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St. Lawrence Market
Designing a Digital Experience with the Soul of a Village
Our team was tasked with reimagining how St. Lawrence Market could bridge its historic, community-driven identity with a modern digital experience.
The Challenge
When Tradition Gets Lost in Translation
The St. Lawrence Market website lacked the warmth, community spirit, and liveliness that the real market is known for. Navigation felt hidden, features like maps and filters didn’t work properly, and visitors often got lost both online and on-site.
Our goal was to reimagine how digital design could reflect the essence of the market — a place full of culture, connection, and human stories — while improving usability and engagement.
The Research
Understanding the Audiences
Our research revealed that market visitors value exploration, culture, and storytelling as much as shopping. They enjoy personal interactions and want the online experience to capture that same sense of warmth and discovery. However, unclear maps, crowded layouts, and a lack of vendor stories made the experience disorienting.
Personas: who we’re designing for
Sophia
From this research, we built personas that captured the everyday reality of market visitors.
One persona, Sophia, represents the curious regular who seeks both comfort and connection.
Sophia, a nurse, visits the market to unwind after a long week. She loves discovering seasonal products and connecting with local vendors. However, she often struggles to find her way around and wishes for a smoother, more personal experience — something that helps her navigate, save her favorite shops, and feel part of the community even before she arrives.
Competitive Landscape
Unlike Stackt Market’s modern event-driven identity or Kensington Market’s street-culture appeal, St. Lawrence Market’s strength lies in its heritage charm and cultural warmth — a value missing from its digital presence.
Kensington Market
Stackt Market
Problem Definition
Framing the Opportunity
From our research, we reframed the challenge into a guiding question:
How might we create a digital experience that reflects the warmth, community, and heritage of St. Lawrence Market, so that visitors can easily navigate, connect with vendors, and rediscover the joy of exploring the market?
This question shaped our recommendations and guided us toward practical solutions.
The Solution
Bringing Community and Culture to Life
Our design solution aimed to transform St. Lawrence Market’s digital space into a lively, story-driven platform — one that blends utility with the emotional and cultural richness of the real market.
The Outcome
Concept Highlights – Digital Tools for a Living Market
Each concept was designed to bring the market’s personality, people, and daily rhythm online in playful, intuitive ways.
Gossip Today: Fresh from the Market
A daily bulletin sharing market stories, fresh deals, and vendor updates — turning community news into friendly market gossip.
The Interactive Map
A dynamic map inspired by Harry Potter’s Marauder’s Map, showing footsteps, favorite stops, and real-time positioning — helping visitors navigate the market easily and playfully.
The Market Book
A personalized digital journal where users can save favorite vendors, write notes, and explore recipes shared by store owners — creating a lasting connection between buyers and local merchants.
My Role – Communicator and Strategist
I led the strategic design and ideation for the “Gossip Today” section, the interactive map concept, and the digital book experience — ensuring each idea aligned with our goal of turning a practical visit into a memorable, human-centered experience.
Reflection
What I Learned
Designing with Culture in Mind
This project reminded me that UX design isn’t just about solving usability issues — it’s about capturing the soul of an experience.
I learned how to bridge digital strategy with cultural storytelling, how collaboration fuels creativity, and how thoughtful design can bring community heritage to life online.
