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[Case 02]

✨ “Wait… What is this site?”
Rethinking the First Click:
Making Naks Yetu More Intuitive for Users

Hospitality

[Case 02]

✨ “Wait… What is this site?”
Rethinking the First Click:
Making Naks Yetu More Intuitive for Users

Hospitality

Setting The Scene

Project Overview

In March 2025, the Naks Yetu team approached the Center for Digital Experiences with an open-ended challenge:


“We know our site isn’t quite working, help us make it better.”


Naks Yetu is a vibrant, community-powered platform that connects residents and travelers in Nakuru, Kenya, through local events, stories, and shared experiences. Our mission was to improve the platform’s usability while honoring its storytelling spirit.

In March 2025, the Naks Yetu team approached the Center for Digital Experiences with an open-ended challenge:


“We know our site isn’t quite working, help us make it better.”


Naks Yetu is a vibrant, community-powered platform that connects residents and travelers in Nakuru, Kenya, through local events, stories, and shared experiences. Our mission was to improve the platform’s usability while honoring its storytelling spirit.

In March 2025, the Naks Yetu team approached the Center for Digital Experiences with an open-ended challenge:


“We know our site isn’t quite working, help us make it better.”


Naks Yetu is a vibrant, community-powered platform that connects residents and travelers in Nakuru, Kenya, through local events, stories, and shared experiences. Our mission was to improve the platform’s usability while honoring its storytelling spirit.

View Prototype

View Prototype

View Prototype

Made For

Naks Yetu- Nakuru Tourism Platform

Team

3 UX Researcher + Designers

My Responsibilities

Research Planning, Usability Testing,

Client Management & UX Design

Timeline

3 Months

What We Were Up Against

The Challenge

No specific design requirements were given, just a directive to improve the experience.

  • The website was still under development; not all pages were available.

  • We had a 7-week project timeline from kickoff to delivery.

  • Our goal was to present actionable research and redesign recommendations.

No specific design requirements were given, just a directive to improve the experience.

  • The website was still under development; not all pages were available.

  • We had a 7-week project timeline from kickoff to delivery.

  • Our goal was to present actionable research and redesign recommendations.

No specific design requirements were given, just a directive to improve the experience.

  • The website was still under development; not all pages were available.

  • We had a 7-week project timeline from kickoff to delivery.

  • Our goal was to present actionable research and redesign recommendations.

Drag ⟷ to reveal

The Questions That Drove Us

Core Questions

How did we evaluate the website?

The Methodology

Planning the Conversations

To really understand where users were getting stuck, we ran a moderated usability session.

View the script here👈

Each person was guided through a set of 5 realistic tasks with a mix of questions, designed to reflect how someone might actually use the platform. We also encouraged them to think out loud while they were navigating the dashboard, to help us uncover their mental model and identify hidden insights.


📌Scenario: You’ve just booked a trip to Nakuru with friends and are using the Naks Yetu website to find things to do, local events, and stories from people who’ve been there.

To really understand where users were getting stuck, we ran a moderated usability session.

View the script here👈

Each person was guided through a set of 5 realistic tasks with a mix of questions, designed to reflect how someone might actually use the platform. We also encouraged them to think out loud while they were navigating the dashboard, to help us uncover their mental model and identify hidden insights.


📌Scenario: You’ve just booked a trip to Nakuru with friends and are using the Naks Yetu website to find things to do, local events, and stories from people who’ve been there.

To really understand where users were getting stuck, we ran a moderated usability session.

View the script here👈

Each person was guided through a set of 5 realistic tasks with a mix of questions, designed to reflect how someone might actually use the platform. We also encouraged them to think out loud while they were navigating the dashboard, to help us uncover their mental model and identify hidden insights.


📌Scenario: You’ve just booked a trip to Nakuru with friends and are using the Naks Yetu website to find things to do, local events, and stories from people who’ve been there.

5 User Task

Who we listened to

We knew our users needed to be travel-savvy and digitally fluent — the kind of people who would actually turn to a site like Naks Yetu to plan their adventures. So that became our baseline for recruitment: people who love to explore and are comfortable navigating websites on their phones or laptops.

We knew our users needed to be travel-savvy and digitally fluent — the kind of people who would actually turn to a site like Naks Yetu to plan their adventures. So that became our baseline for recruitment: people who love to explore and are comfortable navigating websites on their phones or laptops.

We knew our users needed to be travel-savvy and digitally fluent — the kind of people who would actually turn to a site like Naks Yetu to plan their adventures. So that became our baseline for recruitment: people who love to explore and are comfortable navigating websites on their phones or laptops.

User Demographics
User Demographics
User Demographics

Participant Demographics

While we hoped to recruit a more diverse group, time wasn’t on our side. Much of our schedule went into getting the site ready, so participant outreach happened fast. Even so, the feedback we gathered was rich, honest, and incredibly insightful.

While we hoped to recruit a more diverse group, time wasn’t on our side. Much of our schedule went into getting the site ready, so participant outreach happened fast. Even so, the feedback we gathered was rich, honest, and incredibly insightful.

While we hoped to recruit a more diverse group, time wasn’t on our side. Much of our schedule went into getting the site ready, so participant outreach happened fast. Even so, the feedback we gathered was rich, honest, and incredibly insightful.

What we heard (Loud and Clear)

Insights

Issue 1

6/7 users could not describe what Naks Yetu did after exploring the homepage. Confusion ranged from assuming it was a travel agency to thinking Nakuru was a resort.

“Is Nakuru a resort? A national park? An agency?”

Recommendation

Improve Homepage Storytelling by Highlighting Nakuru’s Identity and Key Attractions for Visitors

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Issue 2

5/7 Users did not find the information on the Bucket List pages enough and wanted to know more details

“How do I book [the safari drive]?”

“Wait, how much does this cost?”

Recommendation

Enhance ‘Bucket List’ Pages with Visual Tags, Icons, and Action Buttons to Support Informed User Choices

Drag ⟷ to reveal

Drag ⟷ to reveal

Issue 3

The Media section did not meet expectations because of the lack of real visitor experiences content.

“I prefer seeing photos from actual visitors”

Recommendation

Incorporate Engaging Media to Support User Exploration and Build Trust Through Real Experiences

Drag ⟷ to reveal

Issue 4

7/7 Users directly expressed that the RSVP/registration process was unclear.

“Usually I’d expect a link to RSVP”

Recommendation

Enable On-Site Event RSVP to Boost Engagement

Drag ⟷ to reveal

Issue 5

Organizers found parts of the event submission form confusing or unnecessary.

“Why does it ask for the event country?”

Recommendation

Reduce Friction in Event Submission by Simplifying Organizer Details and Removing Unnecessary Fields

Drag ⟷ to reveal

The Redesigned Experience

Final Prototype

View Prototype

View Prototype

View Prototype

Redesign: A Necessary Shift

The Methodology

After reviewing test recordings and user reflections, it became clear that the issues were foundational, not just cosmetic. From homepage clarity to basic task completion, the problems users faced were consistent and significant.

From the post study test users said that:

After reviewing test recordings and user reflections, it became clear that the issues were foundational, not just cosmetic. From homepage clarity to basic task completion, the problems users faced were consistent and significant.

From the post study test users said that:

After reviewing test recordings and user reflections, it became clear that the issues were foundational, not just cosmetic. From homepage clarity to basic task completion, the problems users faced were consistent and significant.

From the post study test users said that:

We made the decision to go beyond small tweaks and propose a full redesign.

  • The client supported this direction wholeheartedly, admitting that even they were unsure about parts of the current site and welcomed a more cohesive, user-centered experience.

  • The redesign allowed us to address deep-rooted UX issues and offer a structure that better aligned with Naks Yetu’s mission.

We made the decision to go beyond small tweaks and propose a full redesign.

  • The client supported this direction wholeheartedly, admitting that even they were unsure about parts of the current site and welcomed a more cohesive, user-centered experience.

  • The redesign allowed us to address deep-rooted UX issues and offer a structure that better aligned with Naks Yetu’s mission.

We made the decision to go beyond small tweaks and propose a full redesign.

  • The client supported this direction wholeheartedly, admitting that even they were unsure about parts of the current site and welcomed a more cohesive, user-centered experience.

  • The redesign allowed us to address deep-rooted UX issues and offer a structure that better aligned with Naks Yetu’s mission.

From Insights to Impact

The Final Outcome

Our usability testing uncovered critical gaps in how users perceived and navigated the platform — but it also gave us a roadmap forward. Based on that research, we reimagined the Naks Yetu experience with a focus on:


Our usability testing uncovered critical gaps in how users perceived and navigated the platform — but it also gave us a roadmap forward. Based on that research, we reimagined the Naks Yetu experience with a focus on:


Our usability testing uncovered critical gaps in how users perceived and navigated the platform — but it also gave us a roadmap forward. Based on that research, we reimagined the Naks Yetu experience with a focus on:


Clarity

A homepage that clearly communicates what Naks Yetu is and who it’s for

Exploration

Interactive paths that help users easily find events, activities, and local experiences

Trust

Real media, visitor content, and social proof that make the platform feel human and credible


When we presented our findings and redesigned prototype to the Naks Yetu team, the impact was immediate. They saw how deeply the recommendations reflected their mission — and how usability insights could drive not just design changes, but stronger community engagement.


When we presented our findings and redesigned prototype to the Naks Yetu team, the impact was immediate. They saw how deeply the recommendations reflected their mission — and how usability insights could drive not just design changes, but stronger community engagement.


When we presented our findings and redesigned prototype to the Naks Yetu team, the impact was immediate. They saw how deeply the recommendations reflected their mission — and how usability insights could drive not just design changes, but stronger community engagement.

Simplification is key

Users value a quick and easy process, especially on mobile.

Simplification is key

Users value a quick and easy process, especially on mobile.

Iterative testing pays off

Regular testing uncovered hidden issues and ensured the design met user needs.

Iterative testing pays off

Regular testing uncovered hidden issues and ensured the design met user needs.

Details matter

Small improvements, like error validation and mobile optimization, had a significant impact.

Details matter

Small improvements, like error validation and mobile optimization, had a significant impact.

Final meeting with Naks-Yetu team

"What you’ve done goes far beyond delivering a new website, you’ve laid a strong foundation that will shape how we test, launch, and grow future products."

"What you’ve done goes far beyond delivering a new website, you’ve laid a strong foundation that will shape how we test, launch, and grow future products."

"What you’ve done goes far beyond delivering a new website, you’ve laid a strong foundation that will shape how we test, launch, and grow future products."

Behind The Scenes

What you didn't see

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