El Padrino
A neighborhood barbershop wants its own simple way for clients to book, pay, and come back — without handing the relationship to a third-party app.
The business
El Padrino is a neighborhood barbershop built on regulars — people who come back for a specific barber and a familiar chair. Today, bookings run through a third-party platform that owns the client list, sets the rules, and keeps the relationship one step removed from the shop.
The challenge
The owner wants the shop to own its own experience: a simple way for clients to book the barber they want, leave a deposit when it helps, pay, and rebook — plus room to run a real “first visit” promotion. The hard part isn't a calendar; it's moving off an incumbent without losing the regulars, and making the switch feel effortless for both barbers and clients.
Our role
The Ward is shaping the brand and the booking experience, and designing a tested prototype the shop can stand behind. We're clear about the line between design and production: the installable booking app is designed and validated here, while production development is identified and scoped separately.
What we're designing
- A refreshed identity that looks like the shop, not a template
- A booking flow built around choosing your barber
- Deposits and payment where they reduce no-shows
- A clear, honest “first visit” promotion
- An installable web app (PWA) clients add to their phone
- A transition plan off the current platform
How we'll measure it
We've agreed on the customer actions that matter: completed bookings made directly through the shop, and repeat visits from returning clients. We'll set a baseline at launch and report results only after they exist — no projections dressed up as outcomes.
Published with the owner's permission. Imagery and participant credits will be added as approved photography is finalized.
Websites & digital products
Customer journeys, app concepts, prototypes, and usability testing — built around the one action that matters.