Case Study
Imagining a Digital Platform for Modern Crafters
Overview
I set out to create a modern, inclusive platform that helps knitters of all backgrounds find, use, and share patterns in more accessible and collaborative ways.
Client
Self-initiated project (NYU ITP Capstone)
Role
User Research, App Design, Front-end & Back-end Development
Timeline
4 months
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Balsamiq, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Node.js, Express, MongoDB, Jade Template Language
Challenge
Despite a growing and diverse community of knitters, most online tools remain outdated, difficult to use, and rooted in stereotypes. I set out to design a more modern, collaborative, and accessible digital platform that reflects the real face of today’s knitting community.
High-Level Goals:
Create an inviting and inclusive online space for knitters
Make patterns more interactive and accessible through code-based tools
Encourage creativity, collaboration, and project sharing
Scope:
Conducted foundational research to uncover user motivations and barriers
Mapped the user experience for uploading, finding, and sharing knitting patterns
Developed an interactive prototype for contributing and using pattern instructions
Designed a visual identity and interface that resonates with younger generations of crafters
Constraints:
As a capstone project at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), I worked independently handling all research, design, and development with feedback from faculty and peers throughout the semester.
Approach
I built a modular, scalable design system from the ground up, balancing simplicity with flexibility so it could grow with the product and team.
Research
User Interviews
I began by painting a picture of what it means to be a knitter today. To connect with knitters I reached out to friends, classmates, and online communities. I conducted interviews, collected surveys, and read articles and essays about the craft.
Example Questions:
What do you enjoy about knitting?
How did you learn to knit? Who taught you? At what age?
Where do you go to learn new skills and techniques?
Do you use patterns when you knit? Where do you go to find them?
Where do you like to knit? Alone or in a group? Do you multitask?
Persona Creation
From my results I was able to create a primary persona named Jill, a 27 year-old Marketing Assistant in Brooklyn, New York. Her goals are to find and use patterns away from her computer, share finished projects with friends, use up the yarn she’s been stashing away, and learn new skills to take on more advanced projects.
Jill enjoys the social aspects of knitting. Knitting is a skill passed down by her family members, and she still enjoys participating in knitting or craft circles with her friends. She has no trouble keeping up a conversation while she works on a project, and generally appreciates being able to multitask. She likes to knit while she’s watching television, or on the go when she’s traveling.
Jill is active on social media, where she often posts pictures of her finished projects. She turns to YouTube to learn new stitches and techniques. She has a long backlog of knitting projects and inspiration bookmarked on her computer, but doesn’t have just the right yarn to start them. She also has a growing stash of yarn in her closet that she’ll definitely use just as soon as she finds the right project.
User Journey Mapping
I created a map of the core user flow, identifying pages and interactions that I want to see in the first version of the app. While my initial idea was centered around generating patterns, the current app encourages users to browse patterns, contribute to the library, and start new projects.
Wireframes
With my focus on accessibility, I took a mobile-first approach to design. During my research I found that most crafting websites were not mobile-friendly. They required users to download PDFs, which meant the pattern instructions were not easily scalable or interactive. I also found that knitters, like Jill, were rarely knitting in front of a desktop or laptop computer, and often didn’t have access to a printer. To reach the widest audience, it made sense to focus on responsiveness.
I created wireframes to show the process of finding and generating knitting patterns. The user would start a new project by selecting an item (like a hat or scarf) that they’d like to make and/or the materials they have. When Jill is looking to work through her stash of yarn she can discover patterns that will work. If a pattern with her yarn and needle size doesn’t exist she can generate a new pattern that matches her criteria.
App Design and Development
Along with my research, I built an interactive, responsive prototype of the web application. For this project I used Express javascript framework with Node.js. I created a database for users, images, and knitting patterns using MongoDB. To build the interface I used Jade Template Engine, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.
Outcome
What began as a capstone project became a proof of concept for how thoughtful design and development can transform niche communities into thriving, tech-enabled ecosystems.
The Knit Net successfully demonstrated how digital tools can make the crafting world more inclusive, accessible, and community-driven. The working prototype allowed users to add, share, and follow knitting patterns in a more interactive format, with early testers noting that the experience felt more modern, intuitive, and inspiring than existing solutions.
By bridging the gap between code and craft, I showed how pattern structure could be reimagined through modular and editable components, making instructions easier to follow and remix. The project also sparked conversations around representation in maker culture by challenging outdated assumptions about who knitters are and what they need from digital tools.