The Bell Hotel
Discovery Phase
The goal of the discovery phase is to gather insights, generate hypotheses, and uncover opportunities to develop a digital strategy that aligns with user needs, client objectives, and technical feasibility.
My Role
Lead UX Designer
Problem
The construction of this hotel faced some opposition from a few community members, with many details about the hotel's offerings and target audience still unclear. Despite this, we collaborated with two passionate entrepreneurs eager to work together and demonstrate the benefits the hotel will bring to the community.
Solution
We created two phases for the site. The first phase, which is currently live, provides information about the hotel's purpose, its partnership with local vendors, and a way to contact the owners. It also addresses community questions such as, "What is a boutique hotel?"
Getting to the Insight
Gaining insights requires considering the following questions:
- Market Needs and Trends: How are similar organizations approaching their messaging?
- Value Propositions: What value can The Bell Hotel provide to its stakeholders?
- User Needs: What pain points is The Bell Hotel aiming to solve?
This leads us to the final insight question: How do we tell the story of The Bell in an authentic way that resonates with guests?
Stakeholder Interview
With any project, stakeholder interviews are essential. My favorite part of these interviews is defining what success looks like. It was also incredible to hear what motivated the owners to start this hotel. They have a strong connection to their community and recognized that a hotel can not only attract tourists but also promote local businesses. All their furnishings come from local vendors, and they provide a list of where guests can purchase these items, such as linens and artwork.
Competitive Review
The competitive review allows us to better understand the market. By combining this with a SWOT analysis, we identified several opportunities that would make The Bell unique. Most notably, their pet-friendly accommodations, along with a variety of rental options such as car seats and strollers, set them apart in this area of Montana.
Identifying Audiences
Initially, the Bell Hotel owners said the hotel is open to everyone. However, we wanted to thoughtfully consider specific primary and secondary audiences. Who has the means to stay at a hotel like this? Who can benefit most from the amenities? By discussing these questions, we identified key considerations that helped us craft a writing tone and imagery.
Core Insight: All audiences need transparency. When booking a trip, whether for leisure or business, users want to know exactly what they're getting and don't want any surprises upon arrival.
Identifying with a Brand Archetype
After exploring various brand archetypes, the clients identified most with "The Creator." As the Lead UX Designer on this project, this insight informed the next part of the process: wireframes. It guided me to design components that felt inspirational and unique while still being mobile-friendly.
Next Steps
The discovery phase was very helpful. It allowed me to enter the next phase, wireframes, with confidence and direction. During this phase, I learned more about the plugins they want to use for booking rooms, what others in the market are doing, the type of tone we aim to portray, and the audience we want to connect with.
