Queen City Clay (QCC)

Capstone Project: Building a Research-Driven Retention Strategy for a Community Art Studio

Competitive Analysis • Customer Surveys + Interview Research • SWOT Analysis • Jobs-to-Be-Done Analysis • Personas • Customer Journey Mapping • Messaging Frameworks • Retention Strategy • Website + Content Recommendations • Digital Engagement Strategy

THE OPPORTUNITY

Queen City Clay wanted to strengthen customer retention by converting more first-time class participants into long-term customers or members. Despite strong community programming and positive class experiences, many one-time visitors lacked a clear path to continue, engage deeper, or understand the long-term benefits of working with clay. There was an opportunity to clarify these pathways, improve digital touchpoints, and build a research-backed strategy that nurtured ongoing engagement.

THE SOLUTION

I led a multi-layered research project to uncover what motivates customers, what barriers prevent repeat visits, and how QCC could build stronger loyalty. Through competitive analysis, surveys, interviews, personas, Jobs-to-Be-Done, and journey mapping, we identified core engagement drivers and moments where customers needed more clarity, encouragement, or guidance.

From these insights, we developed a retention strategy centered on:

Clearer customer pathways with benefit-driven website content and simplified navigation
Storytelling and community spotlights to amplify word-of-mouth, the studio’s strongest growth engine
Strategic follow-up campaigns that nurture first-time visitors into repeat participants
A structured loyalty program concept to reward ongoing involvement

Our recommendations positioned QCC to drive sustainable growth, strengthen customer loyalty, and deepen its role as a creative community hub.

Queen City Clay is one of the largest public clay studios in the Midwest, offering classes, workshops, memberships, and community-centered programming. With a mission to foster creative expression and belonging, the studio serves a wide range of customers from first-time participants to long-term makers.

Note: Deliverables shown in this case study are adapted for portfolio purposes and exclude sensitive or proprietary client information.

Customer Journey Map