Treetops Resort
Background
Treetops Resort, nestled in Northern Michigan, sought to evolve from a predominantly summer‑time golf destination into a full‑season, year‑round retreat. After updating their brand strategy and messaging, a new website would kick-off this adjusted focus.
Challenges
- Dual-season marketing: Treetops needed to position itself not just as a golf destination, but equally as a premier winter resort.
- High competition: Northern Michigan has many resorts, yet Treetops’ diverse offerings (five courses, spa, event space) posed positioning complexity.
- Optimizing ROI: Limited budget demanded a web experience that clearly moved the needle—not just brand awareness, but direct bookings.
User-focused Approach
Our UX design process followed a structured, user-centered framework:
User Research & Personas
We began by engaging real users through interviews, surveys, and contextual observations to uncover their goals, pain points, and mental models. These insights were synthesized into personas—composite archetypes that guided every design decision by reflecting who our users are and what they need.
Sketches (Ideation)
With clear problem definitions in hand, we moved to ideation via rapid sketching on paper and whiteboards—experimenting with at least five distinct layout and flow concepts early in the process. This phase encouraged creative divergence and enabled lightweight feedback loops before investing in digital assets.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes & Prototypes
Promising sketches were translated into low-fidelity digital wireframes—focused on structure, hierarchy, and interaction rather than aesthetics. We created paper and digital prototypes to simulate user flows, allowing stakeholders and users to test navigation and functionality early for rapid iteration.
Interaction Design
In parallel, we emphasized interaction design—defining clear feedback loops, mapping user-system dialogues, and maintaining a balance between familiar patterns and innovative behaviors. Every clickable component, transition, and user state was thought through to ensure intuitive, efficient, and delightful interactions.
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