Alchemy & Archetype sells jewelry designed around tarot, astrological, and mythological archetypes with the intention of helping people embody desired energies while looking stylish and trendy.
The company owner, Hayley Winter, is a life coach as her primary career. Her jewelry business, however, is directly tied to the life coaching. Here is some background information on what she believes and teaches to her clients, as well as information about the history of how and why the idea came about in her own words:
“I really discovered tarot by accident. I have always been a skeptical person- not spiritual. When tarot came into my life, I was working as a therapist and getting ready to leave the counseling industry and move into the world of depth psychology. On a whim I decided to hire a tarot reader for my bridal shower around the same time as I made that academic transition, and something just clicked. It felt right.
As I progressed into my new education and began learning about consciousness, intuition, psychospirituality, and the powers of the mind, I started noticing parallels between those theories and the practice of tarot. I started doing deeper research into the role of archetypes and symbolism in the processes of self reflection, understanding and personal growth. I began connecting consciousness theory with quantum physics and the psychology of personal transformation, using archetypes like tarot and astrology as tools. It really became a mission to bridge the worlds of science and spirituality with the specific intention of helping to teach people how to reflect on and embody different energies and qualities in order to reach their fullest potential.
I’ve always found that visual cues are the most powerful reminders to enter a certain headspace or perspective, but it’s not always practical to carry a tarot deck or card around. Hence the idea for jewelry was born! Archetypal jewelry pieces are a beautiful, tangible reminder that we are who we choose to be. They help us to stay focused, present, intentional, and creative. And the act of wearing something like that is an act of self love in and of itself, which puts us even closer to self actualization. Everyone deserves to reach their fullest potential, and feel beautiful, worthy, and powerful while doing it. My hope is that my jewelry can help women very tangibly embody that energy.”
At the beginning of this project, the client had a very strong understanding of the personality and concepgt of the brand, which she was able to express eloquently. However, she was lacking in visual direction, and had not previously done any surveys or studies to learn more about the user base. My objective with this project was to address those specifications to achieve a well-rounded and well-justified aesthetic base for the brand.
The overall goal of this project is to help establish the brand though a web presence, create a landing spot for those interested in learning more about the products and/or purchasing (there will be a social media presence involved as well). The message to be communicated through this project, as well as what makes these products different from just any line of jewelry is its connection to one’s ability to make real, positive changes in her life. Alchemy & Archetype aims to not only get the product into the hands of consumers, but do so in a way that enables them to do just that.
The focus of the website will be on selling products, however, the secondary purpose will be to connect the Alchemy & Archetype jewelry to the company’s life coaching business by highlighting the same ideas and themes used in parallel with both.
Guiding Question: Will this design be relatable to the target audience and promote sales?
● UX Strategist
● UX Researcher
● UI Designer
The target market is women in their 20s and 30s who make $60k+ per year that are interested subjects such as wellness, personal development, self-care, prychospirituality, archetypal systems. They are likely to value quality, ethical business practices, craftsmanship, and have fewer staple pieces in their jewelry collection rather than having a large selection of inexpensive jewelry. A target geological location demographic might include California, since this is a small business for the time being.
A secondary target market would be a gift giver that doesn’t necessarily possess any of the same interests or demographic specifications. For example, a spouse/partner of someone in the primary target market, also in his 20s or 30s who has a good understanding of who he is buying for and what types of things she is interested in. This person would have a similar level of income ~$60k+ per year.
● Initial consultation, concept development brainstorming and roadmap
● Persona definition, empathy map
● Task flow
● Content mapping
● Wireframe
● Touch bases with client
● UX study & evaluation of similar websites
● Implement changes to prototype based on study results
● Touch bases with client
● Make any changes to wireframe if needed
● High fidelity Prototype
● Touch bases with client and make adjustments as needed
After a style guide had been established, with colors, typefaces, etc. picked out, the mockups came easily! Once the first draft mockup was complete, I was able to conduct a user testing study and product a UX report, and then implement changes based on my findings.
This was the first time I had created a fully fleshed out style guide for a project. I found that it was much more initially intimidating than it was difficult, and once it was in motion, each next step became obvious and felt natural. This practice is absolutely something I will be continuing in the future, as it helped the design feel very mature and established before any wireframing or prototyping even began, and there was no guessing when it came to choosing elements once I did start.
Another thing to note was that the study for this project ended up being fully remote. The initial reason was because of limitations due to the pandemic. However, I ended up being pleased with that choice regardless because it meant that the participants would be in a more natural and organic environment, rendering the results more accurate. It also gave me a chance to practice conducting remote interviews and user testing sessions.
On a more personal note, this project ended up being very fun and inspiring! I'm also the target market, so that doesn't hurt either!