Baran Shajari

Human–AI Research & UX/UI Design

Toronto, Canada

Tai Chi Studio

Designed and developed a responsive website for an independent Tai Chi instructor, using an iterative client-centered process to clarify class information, build trust, and help prospective students confidently take the next step.

Overview

I designed and developed a responsive website for Poroshad, an independent Tai Chi instructor offering small-group classes. The project was completed as a freelance client engagement, with the design evolving through regular feedback, feature requests, content revisions, and usability reviews.

The website was created for prospective students seeking a calm, approachable introduction to Tai Chi. I focused on clear navigation, accessible content, reassuring UX writing, and a visual identity that reflects balance, patience, and mindful movement. The final site communicates Poroshad’s experience, explains class benefits and schedules, introduces the instructor, and provides clear contact pathways.

The problem

The client needed a professional online presence that could clearly communicate her teaching approach, class levels, schedule, experience, and contact information.

Prospective students, particularly beginners could feel uncertain about whether Tai Chi was appropriate for their experience or physical ability. The website therefore needed to make the classes feel accessible and welcoming without overwhelming visitors with excessive information.

Research and discovery

I began by discussing the client’s services, teaching approach, desired audience, class structure, and preferred visual style.

I reviewed the information prospective students would need before contacting an instructor.


UX Strategy

I organized the site around the questions a prospective student would naturally ask:

What does Poroshad offer?

Is Tai Chi appropriate for me?

What are the benefits?

What happens in a class?

Who is the instructor?

When and where are classes offered?

How do I join?

This structure helped create a clearer information hierarchy and reduced the effort required to understand the service.

Information Architecture

The website was organized into four primary pages

  • Home

  • About

  • Classes

  • Contact

UX Writing

I wrote and refined the website content to make Tai Chi feel clear, welcoming, and accessible.

The writing focused on:

  • Short, reassuring explanations

  • Benefit-oriented headings

  • Plain language instead of technical terminology

  • Clear calls to action

  • Gradual guidance for beginners

  • Avoiding unsupported medical claims

Visual Design

The visual direction was designed to reflect the qualities associated with the client’s practice:

  • Calm

  • Balance

  • Patience

  • Natural movement

  • Personal guidance

I used soft neutral backgrounds, deep green accents, spacious layouts, rounded containers, refined typography, and natural photography to create a professional but approachable identity.

Responsive Design

The website was designed in Framer to adapt across desktop, tablet, and mobile screens.

I adjusted:

  • Navigation behaviour

  • Text sizing

  • Section spacing

  • Card stacking

  • Image cropping

  • Button placement

  • Content widths

  • Mobile readability

The goal was to preserve the calm visual experience while ensuring that class and contact information remained easy to access on smaller devices.

Client Collaboration

The project followed an iterative freelance workflow rather than a one-time design handoff.

I regularly reviewed the website with the client, gathered feedback, added requested features, revised content, and refined the visual direction. This helped ensure the website reflected both the client’s teaching identity and the needs of her prospective students.

Usability Testing

I reviewed the site with users and the client to determine whether visitors could:

  • Understand what the business offered

  • Identify the available class levels

  • Find the schedule and location

  • Learn about the instructor

  • Locate contact options

  • Understand what to expect from a first class

Key Iterations

Based on client input and usability observations, I:

  • Simplified and clarified the homepage messaging

  • Improved the distinction between beginner and experienced classes

  • Strengthened the instructor introduction

  • Added more detailed class expectations

  • Revised UX writing to sound more natural and reassuring

  • Improved the hierarchy of headings and supporting text

  • Made contact buttons more visible

  • Adjusted spacing and alignment across sections

  • Refined image sizing and placement

  • Improved the responsive layout for smaller screens


The solution

The final design combines clear service information, calm visual storytelling, and direct conversion paths. Visitors can understand the benefits of the classes, learn about the instructor, review the schedule, and contact Poroshad without navigating through unnecessary content.

Reflection

This project strengthened my ability to balance client preferences with user needs. I learned that freelance UX work requires more than producing a visually attractive interface. It also involves interpreting feedback, explaining design decisions, managing changing requirements, and refining the experience through repeated iterations.

Working directly with the client helped me become more intentional about content hierarchy, responsive behaviour, UX writing, and conversion paths. It also showed me how a calm visual identity can support trust while still providing clear and practical information.

Portfolio 2024–2026

Let’s design intelligent systems
that people can understand,
trust, and use.

Let’s design intelligent systems
that people can understand,
trust, and use.

Baran Shajari · Toronto, Canada

© 2026 Baran Shajari