Cat Café Website Redesign
Role
UX/UI & Web Designer
Timeline
8 months
Industry
Hospitality & Pet Care
Platform
Web Responsive
Project Overview
The Cat Café needed a welcoming, modern digital presence that captured the cozy, playful charm of their in-person experience while making it effortless for visitors to take action. The site would serve three core journeys: booking café reservations, exploring adoptable cats with up-to-date profiles, and engaging with the brand through events, merch, and a newsletter.
Our goals were to translate the café’s personality into a warm visual language, streamline bookings with clear CTAs and mobile-first flows, and remove friction from the adoption inquiry process. We also prioritized simple content management and social integration to keep the community active and informed. Success would be measured by increased online reservations, qualified adoption inquiries, and repeat engagement.
The Challenge
Key Features:
- Online Reservations
- Cat Adoption Portal
- Gift Card System
- Meet the Cats Gallery
Problem Statement
The objective was to create an overall user experience that would make the website visually appealing, easy to navigate, and informative, while making visitors excited to visit the café with friends and family.
Core Challenge
How might I design a digital experience that captures the unique, cozy atmosphere of a cat café while providing clear navigation and functionality for reservations, cat adoption, and customer engagement across all devices?
User Experience Clarity
Impact: Confusion about the café concept could lead to disappointed customers and negative reviews.
Multi-Purpose Functionality
Emotional Connection
Business Requirements
Clear Navigation
Intuitive menu structure for easy information discovery
Responsive Design
Seamless experience across desktop, tablets, and mobile
Brand Consistency
Cohesive visual identity throughout the experience
Discovery & Research
During the discovery phase, the design team conducted a thorough analysis of the existing website, including user research, competitor analysis, and data analysis. The team also held stakeholder meetings to gather information about the business goals and pain points.
Research Methods
User Interviews
Conducted interviews with cat café visitors, pet owners, and potential adopters to understand motivations and expectations.
Competitive Analysis
Analyzed similar cat café websites and hospitality platforms to identify best practices and differentiation opportunities.
Emotional Journey Mapping
Mapped the emotional journey from initial website visit to café experience and potential cat adoption.
Analytics Review
Studied café industry trends and digital booking behaviors to inform design decisions.
Key Research Findings
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Users wanted detailed information about cats available for adoption, including personalities and care requiremen
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Visitors needed clear expectations about café rules, pricing, and what to expect during their visit
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Mobile booking was essential as most reservations happen spontaneously or on-the-go
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High-quality cat photos and videos significantly influenced booking decisions
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Gift card functionality was important for introducing friends and family to the concept
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Integration with social media for sharing cute cat moments was highly desired
Goals & Objectives
Our primary focus was creating a website that would serve as both an information hub and conversion tool, helping visitors understand the cat café concept while driving business growth.
Create Engaging Website
Build a digital platform that captures the unique charm of the cat café experience
Target: Increase time on site by 50%
Build Customer Confidence
Provide comprehensive information to help visitors feel prepared and excited for their visit
Target: Reduce bounce rate by 15%
Drive Reservations & Sales
Create seamless booking experience and promote additional services like gift cards
Target: 25% increase in online reservations
User Experience
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Intuitive navigation that serves multiple user types
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Clear information hierarchy for café details, menu, and cats
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Streamlined reservation process with real-time availability
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Mobile-first design for on-the-go bookings
Business Impact
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Increase online reservation conversions by 25%
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Boost gift card sales by 10% through strategic placement
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Facilitate cat adoptions with dedicated 'Meet the Cats' section
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Improve customer satisfaction through clear expectations
Technical Requirements
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Responsive design across all devices and screen sizes
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Fast loading times to reduce user frustration
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Integration with booking and payment systems
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SEO optimization for local search visibility
Success Metrics
Design Process
The design process focused on creating an emotional connection while providing practical functionality for reservations, cat adoption, and customer education.
User Research & Analysis
Key Deliverables:
Information Architecture
Key Deliverables:
Visual Design & Branding
Key Deliverables:
Development & Testing
Key Deliverables:
Design Principles
Emotional Connection
Use high-quality cat photography and warm colors to create an immediate emotional bond with visitors.
Clear Information Hierarchy
Organize content so users can quickly find café info, cat details, or booking options without confusion.
Trust & Transparency
Provide detailed information about café policies, cat care, and adoption processes to build user confidence.
Mobile-First Experience
Prioritize mobile usability since most café reservations happen spontaneously on mobile devices.
Key Features Implemented
Online Reservations
Real-time booking with availability checking
Meet the Cats
Individual cat profiles with adoption info
Gift Cards
Digital gift card purchasing system
Mobile Optimized
Responsive design for all devices
Results & Impact
Exceeded expectations with substantial growth in direct bookings
More Gift Card Purchases
Detailed Performance Metrics
Average Session Duration
+60% vs baseline
2 minutes
Pages per Session
+50% engagement
3 pages
Mobile Conversion Rate
+40% mobile bookings
18%
Cat Adoption Inquiries
Through new profiles
+35%
Return Visitor Rate
+25% loyalty
45%
Project Impact Summary
By focusing on emotional connection, clear navigation, and user-centred design, I created a digital experience that not only drives business results but also helps cats find loving homes. The website serves as a powerful tool for customer acquisition, retention, and the café’s mission of connecting people with adoptable cats.
Conclusion
This project proved that pairing emotional resonance with clear, task-focused UX can move both hearts and metrics. By centering the experience on warmth (high-quality cat photography and stories), clarity (clean IA for multiple user paths), and speed (mobile-first booking), the café’s website became both a storefront and an adoption hub. The results speak for themselves: +25% reservations, +10% gift card sales, –15% bounce rate, and +20% customer satisfaction with every target exceeded. Just as importantly, richer cat profiles helped more visitors progress from curiosity to genuine adoption intent, directly supporting the café’s mission.
Key takeaways reinforce what works in hospitality with a social purpose: design for emotion to spark engagement, structure information to remove friction across distinct user goals, and optimize for on-the-go decisions. Strategically surfacing secondary revenue (gift cards) created incremental lift without distracting from the core booking and adoption journeys.
We’re not stopping here. In the next 3–6 months, we’ll deepen loyalty and real-time connection with a live cat cam, a repeat-visitor rewards program, and a lightweight mobile app for faster booking. Looking further out, we’ll expand impact with an end-to-end adoption application, a virtual café tour to convert remote interest, and built-in social sharing to amplify reach. Together, these steps will compound what’s already working, building community, driving sustainable revenue, and helping more cats find loving homes.
Like What You See?
You’re viewing Part 2. The Website Experience. This build translates the cat café’s brand voice into a fast, mobile-first product that boosts bookings and adoptions.
Want to see how the visual identity sets the tone for the UI, typography, and micro-interactions? Explore Part 1. Logo & Brand Identity next, or head back to the full portfolio to compare across projects