Timber & Tulle
Events & Planning
Mobile App Design
Role: Product Designer
Timeline: 2 week Sprint
Tools: Figma, ChatGPT, Claude AI for synthesis, UserTesting for validation
5 out of 10 of my users told me my solution didn't work.
Halfway through design, I presented my Airbnb-inspired venue browsing interface to 10 engaged couples. Five of them looked at me with exhausted eyes and said it felt "overwhelming" and "same as everything else."
That feedback stung. But it also sparked the pivot that would define this entire project.
The Problem
Engaged couples quickly find joy overshadowed by the exhausting, fragmented search for rustic barn wedding venues.
The numbers tell the story:
70% of couples find wedding planning "extremely stressful" (English Wedding Study)
Users report opening 30+ browser tabs trying to compare venues
Endless back-and-forth emails just to confirm basic details like pricing and availability
Research Insights
Through interviews and behavioral analysis, three core friction points emerged:
💥 Manual Chaos
Couples experience cognitive fatigue managing notes, screenshots, and spreadsheets across multiple tools just to compare venues.
🔍 Fragmented Search
Photos, pricing, and availability are scattered across different wedding websites, forcing constant tab-switching and context loss.
📧 Communication Friction
7 out of 10 users mentioned "endless back-and-forth" with venues to confirm logistics, delaying decisions and killing momentum.
My First Solution (That Failed)
I designed a clean, Airbnb-style browsing experience with:
Grid layout showing multiple venues
Filters for price, capacity, location
Detailed venue pages with all information upfront
The logic seemed sound: Centralize everything, reduce clicks, provide transparency.
But when I tested it with users, 50% said it didn't solve their problem. It felt like every other wedding site they'd already tried. The information overload persisted—just with better visual design.
The other 50% liked it, but their feedback was lukewarm. Not passionate. Not delighted.
I realized I was designing for comparison, when what couples really needed was confidence.
What If Planning Felt Like Play?
Sitting with the feedback, I asked myself: What if venue hunting didn't feel like work at all?
I thought about Tinder. Love it or hate it, the swipe mechanic is addictive because it:
Presents one option at a time (reduces decision paralysis)
Uses intuitive physical gestures (low cognitive effort)
Creates variable rewards (dopamine hits when you find "the one")
Makes decisions feel light, not heavy
But here's the challenge: Choosing a wedding venue is one of the most important—and expensive—decisions a couple makes. Would gamification feel too casual? Too trivial?
My solution: Keep the playful interaction, but preserve the depth.
The Solution: Swipe, Shortlist, Book
I redesigned Timber & Tulle around a 3-step flow that balances delight with substance:
Swipe Through Venues (One at a Time)
Large, beautiful imagery
Key details at a glance (price, capacity, location)
Tap gestures: "I Do" / "Nope" / "Maybe"
Design principle: Hick's Law—limiting choices speeds decision-making. Progressive disclosure avoids information overload.
The tap interface mimics slot machines—intermittent rewards heighten excitement. Unlike dating apps, users access detailed info and switch between "fun browsing" and "serious research." Delight isn’t just decoration; the swipe gesture transformed how couples experience a stressful task, merging emotion with usability.
View Full Details (When Ready)
Users get the dopamine of quick swiping, but can dive deep before committing. Best of both worlds.
Tap any venue to see the full venue page
High-quality photos, square footage, guest count, reviews
Direct messaging with venue owners
Consolidating venue info, trusted reviews, and direct booking on one platform removes tab chaos. Clean, spacious layouts ease cognitive load (Law of Prägnanz, Miller's Law).
Book with Confidence
Timber&Tulle increase bookings, offer couples clear, detailed photos, trusted reviews, and quick ways to get in touch right away.
During our survey, 7 out of 10 of our users mentioned “endless back-and-forth” to confirm logistics.
Real photos, authentic reviews, and live availability eliminate doubts on wedding sites. Seeing open dates prompts quicker decisions. By creating real-time booking, I translated user research into faster bookings for rustic venues.
Built-in live calendar showing open dates
Reserve directly in-app
No more email ping-pong
Before & After
Accessibility Improvements
During the design audit, the original color choice had a contrast ratio of 4.35:1, which did not fully meet WCAG AA guidelines for text and interface elements. This could make it difficult for users with low vision or color deficiencies to read or interact with the content.
I tested alternative color combinations and selected a new shade that achieved a contrast ratio of 8.03:1, ensuring compliance with WCAG AAA standards for readability and accessibility.
Impact & Results
Usability Metrics
10 venues evaluated in under 3 minutes (down from 15+ minutes)
90% of participants said they'd book directly from the app
30% reduction in time to shortlist top venues
An 88 SUS score is great. But the real story is in what users said: "This made me excited again." Numbers validate, but empathy designs.
Business Impact
Before: Couples were overwhelmed, clicking endlessly between tabs and leaving without booking.
After: They're finding what they need in fewer steps and taking decisive action.
This shorter session time reflects faster decision-making and reduced friction, not loss of interest. It signals trust, clarity, and a smoother path to conversion.
Timber & Tulle stopped asking for more of couples' time—and started giving it back." The magic of Timber & Tulle isn't keeping users scrolling; it's helping them get to their wedding faster, happier, and stress-free. Efficiency as empathy.
Reflection
What scared me most during this project was not meeting expectations—for my users and the business goals.
When half my users rejected my first design, my instinct was panic. But that moment taught me that good research sometimes means hearing "no"—and that pivoting based on evidence is a strength, not a weakness. I learned that meeting expectations isn't about perfection on the first try. It's about listening deeply, iterating honestly, and designing with empathy.
In the end, Timber & Tulle isn't just a venue booking app. It's a reminder that the best design doesn't add to people's burden—it lifts it.
What Next?
While Timber & Tulle successfully solves the couple's pain point, true platform potential emerges when we also serve the supply side: venue owners.
Two-sided marketplaces unlock network effects—as more couples use the platform, venues see demand increase, incentivizing them to optimize their listings and availability. This creates a virtuous cycle.
By providing insights on inquiries, bookings, and booking patterns, venues can:
Identify which marketing efforts drive the most qualified leads.
Optimize pricing based on demand signals.
Improve their listing presentation based on engagement data.
Analytics and reporting are essential in venue management software. Platforms like Perfect Venue and Momentus use real-time dashboards to help venues monitor performance, set goals, and make data-driven decisions. Just as we removed stress for couples, an analytics dashboard removes blind spots for venue owners.