Bloc. Hair is an independent hair salon based in Reading, known for its modern styling, personalised service and commitment to sustainable beauty. During a visit to the salon, I learned that the team were spending a significant amount of time managing bookings over the phone, creating interruptions throughout the working day and reducing the time they could dedicate to clients.
Recognising an opportunity to improve both the customer and staff experience, I volunteered to design a mobile booking application that would simplify appointment scheduling while remaining true to Bloc. Hair's warm, welcoming brand.
Bloc. booking app
UX Design • Mobile App • Prototyping
Property of Bloc. Hair
Problem Statement
The salon relied heavily on telephone bookings, meaning stylists were frequently interrupted while working with clients. Booking availability was difficult to manage efficiently, and customers could only make appointments during opening hours.
The challenge was to create a mobile-first experience that allowed customers to browse services, select a stylist and book appointments independently, reducing administrative workload while improving convenience.
Objectives
Simplify the appointment booking process.
Reduce reliance on telephone bookings.
Create a seamless mobile-first experience.
Reflect Bloc. Hair's existing brand identity.
Design an intuitive interface for users of all ages.
Build a scalable concept for future digital growth.
The Opportunity
Salon Team
Spend less time answering calls.
Reduce booking errors.
Manage appointments more efficiently.
Focus on delivering services rather than administration.
Discovery
Customers
Want to book quickly.
Prefer browsing services at their own pace.
Need transparent pricing.
Want to choose a preferred stylist.
Expect a seamless mobile experience.
Understanding the Users:
Rather than beginning with a formal client brief, this project started through conversation. While visiting Bloc. Hair as a customer, I discovered that managing appointments by phone had become increasingly challenging for the team. They had a booking system via the website but not many customers were using it and the upkeeep of user log ins etc was causing them to lose revenue. Working within a limited budget, the salon wanted a digital solution that would reduce interruptions while remaining simple for customers to use.
Information Architecture
Organised services into logical categories such as:
Haircuts
Colour
Treatments
Styling
Research
existing customer booking behaviour
common appointment booking patterns
Bloc. Hair's brand identity
accessibility considerations
Design Process
Wireframes
Preliminary consultation low fidelity Wireframes
Prototypes
Sign in or register journey
The initial sign-in experience. The colors were tailored to align with branding in the subsequent steps.
Sign in or password recovery
Each card corresponds to a simple user flow.
Reflection
This project reminded me that meaningful UX doesn't always begin with a formal brief or a large budget. Sometimes the most impactful opportunities come from observing everyday frustrations and designing practical solutions that genuinely improve people's working lives. Collaborating with a local independent business allowed me to balance business goals, user needs and technical constraints while creating an experience that felt authentic to the brand.
Contact
Let's chat about your next UX project.
colourmeinstyle20@gmail.com
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