CROCHÉY

Project Description

I was tasked with creating a web specification document for planning a website. This assignment required me to come up with an idea for a website and plan everything from audience and competition research, to the building of the site, to making suggestions for marketing. I opted to create a crochet website as that craft is not only becoming more popular but is also a topic I am quite familiar with. A one-stop resource for crafters is always welcomed and useful. Below is a shortened version of the specification document. It includes the multiple steps of my design process.

Check out the design aspects of this project.

Purpose

The purpose of this website is to provide resources and information about crochet techniques to a community of new to advanced crocheters

Goals

Double the number of visitors to the site within one year of launch
Make $2000/ per month in ad revenue from the website and posted YouTube video tutorials.

Website Themes

• Crochet Information

• Crochet Resources

• Crochet Techniques

• Crochet Community

Keywords, Titles, and SEO

The keywords and titles featured on the site will be focused on the various elements related to crochet. Based on research from online forums (such as Ravelry, Reddit, and Crochet Talk) and Google Trends these are common topics in the crochet community:

• Learn to Crochet
• Crochet stitches
• Crochet Hook
• Crochet techniques
• Yarn
• Crochet Blankets
• Crochet Sweater
• Amigurumi Crochet
• Tapestry Crochet
• Graphgans
• Specific trends such as Crochet Harry Style Sweater, Crochet Bee, Crochet Earrings, Crochet Bucket hat, Crochet tank top, Crochet Among Us Dolls, and Crochet Bernie Sanders

The website will utilize these keywords to capitalize on the search engine optimization (SEO), so the site can easily be found on search engines like Google. The keywords will be attached to most headings and will appear in alt text for images.

Audience and Marketing

Ultimately the target audience will be women who are into crafts, specifically crochet and/or knitting. A secondary target would be related to the individual’s affinity for learning and communicating in an online environment. This aspect might narrow the target age group down to teenaged through middle-aged customers.

According to a 2016 study from ACFI, 71 % of crocheters are women and the ages range evenly across the board. However, the age range varies even more since people ages 14 – 40 have picked up crocheting during the past two years. According to a 2014 study from the Craft Yarn Council, 90% of crafters use the internet to find patterns and instructions for projects. 46% of crafters use the internet to buy products such as yarn, crochet tools, and patterns. If the website were to add an e-commerce aspect in the future, it would be best to consider which people are actually willing to purchase yarn, patterns, and tools online. The current focus will be to give crocheters a new resource for the information they seek online.

As crafters often turn to videos and blog posts to learn more about the craft, these will be the main sources for marketing. The site’s owner can also guess blog on other crafters’ blogs for more visibility. Tutorials will be placed on YouTube and the articles on the website will be written in a friendly and personable tone like blog posts. Social media will also be utilized for spreading the word about the website. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and forums like Reddit have large communities of crafters on their platforms; therefore, those are good places to gain new visitors.

Tools and Code

• Adobe Suites
• Invision
• Dreamweaver
• Html
• CSS
• JavaScript

The website will first be planned and tested via mid and high-fidelity prototypes created with a combination of adobe suite and Invision. The design will be evaluated by the client for any necessary changes or concerns and will be tested by a few members of the target audience. Once a design is agreed upon by the designer and client, the development process will begin. The website will be built with Adobe Dreamweaver and will be further customized with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Any images or necessary graphics will be created in adobe suites.

Content and Style

The website will consist of articles and tutorials on popular crochet trends. It will also feature a variety of crochet styles, techniques, and projects to appeal to a variety of visitors. The website will host crochet challenges and crochet-along events to encourage engagement and a sense of community. Popular crafting sites like Spruce crafts and Yarnspiration with be linked as references on the site. Craft stores like Michaels and Joann’s will be linked for products such as yarn and tools.

Much like other websites of this type, the site will have a friendly, and homely image. With the use of friendly and approachable language and a calming aesthetic, the site will strive to make visitors feel comfortable. The main colors of the site will be muted or pastels. Vibrant photos will be allowed on the featured content if desired.

The forums will be a place for crocheters to take part in the community on the site. Crocheters will be able to share their creations, post their products, and even get help from other crafters. It is important that this site creates a sense of community and an open learning environment.

Color Scheme: White, Burnt Coral (#ED8A81), Sunlight (#F0Daa4), Green Ash (#A0DAA9), Dark Grey (#707070)
Fonts: Futura PT, Brandon Grotesque, San Serif

Examples of Similar Websites/Competition:

https://makeanddocrew.com/
https://crochet.life/42-warm-crochet-sweater-patterns-for-fall-and-winter/
https://www.yarnspirations.com/
https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/blog/how-tap-online-knitcrochet-community
https://forum.crochetville.com/
https://www.crochet.com/
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/crochet-patterns-for-every-level-978749
https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/l/crochet/crochet-patterns/free-crochet-patterns
https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/know.html
https://blog.anthonythomas.com/knitting-and-crochet-today-statistics-trends-and-more
https://crochettalk.com/forum

Design

Site Map

Visitor Pathway Examples

Path of a person wanting to learn more about stuff animal making

Path of a person wanting to find a free hat pattern

Wireframes

After researching the target audience and other craft websites, I was able to create a simple sample website. This website would provide the client with an idea of what to expect from the final product.

Original Sketches

Digital Wireframes

Mockups and Prototype

I created a simple sample website to display the potential look and navigation of the Crochéy site. I was asked to limit the features included in the prototype to mimic real-world bargaining with clients in web development. In the future, usability testing could be conducted to gain more insight into changes that need to be made to the site.

Interact with the Crochéy prototype.

Lessons Learned

For brevity purposes, I excluded a section containing a more detailed description of the navigation and structure of the website as well as sections on scheduling, the development process, and budget. By completing this project I was able to better understand how business and marketing can influence design work. Creating useful and desirable products is very important but the business aspects of designing should not be ignored. If I were to continue developing this website, I would conduct usability tests to better understand how people would approach using such a website.