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Bikram Yoga Website

Prepared By All Knight Writers

Bree Slauscius, Hannah Carter, Mike Martinez, Ryan Daigle

Stephen “Skip” Wolfram May 5th, 2015

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Table of Contents Cover letter…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 The project………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Audience analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Proposal…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 Exploration of other documents………………………………………………………………………………5 Design choices…………..……………………………………………………………………………………………13 Font Choices……………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 FAQ Pdf. file……………………………………………………………………….……………………………………16 Schedule document..……………………………………………………………………………………………….18

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To: Stephen “Skip” Wolfram From: All Knight Writers Date: May 5th, 2015 Subject: Bikram Yoga Longwood Website Mr. Wolfram, All Knight Writers has truly enjoyed working with you through the process of revising and enhancing the Bikram Yoga Longwood website. Mid February, we spoke in person and you informed our team liaison and manager, Bree Slauscius, that you wanted to enhance the usability of the site and add more information, such as the Costa Rica Retreat and a section for personal testimonials from your current students. After this initial discussion we went back to the site to see how we could successfully complete your requests. Throughout these past few months we have studied web design for the site, collaborated with you and your requests fort the site, as well as collaborated with your Webmaster to make sure that the changes we saw fit were feasible for him. Our goal was to make the site user friendly, organized and more visually appealing for anyone who visits the site . Spiritually, emotionally, physically and all around yoga is a journey of personal growth. We wanted to get across that yoga transfers to many aspects of your life and can make you a better you and specifically Bikram yoga, can help to be your guide through this journey with other classmates and instructors. Enclosed in this proposal is the revision for the site, a layout of how the site could look with the changes, an informative pdf. File for the FAQ section and a schedule layout. We want to thank you again for giving us the opportunity to work with you over the past few months. All Knight Writers wishes your business great success and are sure that the changes we propose will optimize the success of the sight and help your business grow. All Knight Writers Bree Slauscius bslauscius1@knights.ucf.edu

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Introduction Bikram Yoga Studio in Longwood Florida is a yoga studio that teaches the style of Bikram. This is a special form of yoga that is done in a heated room for an hour and a half. It has 26 poses and is taught the same way every class. There are two instructors at the studio that teach two to three classes a day. The studio was established in 2001, along with their website. The website provides information about the studio such as when the classes are, contact information, pricing to attend the classes and reasons a person should do this type of yoga. From the website we understand that this type of yoga can transform your entire mind, body, soul and life. It is yoga for any level because every class can allow the student to overcome obstacles and face challenges.

The Project After continuous communication and collaboration we promised to revise the website making it a more usable and visually appealing site. The website that is active now contains grammar errors, repetitive information and foreign language that may not be understood by stud ents new to the practice of yoga. We created new content for the site such as the “Personal Testimonials” tab where student’s pictures and quotes about their experience with Bikram Yoga will be displayed. We created a tab for the “Costa Rica Retreat “ with Julie Tonks. We also created a pdf. File for the FAQ section that would allow students to print and read through more thoroughly, or if they wanted to consult their physician with tangible information.

Audience analysis After observing and interviewing students that attend the Bikram Yoga Studio, talking to our peers, and doing research online we found that overall, our target audience is male and females ages 24 to 40. There are students that attend the studio under the age of 18 but need an adult’s consent, and students that attend over the age of 40, but on average this is what we concluded. From this analysis we were able to conclude that this age group has been exposed to a lot of the new technology in the year 2015, new ways of communication and social medias that the Bikram Yoga website does not provide or associate with. Overall, from the interviews we found that your students want more information about the retreat and upcoming events on the site, because they do not remember what is discuss ed in class since they are focused on yoga. They all applauded the idea of the “Personal Testimonials” section but not all were comfortable with their picture being up there, which is completely understandable. Your students also hope that the Facebook page would have more action and content.

Constraints A constraint we had for the website revision was that you already have a W ebmaster from the start up of the website in 2001. We completely understand and respect that relationship with him. We also did not have as much time at the studio as we would have like to create more content for the “Personal Testimonials” section.

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Opportunities The opportunities we had for this project was the amazing cooperation and excitement from all of the students at your studio, as well as the time and patience you had with us as a team.

Exploration of options for creating documents When we began exploring different sites and other similar websites for hot yoga we began by looking at sites that we have been to already. Then we Googled “hot yoga studios” to find yoga studios in the Orlando area.

Documentation and explanation of the documents designed for client We met with our client multiple times to review the site, the changes we saw fit and how we could optimize the success of the site. We looked at other Yoga and fitness sites to see what they offered.

The screenshot above is of a hot yoga website in New Jersey that one of our team members has attended. From her experience she found that this site was really easy to navigate, had working hyperlinks and provided understandable content. From this site we liked the coloring, the font and the way it was formatted. The site for this studio makes sure to refer to a multitude of genders and ages, provides pricing, schedule and background information about hot yoga that can be comprehended by a new student. It also provides links to other popular social media, as you can see in the top right corner.

Proposal After meeting you with you and discussing what writing you would like done, All Knight Writers suggestions and complete permission for the changes, the following report breaks down changes and revisions we as technical communicators see for the Bikram Yoga Longwood site that would benefit your business and become a more usable, reader friendly site for your students. The site contains a lot of informative content for your students but could be better organized for your students to understand and navigate more efficiently. This report will break down each page and the changes we see fit.

Home Page Color The first thing that we all had a general consensus about was the color of the website, which is a deep red, according to David Robson of the BBC, red promotes great energy, encouragement, and promotes passionate feelings which is why we sought to change the website to completely red and eliminate all of the white that was there in order to promote the true message behind Bikram Hot Yoga. Here is what Robson had to say on the matter

6 “The perception of red has evolved in such important events and experiences ,” says Elliot. “Red is the color of ripe fruit, the angry face across from you, the person showing sexual arousal.” In this way, it will always be associated with survival, with connotations and influences that run as deep as the blood in our veins. Perhaps we are only confirming what our ancestors realized when they first started painting their bodies: there is no other color like it.” (Robson)

Visual As Yoga becomes a more popular and successful business, we want to ensure that your site appeals to all demographics; ages, genders, etc. When we first log on to your site we saw a few things that could be reorganized for an easier read. We suggest changing the woman that fades in and out to different poses while you are on the site to more than just a woman, since Yoga really is for everyone if they choose it to be. So our team believes the site should have genders, a man and woman from different ethnic backgrounds to appeal to all types of students. Examples can be seen below for reference. We also noticed the pictures circulating on the home page were not the same size and would sometimes overlap your logo, “Bikram Yoga Longwood EST.

2011.” It would be more appropriate and pleasing to the eye for all the pictures to all be the same size.

Welcome Section In the “Welcome” sections there are bolded, underlined words that bring the readers attention directly there and acts as a hyperlinks when you scroll over it but does not lead to another page or source of information. Bolding and underlining is used to bring the readers attention to that specific information but the company heading clarifies Bikram Yoga Longwood.

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Changes

- Bikram Yoga Longwood Remove this text. It serves no purpose; does not act as new information or hyperlink. The name of the company is apparent at the top of the site, there is no need to state it twice.

- Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class Change to the Verdana 12 point (remove bold and underline) keep red color. ” It is not new or unique information and acts as a hyperlink but does not change links when clicked on. Also, since there is not a specific

beginners class and “beginners and advanced students alike are equally challenged and receive equal benefit” then we should change the wording to “Bikram’s Yoga class”

- Bikram Yoga Change to the Verdana 12 point (remove bold and underline) keep red color ” It is not new or unique information and does not bring the reader to new information.

Revised Welcome Page After mentioning the recommendations of how to enhance the welcome page, our team has come up with a rough draft of what the changes would look like. All the hyperlinks and

bold words have been eliminated. The information moves horizontally, which allows an easier read for the viewer.

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Bio Tab Our team also noticed a couple improvements to be made in the bio section. When you look at the text, it can be seen that it is formatted vertically in a space of three inches for content. This causes the issue of forcing the reader to scroll up and down to read the information (This can be seen below). The information should be spread horizontally to make it more reader friendly

All Knights Writers feel that the page should be undivided so it is content under content, not broken up in two tables of the same information . The intro, “Bikram Yoga” method, should begin across the top of the page to grab the reader’s attention. A reader likes to place name with a face. So it would be a good idea to place a picture of Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury following his bio. The picture below we are referencing as an example.

Example

Revised Bio Page This is what the bio page would look like after the changes were made. A photograph of Yogiraj Bikram would be placed next to his story and the text would be blocked into

sections for more efficiency.

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FAQ Tab The text is formatted vertically in a space of three inches for content making the reader scroll up and down to read the information. The information should be spread horizontally to make it more reader friendly.

To make this section more user friendly, we recommend formatting the information horizontally rather than vertically in order to fit the information on the screen at the same time. It would also be helpful to create a pdf. file link in order for readers who want break

down the information to better understand the material or print it out to consult a health care practitioner.

Revised FAQ Page

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Contact Tab We think the contact section has a lot of repetitive information. So we suggest removing all the contact information, location, director and headquarters link. The location information does give an address, and should be added. The contact information should also include a state phone number and email address for future clients. When the email is published on the website, it should be listed and not hyperlinked. Not everyone has their emails connected with their computers making it difficult to contact your company.

Revised Contact Page This spread shows a rough visual of what changes All Knight Writers suggested. All the unneeded information has been removed. Phone number, email and address are all divided into the correct category on the page, which allows for easier navigation.

New Tabs As discussed we will create a new tab that explains the “Costa Rica” retreat and a tab with personal testimonials form students in the studio and their experience with Bikram Yoga. We will also create a pdf.file for the “FAQ” tab that will allow students to print the information out.

11 Costa Rica Retreat Julie Tonks, the other Yoga instructor at the studio has become an ambassador for bringing students to a sanctuary in Costa Rica. This trip has changed the lives of everyone who has gone on the trip and Bikram Yoga Longwood truly wants to share the experience of a lifetime with as many people as they can. When discussing this section of the site Mr. Wolfram discussed that he likes the site very simple, “not many graphics and pictures”, so that is why we created this section this way. We included that basic information about the retreat, cost, location, etc., as well as who to contact if you want to follow up with any questions.

Students and their Story For this section of the site we want to take pictures of students who just began at the Bikram Yoga Longwood studio and students who have been attending and practicing for some time. On this page we will include pictures and quotes from the students allowing the to share with incoming students how this Yoga has changed their life and why they would recommend it to others. We have not had the opportunity but we will be interviewing students and taking their picture, with their permission. The questions we will as for the site consist of, 1. When and why did you start practicing Bikram Yoga? 2. How has it affected your life? 3. Why would you recommend it? After they give us their permission for a picture and to use their testimonial on the site the site will include their picture and when you scroll over it the answer to their questions will appear.

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Conclusion This website contains a lot of great information that pulls students in based on the facts about Bikram Yoga and the scientific studies of the health benefits of tis yoga. Overall the formatting just need to remain consistent throughout the entire website so it is easy for the reader to navigate. There are also grammatical errors that should be corrected to display professionalism and credibility.

Link to wix: http://breeslauscius.wix.com/bikramyogalongwood

Design Choices Color Choices The layout and design of the website is not the only factor we took into consideration. We discovered that people acknowledge the color before they retain any information. Research found claimed that 60% of the time people use color to decide if they will connect with the message or not. It’s clear color has a dominant role when it comes to marketing but it is often overlooked in the initial process of design. Bikram Yoga Longwood has three consistent colors on the website: red, white and black. All Knight Writers did not see a need to change any of those colors because of their meaning and effect on the viewers. We continued to use those three colors in our documents that we created for our client. Every academic source we found concluded that when it comes to picking your brand’s colors to avoid the typical color associations and pick colors on the personality you want your brand to portray. The three colors stereotypical connection for the most part happened to work with Bikram’s label. The most prominent color the yoga studio uses is red, which is seen as bold and uplifting. Others claim it represents warmth and passion. This studio tries to create a warm and welcoming environment for visitors to experience. Bikram Yoga is done in a heated environment, which raises the heart rate and blood pressure in a controlled manner. Red is an appropria te choice especially because it has been scientifically proven to raise both one’s blood pressure and heart rate. The color and participation of this type of yoga are identical in their purpose.

When one thinks of black, it is normally associated with mourning and sadness. Bikram however uses black to give off a powerful, sophisticated look to their brand. Further research suggests the color black supports the other colors in the design. So in this case, black can be seen as creating contrast to bring out the bold theme of the red in the layouts. Color is a key component in establishing a mood. The white dispersed among the website creates a sense of simplicity. Yoga is a calming activity and gives a perception of tranquility to the information on the page. It is bright

13 enough to catch the eye of the reader and enables the text to be easily read. With the bold red and black on the page the white neutralizes it so nothing becomes too overwhelming.

Font Choices Choosing a correct font is an important task because just like color it helps build a mood. Helvetica was the font chosen because of its objectivity. Some fonts are created to give off a certain meaning or impression. Helvetica was designed specifically not to give off anything so it can be used for any type of project. It can be seen as a classic yet modern style. The font is very straightforward and legible. Companies ranging from Post-It to NYC Subway system use this font. It also is not capable of being “outdated” seeing how it has been used since 1957. Usability According to Nielsen and Loranger, the three most important characteristics that distinguish a usable web site are simplicity, naturalness and ease of use. When good usability is implemented in conjunction with good web design characteristics, especially visual attractiveness, it results in a web site that positively affects user behavior and the trust that a user has in the company to whom the web site belongs. This trust is also affected by the user’s perceived usability, that is, the perception that the user has about the usability of a web site before he/she actually makes use of it, although this measure has been found to be strongly correlated with actual web site usability.” (Mifsud) Moreover, the key takeaway from this paragraph is that we sought to make Bikram Yoga studio a more approachable business by making a few minor changes that would ultimately increase traffic at the studio, allow for potential clients to inquire about taking a class, and facilitate the message that Bikram yoga seeks to speak to its students. FAQ Section and Pdf. File The FAQ section of the site contains information for new students who have never taken the class before and even students who have that tells you a little more information about Yoga itself and what you need to know about the class. This page discusses what Bikram Yoga is, how you can prepare yourself and what you can expect once you begin going consistently. We changed the layout of the page itself because it was not reader friendly and made the user try way to hard to read all of the information instead of just grabbing important facts. According to web design principles users do not read, they scan so we realized that there was way too much information on the page. We also created a pdf, file for this page so the user could print it out or bring it to their doctor if they were concerned about beginning this challenging form of yoga. We began with the pdf below. We wanted to create an e ngaging and fun for the student to read but then we realized we needed to make it more formal and easy to print in regard to the various boxes and black coloring used, which would make it hard for them to print. [See Attached] Schedule Pdf. We wanted to create a “to go” calendar for the students so they could print it and put it in their planner to send the pdf. to their phone so they always have the schedule ready to refer to. The first pdf. we created just listed out the days and times but we realized it would be user friendly and more familiar to the user to keep it in a calendar form. According to wed design principles you do not want to make the user think, you want all the information to be easily scanned and familiar. [See Attached]

Marketing Suggestions Bikram Yoga Longwood has a Facebook page. This is not a page they use very often because of the average demographic in their studio. There have been students who have mentioned to the owner and the other yoga instructor that they would really enjoy some more Facebook posts such as pictures, events and announcement. We suggested that using Facebook as a tool to create more of a

14 community of people that attend their studio would be a great way to get to know each other and bring in more students. We also suggested putting the link to the Facebook on the Bikram Yoga Longwood page so users are able to easily access information, depending on their preferred medium.

Conclusion We patiently wait for the Webmaster to make the changes to the site. All Knight Writers has learnt a lot about Bikram Yoga are so grateful to have had the time to get to know you and work with you. We are sure that the changes we suggested for the site will optimize its usability and will be much more useful to the students at the studio, as well as bring in new students because they will feel comfortable, informed and educated about what they are becoming involved in.

15 Works Cited

"10 Principles Of Effective Web Design - Smashing Magazine." Smashing Magazine. N.p., 31

Jan. 2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

"21 Outstanding Uses of Colour in Branding." 21 Outstanding Uses of Colour in Branding.

Creative Bloq, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. http://www.creativebloq.com/branding/amazing-uses-colour-6133196

Ciotti, Gregory. "The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding." Entrepreneur. 15 May

2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233843

Robson, David. “How the colour red warps the mind" BBC, 31 Sep. 2014. Web. 27 Apr.

2015.

Mifsud, Justin. “Why Web Site Usability is Important for a Company”, Usability Geek,

N.p., July 2011, Web, April 30th 2015,

Morton, Jill. "Color & Branding." Color and Branding. Color Matters, 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

www.colormatters.com/color-and-marketing/color-and-branding

"The Simplicity of Helvetica." Webdesigner Depot RSS. 10 Jan. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/01/the-simplicity-of-helvetica/

16 Attachments Pdf. File

17 . Pdf. File 2

18 Schedule List View

19 Schedule Weekly View