How UX Research Helped Me Build BloomLink (And How You Can Use It Too)

Like many other aspiring UX designers, I decided to go through the Google UX Design Course to better understand the UX process. Coming from an agile background, I had a general idea of how things worked and even applied a lot of what I already knew to my freelance developer business. But my knowledge only went as far as wireframing, layout structure, and visual hierarchy—essentially, making things look nice. This course broke things down in a way that opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking. I only made it through the first two courses so far, but UX research? That’s my jam.

And because I can’t just learn something without immediately applying it, I took what I learned and used it to launch BloomLink—a customizable link hub built specifically for creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

Step One: User and Market Research (The What and The Who)

Have you ever gone to check out a service provider on Instagram—a hairstylist, a DJ, a landscaper, a baker—only to find "DM to book" in their bio?

Now, as a potential customer, that feels like too much pressure. And as a service provider, managing endless DMs for pricing, availability, and FAQs is exhausting. Wouldn’t it be easier to have a dedicated place where clients can book, see your work, and get all the necessary info without constantly messaging you?

But here’s where I stopped myself: If this is such a problem, why aren’t more people using Linktree?

That led me to my who—artists, entrepreneurs, and service providers, specifically those in my own social circle. And it led me to my what—a solution that was easy to use, visually appealing, and affordable, built specifically for them.

Step Two: Competitive Analysis (The Why)

So, Linktree and BioSite exist—why not just use them?

I looked at what was currently on the market and saw some gaps that I could potentially fill. Here’s what I found:

• Linktree’s free version is too basic. It only allows links. Want booking, intake forms, or customization? You’re paying for a subscription and still setting things up yourself.

• BioSite is tied to Squarespace, which is overwhelming for someone who isn’t tech-savvy or simply doesn’t have the time.

• Service providers are busy. They don’t want to spend time figuring out a tool—they want something done for them.

That’s when I saw the real gap: There wasn’t a done-for-you link hub that functioned as a digital business card, with booking, intake forms, and a proof-of-work section all in one place. But before jumping into solutions, I had to confirm if my assumptions were correct.

Step Three: Gathering User Insights (The How)

This was my favorite part of the course—because I love understanding how people think and challenging my own assumptions. The course walked through different ways to conduct research, like surveys, interviews, focus groups, and usability testing.

Since I didn’t have a working prototype yet (and I’m just a girl with limited resources), I stuck with surveys and interviews.

The Survey: Why Aren’t People Using Websites?

Instead of just sending out a boring survey, I created a fun, engaging quiz: "Find Out What Type of Website Fits You!" equipped with gifs and meaningful insights at the end because I understand the reward of free insight would encourage people to complete the quiz, answer truthfully and provide their email to progress.

Some of the key questions I asked were:

• If you had to make a website today, what would it be for?

• What’s holding you back from getting a website?

• What’s most important to you in a website?

My survey findings included:

• Most people wanted a website to make more money, not just to have one.

• The biggest roadblocks were time and not knowing where to start.

• No one cared about updating the site themselves—they just wanted it to work.

Now I had the why, but I still needed to understand the how—as in, how do people want to interact with their websites?

The Interviews: What Do People Actually Need?

I reached out to three people from different industries—a musical artist, a bridal makeup artist, and a contractor—to get a range of perspectives. I asked things like:

• Would you rather have a single-page site or multiple pages?

• How important is it to have a place to showcase your work?

• Do you need an email sign-up list?

• How do you currently manage bookings?

• If given the option, would you choose a simple, one-page site for a lower price or a full website for a higher price?

What I Learned:

Service providers didn’t care about having a full website—they just wanted something functional, easy to navigate, and built for them. No extra fluff. Just something that did the job.

That led me to my problem statement:

💡 As a service provider, I want a place to house my information so I can limit back-and-forth communication.

Step Four: Ideation & Prototyping (The Solution)

Now that I had my data, it was time to build. How could I create a reusable, customizable product that could work across multiple industries?

I needed something:

• Easy to use and lightweight.

• Pre-loaded with essential features (booking, intake forms, videos, images, contact info).

• Optimized for mobile (since that’s where most traffic comes from).

I chose Framer—it’s modern, affordable, and easy to update. I wireframed concepts in Figma, testing different layout options. Then, I built two prototype sites for my friends—a musical artist and a bridal makeup artist.

A key feature? QR code & NFC compatibility, so it functions as a digital business card.

Step Five: Usability Testing (Does This Work?)

My friends started using their prototype versions of BloomLink, providing feedback on what worked and what needed adjustments. So far, so good. At the same time, I’ve been actively promoting BloomLink across my social media channels to gauge interest and see how people react to the concept. This allows me to refine the messaging, test the demand, and adjust the layout based on real-time feedback.

And then came my first paying client.

A private chef reached out and said, "I need this NOW." Who am I to argue?

Final Thoughts: UX is Everywhere

This experience showed me that UX research isn’t just for apps—it can be applied to real-world business solutions.

BloomLink was built on UX principles, proving that listening to users and understanding their pain points leads to better products.

If this article has piqued your interest and you want your own BloomLink, check out sammiwebdev.com to get started.