Seattlepatio.club
My Role:
UI Designer
Web Designer and Dev
Collaborators:
Katherin Humphreys / Founder
Organization:
Seattlepatio.club
Timeline:
August 2024- Currently
Project Overview
SeattlePatio.club is a passion project inspired by my love for Seattle, a city of transplants, rain bravers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're a long-time local or new to town, finding patios to enjoy in any weather can be a challenge. This project, originally conceived by Katherine Humphreys, was an opportunity to blend my love for design, UX, and web development into a creative tool for the community. Acting as both developer and UX designer, I reimagined and relaunched the site, enhancing its functionality and design to better serve the patio goers of today.
Problem
Seattlepatio.club was a good idea that went dormant and needed an update both functionally and with data and recommendations that matched the Seattle of 2024. Seattle’s patios are scattered across neighborhoods, and finding the perfect spot can feel overwhelming without the right tools to filter options. Existing ways to find Seattle patios aren’t that fun and who knows where the recommendations come from.
Live Site: Seattlepatio.club is live with 120+ and counting curated patio selections.
Dynamic Features: Interactive filters, weather widgets, dynamic backgrounds, for functional and fun experience.
Community Connection: Highlights friend-sourced recommendations to foster a personal, community-driven vibe.
Approach
Collaboration
Collaborating with friends to curate patios we know and love.
Celebrating Seattle
Highlighted Seattle’s unique culture as a city of transplants and adventurers seeking the best experiences the city has to offer.
New Design Direction
Capturing Seattle’s unique vibe through nostalgic visuals and a fun, practical design.
Expanded Functionality
Designing and developing a responsive website with dynamic filtering tools.
How Might We???
Create a playful, intuitive website that makes it easier for Seattleites and visitors to discover the city’s best patios?
With no budget and plenty of curiosity, I set out to validate the concept behind SeattlePatio.club.
Google Search Analysis
A quick Google search revealed one of the top results for Seattle outdoor eating patios was a Reddit post asking, “Is there an easy way to find restaurants and bars with patios in Seattle?” The resounding answer? Not really. Clearly, patio enthusiasts were craving a better solution, especially as outdoor dining habits surged post-2019. The website needed to address these shifts and reflect updated recommendations for a changed city.
r/Seattle
"Is there an easy way to find restaurants and bars with patios in Seattle?”
Community Feedback
I also turned to friends and family for their thoughts. Feedback included gems like, “Dang, I’m going to use this all the time in the summer!” and “We spend so much time searching for a spot, we miss the sunset!” & "I didn't know that place had a patio". These candid responses validated the concept and highlighted the need for a quick, user-friendly patio guide.
Rooftop Patio Sunset Chaser
“I want to send this to my friend, we’re always hunting for a spot to grab a drink and end up wasting so much time we miss the sunset!”
Hiddent Patio Hunter
"I didn't know that place had a patio"
Summer Funner
"Dang, I’m going to use this all the time in the summer!”
Mobile Experience: Not Optimal
Most users were accessing the site on their phones, which was expected given current browsing habits. However, the original mobile design—particularly the dropdown menu—wasn’t as intuitive or user-friendly as it needed to be, creating a less-than-ideal experience.
Solution: Redesigned the mobile interface to prioritize usability and navigation, with a plan to tackle the dropdown menu's quirks in future iterations.
Current Dropdown
Small, not mobile friendly, hard to scroll.
Prototype DropDown
Mobile friendly, large, apply or cancel
Juggling Hats and Deadlines
Being the UX designer, developer, and co-founder meant managing all the things while meeting tight strangely self imposed deadlines. The goal? Launch an MVP before the end of Fall that worked (mostly) and refine later.
Solution: Embraced a "release-then-refine" mindset, delivering core functionality first and leaving perfection for the continuous improvement stage.
Retro Roots vs. Modern Functionality
Revamping the site wasn’t just about making it functional—it had to stay true to its playful, retro vibe while meeting the usability standards of 2024. Balancing nostalgia with practicality proved to be a delicate dance.
Solution: Kept the vintage charm alive while introducing modern features like interactive filters and a weather widget. Some of these features pushed the limits of my skills, but hey, that’s what learning on the job is for. And yes, some of them still need a little TLC, but the MVP is out and doing its job. Continuous improvement is the the name of the game.
Dynamic Features
Filter by Neighborhood: Helps users easily explore patios by region and neighborhood.
Facet Filters: Attributes like “Good for Dates” and “Bougie” add a personalized touch.
Weather Widget: Assists users in planning around Seattle’s unpredictable weather.
Visual Design
Created a playful, nostalgic style using open-source GIFs from gifcities.org.
Developed a cohesive, retro-inspired yet modern visual aesthetic.
Dynamic background that changes with the weather. Blue skies or dark and rainy we're ready for some patio hangouts. This is for surprise and delight : )
Information Architecture
Organized patios by region and neighborhood for intuitive navigation.
Ensured a smooth flow between filtering tools and curated recommendations.
Development
Utilized HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python (Flask), incorporating APIs for dynamic functionality.
Worked on responsive design… Still needs work but we're getting there.
Revisiting and reviving SeattlePatio.club was a rewarding creative challenge. It was an opportunity to honor Katherine’s original vision while adding my own spin with new features and a fresh design approach. This project reconnected me to my love for Seattle’s vibrant community and reminded me of the joy that comes from working on projects that blend functionality with personal passion.
User Feedback: Continue updating the site with new patios and features based on user suggestions.
Patio-Friendly Mixes: Reintroduce curated music mixes to enhance the patio-hopping experience.
SEO Optimization: Improve search visibility to help more people discover SeattlePatio.Club.