Docklands Taekwon-Do School
Since its establishment in 1989, Docklands Taekwon-Do School has been dedicated to teaching martial arts to individuals of all ages and skill levels, fostering a love for the discipline among its students. In my role as the UX/UI designer, I took on the responsibility of thoroughly researching user needs to better understand their experiences. I focused on improving the overall navigation of the website and conducted various tests to ensure that our design effectively met both business objectives and user expectations.
Team/
Self initiated project
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Role / ​
User Research, UI Design, Prototyping, Visual Design, User Testing
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Timeline/
March - June 2025
The Challenge
The martial arts industry is rapidly growing, with more people recognising its physical, mental, and emotional benefits. However, in a crowded market where many schools offer similar programs, Docklands Taekwon-Do School struggled to stand out with an outdated website.
What was the problem I was trying to solve?
In an increasingly competitive martial arts market, how can Docklands Taekwon-Do stand out and attract more students in such a competitive landscape?
Research
Who are our competitor ?
I conducted a review of key competitors in Taekwon-Do training schools. The goal of this analysis was to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities that Docklands Taekwon-Do School can leverage to enhance its online presence and increase user engagement.
Who are we designing for?
I invited 7 participants from diverse backgrounds to share their views on what matters most when choosing a martial arts school and to provide feedback on Docklands Taekwon-Do’s current offerings to identify any gaps.
User Persona
Sarah is an ideal user, highlighting the core challenges working parents face when seeking safe, convenient, and beneficial activities for their children.
Empathy mapping
Key insights from the empathy map show that clear information about classes, pricing, and schedules is important for helping prospective students make informed decisions. A friendly and welcoming environment can ease any worries, while testimonials can build trust and help them feel confident in choosing the school.
Key Takeaways
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Navigation: Simple but could be more intuitive, especially on mobile.
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Visuals: Needs more engaging content (e.g., class photos) to stand out.
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Social Proof: Lacks testimonials and detailed instructor bios, which competitors use to build trust.
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CTAs & Forms: Calls to action should be more prominent and user-friendly.
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Strengths: Strong community focus and local appeal, but these need to be emphasised more effectively.
Solution
I redesigned the Docklands Taekwon-Do School website to reflect its identity with clear branding and easy navigation. My focus was on creating a welcoming, user-friendly experience that builds trust and helps attract new students to support the school’s growth.
Design
How will users interact with the wesbite?
Journey Mapping
The journey mapping follows Sarah’s persona as she explores the Docklands Taekwon-Do website. I’ve outlined her intentions at each step to ensure a smooth and intuitive experience. The site map organises content clearly, the task flow breaks down her actions, and the user flow guides Sarah through key decisions, from exploration to enrolment.
Low Fidelity Wiframes
After sketching out the main workflows, I translated these into low-fidelity wireframes and then prototypes using Figma. Although formal user testing was not possible at the time, I was able to carry out some informal testing with club and staff members.
Brand Identity
For Docklands Taekwon-Do School, I developed four mood boards and three style guides. The chosen look combines tradition with a dynamic, modern feel, using deep reds and blacks for strength, and blue accents for energy and agility.
Visual Identity
Inspired by the essence of martial arts, the new website design reflects a clean, easy-to-navigate layout with bold typography and a spacious, modern feel. Strong visuals of Taekwon-Do practitioners in action, sparring, kicking, breaking boards, and stretching, bring energy and authenticity to the site.
Usability Testing
During testing, users were manually copying venue locations into Google Maps, which introduced unnecessary friction. To improve the experience, I added Google map links, enabling one-tap access to navigation apps. This significantly improved usability, particularly for users on the move.
Final Screens
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Reflection
Working on the Docklands Taekwon-Do School project has been an incredible journey. Being familiar with the school from the start helped me understand their vision early on. One of the most interesting aspects was speaking to students from a new perspective whilts learning about their pain points and why they chose to train at Docklands, even before the website was updated. Another key takeaway was realising how small tweaks, like prompt-driven iterations and refining user flows can significantly shape the overall product direction and lead to a cohesive final solution.
Future Work
1. To explore marketing opportunities by developing and launching a social media account to engage with existing members and attract new ones.
2. Considered merchandise design, such as sports bags, caps, and jumpers as a way to generate additional income for the school.
3. Encouraged instructors to record more class footage to enhance the website with dynamic, engaging video content.
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