Current Limitations

The existing Dugun.com mobile application was limited in scope, focusing primarily on wedding venue listings and quote requests. However, through our initial discovery workshops at their Galata headquarters with cross-functional teams including CEO Emek Kırbıyık, we uncovered a more ambitious vision. The company sought to create a more inclusive and comprehensive wedding planning experience that would extend beyond venues to encompass photographers, wedding dresses, cakes, musicians, and every aspect of the wedding journey.

Opportunity for Transformation

This broader approach presented an opportunity to reimagine the entire wedding planning process through a UX-centered lens. Rather than simply expanding features, we recognized the potential to create a cohesive digital companion that would guide couples through each decision and milestone. The challenge was not just adding more services, but fundamentally rethinking how technology could make the often stressful wedding planning process more intuitive, collaborative, and enjoyable.

Discovery Workshops

We began with a series of structured discovery workshops, including co-creation sessions and Time Cover exercises, to understand both the business objectives and emotional aspects of wedding planning. In this process, we discovered 10 key themes to explore and find insights around them. These initial sessions helped us identify key pain points in the current process and opportunities for innovation.

AI-Powered Ideation

Building on these insights, we developed a systematic approach to idea generation by designing an "Idea Engine" that leveraged AI to explore and expand upon themes that emerged from our workshops. This methodical ideation process allowed us to explore diverse concepts while maintaining alignment with user needs and business goals.

Concept Development

The ideation phase yielded numerous promising concepts, which we filtered and prioritized based on feasibility and potential impact. Working closely with Caner İlhan, who led the UX effort, we translated these ideas into comprehensive wireframes that visualized the new user journey and feature set.

Collaborative Design

Throughout the design process, we maintained close collaboration with the Dugun.com team, regularly sharing progress and gathering feedback to ensure our direction remained aligned with their vision. This collaborative approach allowed us to iteratively refine the design, ensuring each feature served a clear purpose in the overall wedding planning journey.

Experience Blueprint

The design process culminated in a detailed user experience blueprint that reimagined every aspect of the app, from initial engagement to post-wedding activities, creating a continuous and supportive experience for couples navigating one of life's most significant events.

The redesigned Dugun.com app transformed from a simple venue-finding tool into a comprehensive wedding planning companion with several innovative features:

• Couple Profile Matching: Partners can now link accounts to view and collaborate on wedding decisions together, creating a shared planning experience.
• Direct Communication Channel: Couples can communicate directly with venues and service providers through the app, streamlining the previously manual process of tracking bookings and confirmations.
• Timeline-Driven Experience: By anchoring the experience around the wedding date, we created a natural flow that helps couples prioritize decisions and stay on track with planning.
• iPhone Widget Integration: Custom widgets display countdown timers and upcoming tasks, keeping the wedding timeline visible without opening the app.
• Intelligent "My Wedding" Hub: A central dashboard that adapts to the couple's progress, offering smart recommendations based on their wedding timeline and previous decisions.

This comprehensive redesign not only improved the user experience for couples but also created significant operational efficiencies for Dugun.com by digitizing previously manual processes for tracking vendor bookings and outcomes. The solution addresses the full wedding journey, positioning Dugun.com as a true wedding planning partner rather than simply a venue marketplace.