Cake Walk App

Cake Walk is an all-in-one birthday party planning app designed to simplify organizing celebrations. It offers features like budgeting, checklist, customizable invites, guest list management, RSVP tracking, and vendor coordination, making party planning stress-free and enjoyable.

Research •
UX/UI •
Branding
• Prototyping •
Usability Testing

Overview

The Challenge

Birthday party planning is often a DIY endeavor, yet no dedicated tools exist to simplify the process. From managing guest lists and choosing themes to coordinating activities and staying within budget, it often feels like there’s no easy way to keep everything organized. Cakewalk aims to fill this gap by offering an intuitive, all-in-one app designed to streamline planning while enhancing creativity and organization. The app will provide tools for managing guest lists, themes, invites, activities, and budgets, all in a user-friendly interface. 

With tools to streamline every step, Cakewalk will help make planning stress-free and enjoyable, so anyone can create memorable celebrations with ease.

Planning a birthday party can be overwhelming for many reasons. People often struggle with coordinating all the details, from selecting themes and activities to managing guest lists and budgets, while balancing their already busy lives. The DIY nature of birthday planning adds to the challenge, as most individuals lack access to dedicated tools that streamline the process.

The absence of a centralized platform makes it harder to stay organized, leading to unnecessary stress and missed opportunities to create memorable experiences. 

There is an opportunity to support DIY party planners with a tool that simplifies organization, enhances creativity, and provides a seamless way to manage all aspects of a birthday celebration in one place.

Research

Research revealed the missing pieces in party planning, guiding Cakewalk's creation.

Market and the Competition

PartySlate, Pro Party Planner, punchbowl, and Zola are key players in the event planning space, each catering to specific needs. PartySlate primarily focuses on connecting users with professional event planners and caters to large-scale events like weddings and corporate gatherings. Similarly, Zola an indirect competitor specializes only in weddings related events, offering comprehensive planning tools such as registries, guest list management, and vendor recommendations.

Pro Party Planner is an app designed for event organization, featuring tools like task management, budget tracking, and timeline creation. However, its complexity can be daunting for casual users or those planning smaller events. Punchbowl, in contrast, is a straightforward tool offering basic invitation and RSVP management, but lacking the comprehensive features required for end-to-end planning.

While these platforms excel in their niches, they often fall short for users seeking an all-in-one solution tailored specifically for personal celebrations like birthday parties.

User Interviews

I conducted interviews with six individuals ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s, each with varying levels of experience in planning birthday parties. Three participants were from suburban areas, while the others lived in urban settings. Four interviews were conducted via video calls, and two were in person.

During these interviews, I explored users’ experiences with planning birthday parties and their thoughts on tools or methods they currently use. Neither participants had ever used a specialized birthday party planning app, so my questions focused on their typical planning process, challenges they face, how they organize and manage vendors or budgets, and what they value most in creating a memorable experience for their children..

Key Insights from affinity mapping

  • Time Constraints - Time was a significant factor for participants, especially those in their 30s with young children or full-time jobs. Many said they struggled to dedicate sufficient time to planning and wished for tools that could streamline tasks.

  • Challenges in Party Planning - Common struggles included managing multiple aspects of the event, such as tracking RSVPs, coordinating with vendors, and staying within budget. Participants frequently mentioned how stressful it can be to juggle all these responsibilities with different tools.

  • Vendor Selection - Finding reliable and affordable vendors for these kind of events was a recurring pain point. Many participants expressed frustration with the lack of trustworthy recommendations and the time it took to vet options.

  • Party Organization - Participants emphasized the importance of staying organized, with some using spreadsheets or physical planners to manage their tasks. Others said they struggled to keep track of details, such as RSVPs or vendor communications, especially when planning larger events.

User Personas