Grindstone Web Redesign
Reducing friction in class checkout flows by 57% and crafting a mobile-responsive experience.
Timeline:
Role:
Tools:
June 2026 - August 2026
Lead product designer, developer
Figma
Wix
Visit the live site
The Challenge
Grindstone Theatre Society is an Edmonton-based theatre organization offering live performances, classes, and venue rentals. I redesigned their website to make it easier for people to discover information and complete key tasks across the site.
The existing website made some of the most important user tasks more difficult than they needed to be, primarily the class registration flow. Users had to move through a lengthy checkout flow to register for a class, creating unnecessary friction between finding a class and completing registration.
The broader site also needed a clearer information architecture. Grindstone offers a range of programs, performances, and services, so the challenge was making sure the information was easier to find.
Solution and Impact
57% reduction in the number of steps in the class checkout flow
The redesign:
Reduced friction in the class registration experience
Improved mobile usability for users arriving through social media
Integrated accessibility considerations based on WCAG standards
Created clearer pathways to tickets, classes, and venue rentals
Balanced user needs with organizational requirements through cross-department collaboration
Went from UX design to a deployed website, bringing the work to life
Approach
I approached the redesign by focusing on task efficiency, information architecture, responsive design, and accessibility.
Streamlined class registration flow, reducing the number of steps required to complete registration by 57%
Simplified the information architecture and created clearer pathways to high-value content such as tickets, classes and registration, venue rental information, and key organization information.
Designed mobile-first
Designed with accessibility in mind
Research + Insights
I analyzed the existing experience through the lens of the tasks users needed to accomplish, with particular attention to the class registration flow. Mapping the existing journey helped surface unnecessary points where users had to make additional decisions or navigate between pages.
This led to several key insights:
Users often arrive with a specific intent
The website needed to support task-oriented journeys rather than relying on users to browse and discover where information lived.
The class checkout flow had unnecessary friction
The existing journey contained more steps than were needed to complete registration. Reducing these steps presented a clear opportunity to improve task efficiency.
Mobile was a primary context, not an afterthought
With social media acting as an important acquisition channel, the mobile experience needed to support quick scanning, navigation, and interaction.
Information architecture needed to reflect user needs
The organization had a lot of content to communicate. The challenge was structuring that content around the questions and tasks users actually came to the site to accomplish.
Accessibility needed to be built into the experience
I incorporated WCAG accessibility considerations throughout the design rather than treating accessibility as a final-stage check.
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Have questions about something I've worked on? Want to see more? Need help with a project? Send me a message!
The Solution
Visit the live site
57% fewer steps → simpler site → mobile-first → accessible → deployed
Get in touch
© Beckett Heinz 2026
Grindstone Web Redesign
Reducing friction in class checkout flows by 57% and crafting a mobile-responsive experience.
Visit the live site
Timeline:
Role:
Tools:
June 2026 - August 2026
Lead product designer, developer
Figma
Wix
The Challenge
Grindstone Theatre Society is an Edmonton-based theatre organization offering live performances, classes, and venue rentals. I redesigned their website to make it easier for people to discover information and complete key tasks across the site.
The existing website made some of the most important user tasks more difficult than they needed to be, primarily the class registration flow. Users had to move through a lengthy checkout flow to register for a class, creating unnecessary friction between finding a class and completing registration.
The broader site also needed a clearer information architecture. Grindstone offers a range of programs, performances, and services, so the challenge was making sure the information was easier to find.
Solution and Impact
57% reduction in the number of steps in the class checkout flow
The redesign:
Reduced friction in the class registration experience
Improved mobile usability for users arriving through social media
Integrated accessibility considerations based on WCAG standards
Created clearer pathways to tickets, classes, and venue rentals
Balanced user needs with organizational requirements through cross-department collaboration
Went from UX design to a deployed website, bringing the work to life
Research + Insights
I analyzed the existing experience through the lens of the tasks users needed to accomplish, with particular attention to the class registration flow. Mapping the existing journey helped surface unnecessary points where users had to make additional decisions or navigate between pages.
This led to several key insights:
Users often arrive with a specific intent
The website needed to support task-oriented journeys rather than relying on users to browse and discover where information lived.
The class checkout flow had unnecessary friction
The existing journey contained more steps than were needed to complete registration. Reducing these steps presented a clear opportunity to improve task efficiency.
Mobile was a primary context, not an afterthought
With social media acting as an important acquisition channel, the mobile experience needed to support quick scanning, navigation, and interaction.
Information architecture needed to reflect user needs
The organization had a lot of content to communicate. The challenge was structuring that content around the questions and tasks users actually came to the site to accomplish.
Accessibility needed to be built into the experience
I incorporated WCAG accessibility considerations throughout the design rather than treating accessibility as a final-stage check.
Approach
Streamlined class registration flow, reducing the number of steps required to complete registration by 57%
Simplified the information architecture and created clearer pathways to high-value content such as tickets, classes and registration, venue rental information, and key organization information.
Designed mobile-first
Designed with accessibility in mind
I approached the redesign by focusing on task efficiency, information architecture, responsive design, and accessibility.
© Beckett Heinz 2026
Get in touch
Connect with me