been a deep dive into the essence of user-focused design and the importance of being open to feedback. The activities calendar, in particular, stood out as a significant improvement, advancing the ease and efficiency of online booking for Miraval’s clientele.
Conclusion
The Big Picture
Refreshing Miraval’s websites went beyond simple visual updates; the project was a conscious move towards creating spaces that aren’t just beautiful but also simple and enjoyable to use. I’m honoured to have led this transformation, presenting platforms that surpass Miraval’s guest and team expectations.
What’s Next
The work with Miraval doesn’t stop here. Both the Miraval and Wallop teams are committed to continuous improvement, always looking for ways to enhance the guest experience and ensure Miraval’s websites lead the way in hospitality innovation.
