“I don’t say this lightly—Carma saved my company.
We first hired a web developer who started off strong, but things quickly took a turn. Their shady practices cost us months of progress and significant money. After firing the first firm we hired a new firm whose work was great, but their rates were so high we could barely afford to keep them.
Then came Carma. She charges reasonable rates and delivers work on par with the expensive firm, and in A/B testing, our clients often preferred her designs.
But the best part of working with Carma is her responsiveness. I’ve never waited more than one business day to hear back from her. She acts immediately on every task, pausing only to confirm details so she doesn’t do unnecessary work.
In short, Carma has saved my company thousands of dollars and has been an absolute treasure to work with.”
Divergent Realms: Marketplace for Neurodivergent TTRPG Community
Role: UX Designer & Developer
Timeline: 2 weeks, ongoing optimization
Year: 2024
Client: Professional game master marketplace
Live Site: divergentrealms.com
THE HOOK
My homepage redesign, built in 5 hours, outperformed the previous agency's version (3 months, $3,000+) in A/B testing.
THE CHALLENGE
Divergent Realms connects neurodivergent tabletop gaming players with professional game masters. It's a two-sided marketplace where:
Players discover and book GMs for D&D and other TTRPGs
GMs get a platform to offer their services
The site also sells gaming merchandise and resources
The problem: Their WordPress site was barely functional. Poor CSS, repetitive stock images, confusing navigation, and no clear path to booking. An agency had spent 3 months and significant budget on a homepage that still wasn't converting.
Players needed:
Clearer approach to finding the right GM
Reassurance about value for money
Clean, trustworthy visuals
Straightforward booking process
MY APPROACH
Information Architecture
Created three discovery paths to serve different user needs:
1. "Meet Our GMs"
Browse all available game masters with their specialties, styles, and experience. Users can explore and compare before booking.
2. Direct Store Booking
For players who already know which GM they want, streamlined path straight to booking.
3. "Open Tables"
GMs post games they're running with available seats. Players can join existing campaigns rather than starting from scratch.
Market Research
Interviewed players and analyzed competitor marketplaces to understand what drives trust and booking decisions. Key insights:
Players want to see GM personality and style, not just credentials
Trust signals are critical for online services involving payment
Clear pricing and session details up front reduce booking friction
ND community values authenticity over polish
Design & Development
Platform: Rebuilt on Squarespace for easier client management
Focus: Clean, scannable layouts that reduce cognitive load
Trust-building: Prominent GM profiles, clear service descriptions, transparent pricing
A/B Testing
Tested my homepage redesign against the previous agency's version:
Agency version: 3 months development, $3,000+ cost
My version: 5 hours development
Winner: My redesign significantly outperformed in user engagement and click-through to booking
The simpler, clearer approach resonated better with the neurodivergent audience who value straightforward information over flashy design.
Ongoing Optimization
This is an iterative partnership. We continue refining:
Information architecture based on user feedback
Booking flow optimization
GM discovery experience
Content organization
Some elements are still being refined as we learn from real user behavior.
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
Platform Migration: WordPress → Squarespace
Rebuilt entire site structure
Integrated booking system
Payment flow for commission model
Responsive design for all devices
Custom Features:
Three-path navigation system
GM profile templates
Open tables/available games system
E-commerce integration for merchandise
Bonus: Interactive Easter Egg
Built a hidden dungeon-crawl text adventure (à la Zork) triggered by the Konami code (↑↑↓↓←→←→BA). DOM listener detects the input sequence and launches the game from the footer—thematically perfect for a D&D community and demonstrating advanced JavaScript capabilities.
RESULTS
Before: Confusing WordPress site with poor CSS, unclear booking process, homepage that took 3 months to build and didn't convert
After: Clean, organized marketplace with three clear discovery paths and A/B-tested homepage that outperforms previous version
What Changed
Clear navigation for different user needs (browse, direct book, join existing games)
Professional GM profiles that build trust
Streamlined booking flows
Clean, accessible design for ND community
Custom interactive features
Ongoing optimization based on user feedback
Client Impact
Site is live and actively serving both players and GMs. The simpler, user-centered approach has proven more effective than the previous expensive agency work.
(Client testimonial to be added)
WHAT I LEARNED
Expensive doesn't mean better: The 5-hour homepage I built outperformed the agency's 3-month version because it focused on user needs rather than visual complexity.
Neurodivergent users value clarity: Straightforward information architecture and honest communication beat flashy design every time.
Marketplace UX is complex: Serving two user types (players and GMs) requires careful consideration of multiple user journeys and needs.
Iterate in production: Rather than trying to perfect everything before launch, we shipped and continue optimizing based on real user behavior.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Design Tools: Figma for planning and wireframes
Development:
Squarespace platform customization
Custom CSS for unique layouts
JavaScript for interactive features (Konami code game)
Responsive design optimization
Booking system integration
Payment flow setup
Key Challenges:
Two-sided marketplace UX
Multiple discovery paths
Trust-building for online service
ND-friendly information architecture
Ongoing optimization
View Live Site: divergentrealms.com
Technologies: Squarespace, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Figma