A new identity and website for a dog salon

About the project

I undertook a complete redesign and modernisation of the family-run Salon U Potoka website. The original site used a free WordPress theme that was confusing, slow, and not optimised for mobile devices.

The goal was to create a clear custom interface, improve navigation, simplify the booking process, and build the site as a bespoke solution without relying on a complex WordPress CMS.

Research

Before designing, I audited the original website and analysed competing dog grooming salons in the area.

Key problems with the original website:

• Competitors offered an immediate booking button, while Salon U Potoka had no clear call to action (CTA).
• Information about services and location was scattered.
• More than 70% of customers access the site on mobile, but the original theme broke down on small screens.

My research process:

• Competitor website analysis (three Czech and three international salons)
• Interviews with existing salon clients
• Information architecture audit

Idea

Based on the research, I established three pillars for the new website:

Orientation in under three seconds: visitors should immediately see the location (Bílovice nad Svitavou), available appointments, and services on the homepage.

A direct path to booking: the prominent “Book an appointment” button appears in the hero and key sections, with direct contact details also available in the footer. Customers do not have to search for the booking button.

Lightweight, clean code: moving from WordPress to plain HTML/CSS/JS without unnecessary plugins ensured fast loading, even on a slow mobile connection.

Design

The design process moved from rough sketches through to final functionality testing.

• I created low-fidelity wireframes for mobile and desktop and designed a gentle visual identity in warm, natural tones that reflect care for pets.
• I coded the site with semantic HTML5 and modern CSS layouts (Flexbox/Grid), using modern AI tools (Cursor, GitHub Copilot).
• Before launch, I checked rendering on iOS and Android devices, button responsiveness, code validity, and loading speed with Chrome DevTools.

Reflection

This project showed me how much difference the right questions at the start of research can make. Moving away from generic templates made it possible to create a bespoke website without bloated code or plugin overhead.

I gained valuable experience across the full product lifecycle — from initial UX research and visual design through coding, testing, and fixing issues before launch.