Somatic Therapy Brooklyn

Somatic Therapy Brooklyn is a holistic therapy practice offering in-person and virtual sessions focused on mind-body healing. The practice partnered with Bluewebshop to improve website usability, clarify service offerings, and support new client acquisition.

The existing website presented multiple usability challenges, including unclear navigation, low contrast, disorganized content, and limited explanations of somatic therapy. The project focused on identifying user friction through research and redesigning key pages to improve clarity, scannability, accessibility, and trust.

Prospective clients encountered difficulty when trying to:

• Understand what somatic therapy is and how it works
• Find specific services and therapy types
• Locate the physical office and directions
• Navigate the site across screen sizes
• Trust the practice due to low contrast and stock imagery

These issues increased cognitive load and caused users to disengage before booking a consultation. 

The original homepage below highlights several of these usability and clarity issues, followed by the redesigned homepage addressing them.

A usability audit was conducted using principles from Don't Make Me Think (Krug). Key issues identified included:

• Non-responsive navigation and logo overlap at breakpoints
• Poor text contrast affecting readability and accessibility
• Missing visual hierarchy and inconsistent heading structure
• Dense content that was difficult to scan

Findings indicated that information architecture and visual clarity were the primary usability barriers.

A primary user persona was developed to represent urban professionals seeking holistic therapy solutions. The persona emphasized:

• High stress levels and interest in mind-body wellness
• Limited familiarity with somatic therapy
• A preference for calm, trustworthy, and informative digital experiences

This persona informed task design, content prioritization, and layout decisions throughout the redesign.

Moderated usability testing was conducted with three participants. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected across tasks focused on:

• Learning what somatic therapy is
• Finding specific therapy modalities
• Locating in-person services and directions

Testing revealed consistent usability patterns:

• Users struggled to find clear explanations of somatic therapy
• Navigation labels lacked clarity and predictability
• Content organization caused frustration and slowed task completion
• Office location information was difficult to locate
• Stock imagery reduced perceived authenticity and trust

Key Insight:
Users needed clear educational content before persuasive calls-to-action. Without a foundational understanding of somatic therapy, users were unlikely to move forward with booking a consultation.

The redesign focused on three primary goals:

1. Reduce cognitive load for first-time visitors
2. Improve scannability and navigation clarity
3. Increase trust through visual hierarchy and authenticity

All design decisions were directly informed by research findings.

The original navigation structure made it difficult for users to understand where information lived. Navigation labels were revised to better match real-world language and user expectations.

Improvements included:

• Simplifying navigation categories to reduce choice overload
• Aligning labels with user mental models
• Ensuring consistent navigation behavior across screen sizes

These changes helped users orient themselves more quickly and move through the site with confidence.

Content organization was a primary usability barrier. Pages were redesigned using a grid-based layout to introduce predictable scanning patterns.

Design improvements included:

• Clear H1, H2, and H3 hierarchy
• Modular content sections separated by white space
• Shorter text blocks supported by descriptive headings
• Card-based layouts for services and therapy types

This structure allowed users to quickly understand page content without reading line by line.

Usability testing showed that users needed education before conversion. A redesigned Somatic Therapy page prioritized clarity and understanding over promotion.

Key decisions included:

• Placing a clear definition of somatic therapy above the fold
• Breaking therapy types into scannable card sections
• Using plain language to explain benefits and origins
• Supporting explanations with relevant imagery

This approach reduced confusion and built confidence before presenting booking CTAs.

Low contrast and dark backgrounds negatively impacted readability on the original site. The redesign emphasized accessibility while maintaining a calming aesthetic.

Enhancements included:

• Increased contrast between text and backgrounds
• A consistent color system for CTAs, links, and accents
• Improved spacing to reduce visual density
• Calming secondary colors aligned with wellness branding

These changes improved readability while preserving an emotionally supportive tone.

Stock imagery was identified as a trust barrier. Authenticity was prioritized through human-centered content.

Updates included:

• Replacing stock imagery with real practitioner photography
• Highlighting the therapist through a dedicated "Meet Andria" section
• Displaying testimonials and quotes within structured card layouts

These elements helped humanize the brand and build credibility.

Users struggled to locate the office and understand next steps. Location and contact information were redesigned to be persistent and easy to access.

Improvements included:

• Embedding Google Maps directly on the homepage
• Linking the address in the footer across all pages
• Adding clear, repeated "Book Consultation" CTAs
• Improving form layout and accessibility

These changes reduced friction at key conversion points.

The redesigned experience addressed the most critical usability issues uncovered during research:

• Navigation clarity reduced user confusion
• Educational content improved understanding of services
• Structured layouts increased scannability
• Improved contrast enhanced accessibility

Users were better able to find information, understand offerings, and move confidently toward booking.

The final UX Strategy Report and high-fidelity designs provided stakeholders with a clear, research-backed roadmap for implementation.

Key outcomes included:

• Stronger positioning as a credible, professional practice
• Increased trust through authentic visuals and messaging
• A scalable page structure supporting future growth

This project demonstrates how UX research and design can directly support service-based businesses by reducing friction and improving clarity at decision-making moments.

View Full UX Strategy Report