Our biggest complaint from couples: “It’s hard to use”
Ease of use was the biggest problem we were solving this year, and couples told us so again and again. On iOS, the first thing they saw after making a website was a Manage page that listed everything on it, page by page, with no hint of where to start.
A guide, not a mirror
My idea was to lead with what to do next. A few suggestions sit at the top of the dashboard, and each one is written for the guests, not the setting: not just “Define your dress code” but “Help guests figure out what to wear (and feel fabulous!)”.
From a list of pages to a next step
The old page showed every setting and every page, in order. The new one opens on the website, then two or three things worth doing next, then the pages.
One tap, straight into editing
Every suggestion opens the exact flow it describes, not a page to go hunting on. Save it, and you’re back on the dashboard, where the card says it’s done and takes you right to the page to see your work.
Tap a suggestionon the dashboard
Write a question and answerthe form opens straight away, nothing to find first
Back on the dashboardthe card says it’s done, and links to the page
See it on the sitethe Q&A page, ready for guests
Safe to play around
Two goals pulled against each other here. I wanted couples to treat their site as a draft they could play with, without worrying who might see a half-finished page. But a site nobody publishes doesn’t help anyone, and publishing was one of the numbers we most wanted to move. So the button to publish is always within reach, and the reassurance sits right beside it.
A dashboard that grows with them
As couples finish things, the suggestions move on to what’s next. Once the website is published, they step aside for the pages and settings.
It won, and it’s rolling out to everyone
We ran it as an experiment from August. By October it had won, with a large lift in publish rate and key editing metrics, and it’s rolling out to every couple.
Hackin
TK hosted a 2 day hackathon where the goal was to find ways to use AI that will make life easier for ourselves or our users. It was rewarding because we went after a true, documented pain point in event planning and built something that fit naturally in the product (which was important to me because I complain about useless AI features all the time and I didn't want to be a hypocrite lol).
I don't think I can share too much more right now, but I'm proud of our team and am hoping we'll make it a reality soon so you can check it out live!
