Crochet Circle
May - August 2024
My Role: Research, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, visual design
Problem Statement
Beginner crocheters of all ages often report feeling confused and frustrated as they learn. Learning to crochet involves high Intrinsic Cognitive Load because users must simultaneously manage motor skills, pattern decoding, and stitch counting. My research identified that current tools (YouTube, static patterns) cause the Split-Attention Effect, forcing users to toggle between different contexts, leading to frustration and rapid churn.
“When you go to a youtube video, it's the most complex stitch and then the person doing it it's like 10 minutes to show you, but at the end you're more confused than when you started.”
Katrina B., age 24
What is Crochet Circle?
Crochet Circle is a mobile application that offers beginner crocheters a supportive platform to learn, connect, and find inspiration, transforming the initial challenges into a fun and rewarding hobby.
Research & Persona
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
The Gap:
Users reach a moment in the learning curve where enthusiasm drops as difficulty spikes.
I conducted a behavioral needs analysis to lunderstand beginner’s challenges and frustrations, how they learn best, and their motivations.
Research Findings
Beginner crocheters feel confused by many different techniques and video tutorials for basic crochet stitches and concepts.
Users want to document their work and see their progress.
Most users learned crochet through friends and family, and those connections served as a common motivation among all interview participants (ex. crocheting gifts for loved ones), and as a way to ask questions when they feel stuck.
Behavioral Obstacles
User Stories
Site Map
User Flow - Shop
Wireframes & User Testing
Early Sketches
Early Wireframes
Iteration 01 - Shop
Before User Testing
After User Testing
“I want to explore and feel inspired, not feel like I’m being sold something.”
Design Solutions
Mood Board
Prototype Highlight 01 - Homepage
Within a close circle of crocheting friends and family, users can share questions, challenges, and celebrate successes.
Building self-efficacy through social modeling. Seeing peers at similar skill levels succeed reduces the anxiety of failure and validates the user's learning journey
Combining community connections, documenting user’s progress, and crochet support.
The Need:
Users need Scaffolding, or support structures that are gradually removed as competence increases.
Prototype Highlight 02 - Watch & Learn
Blending visual and written tutorials to accommodate different learning styles.
Presenting verbal and visual information simultaneously allows the brain to process the skill via two channels, doubling retention and reducing cognitive strain.
Prototype Highlight 03 - My Projects
One central location for users’ current projects, uploaded progress, video tutorials, and saved patterns.
By visualizing 'In-Progress' states, we increase the user's motivation to complete the task, reducing the rate of unfinished projects.
Learnings
A Comprehensive Companion
More than just tutorials, the app is designed to fully support beginner crocheters.
Empowering Users
Focus on making learning accessible and building a supportive community.
Addressing Frustrations
This project aimed to directly tackle common frustrations faced by beginners.
Creative Solutions
This project pushed me out of my comfort zone to explore and implement creative design solutions.