Responsive
e-commerce website
e-commerce website
About the project
Mirror is a fictional chain of clothing stores with significant global presence in 32 countries. They offer clothing for any occasion and have quality products with low prices. They’re feeling the pressure of not having an online presence and, to stay competitive and grow as a brand, they decided it’s time to go digital as well and offer a full e-commerce experience.
Research
Goals
I started the project attempting to understand what users consider an enjoyable online experience, what are some of the difficulties and unmet needs they might encounter when shopping for clothes online and identifying features & functionalities that help them complete their goals.
I started the project attempting to understand what users consider an enjoyable online experience, what are some of the difficulties and unmet needs they might encounter when shopping for clothes online and identifying features & functionalities that help them complete their goals.
Market Analysis
Most of the top retailers in this research tend to have a very similar experience, from placing an item in the cart to the checkout process. Here are some of the more notable items.
• Multiple payment methods and shipping options
• Plenty of photography to give consumers a good look at what they are buying
• Some websites do not offer an optimized mobile experience
• Some websites have too many menu categories or ineffective filters
Interviews & Findings
I interviewed two women and a man aged 37 to 45. All of them are married with kids, have full time jobs and live within 30km of a major metropolitan center. They shop online regularly but the women are the ones that shop for clothes on a more occasional basis. They shop for themselves and also for their family members. These interviews gave me a more intimate perspective of what they like and dislike about the online shopping process and what features they would like to see implemented.
I interviewed two women and a man aged 37 to 45. All of them are married with kids, have full time jobs and live within 30km of a major metropolitan center. They shop online regularly but the women are the ones that shop for clothes on a more occasional basis. They shop for themselves and also for their family members. These interviews gave me a more intimate perspective of what they like and dislike about the online shopping process and what features they would like to see implemented.
Needs
• Ability to shop anywhere anytime
• The ability to use coupons and take advantage of sales
• Ability to quickly browse through a lot of products & making extensive use of filters
• The convenience of being able to return items to the store
Pain Points
• Sizing for items such as footwear and bottoms represent a constant issue
• Not having a clear idea of how the clothes will look on their body type
• Some websites have filters that do not work as well as others
• Some popular stores have yet to have an online presence
Strategy
Meet Jennifer – our developed persona
Jennifer is the result from our user research findings. She helped understand at a deeper level how she feels and reacts to online shopping during her very hectic daily routine and what are things that benefit or hinder her ability to be successful.
Based off Jennifer’s persona and empathy map I outlined a user journey in storyboard format of a potential scenario to further explore how she might behave in a certain situation.
Her busy lifestyle clearly shows us what are the factors she looks for when shopping online. She values good deals and efficient use of her time. She likes to have lots of options to choose from with good product images and effective filters so she can focus on what she needs/likes. Fast shipping options and a convenient return policy also enhances her experience.
Her busy lifestyle clearly shows us what are the factors she looks for when shopping online. She values good deals and efficient use of her time. She likes to have lots of options to choose from with good product images and effective filters so she can focus on what she needs/likes. Fast shipping options and a convenient return policy also enhances her experience.
UX Strategy
User Flow
Based on the storyboard scenario a user flow was created to serve as a baseline to the wireframes and UI design. The selected flow displays how a user arrives at the home page and proceeds successfully through the buying process.
Sitemap
Because of the complexity and number of pages on ecommerce sites I created a sitemap to have a clear understanding of content structure and functionality.
Wireframes
I designed medium fidelity wireframes in sketch of the main pages on my user flow and proceeded to validate them with a round of usability testing with four participants. Three female and one male participant, aged 27 to 51.
UI Kit
Responsive Designs
Reflections
This project gave me a glimpse into the ultra competitive world of online retailers. Even though many of the top players have a somewhat similar experience there are some differences that benefit or hinder the user such as innefective filters or lack of sizing information.
The prototype testing phase was particularly interesting to observe as users went along the interface and tried to accomplish the tasks that were asked. How they browsed from area to area and how long the mouse pointer lingered on certain elements was very eye opening and led in interesting questions. Some areas of struggle came into view as well and after a couple of rounds of iterations the experience was smooth and intuitive.
With advancements in data collection and analysis of consumer habits the online retail space still has lots of room for improvement and endless possibilities.
The prototype testing phase was particularly interesting to observe as users went along the interface and tried to accomplish the tasks that were asked. How they browsed from area to area and how long the mouse pointer lingered on certain elements was very eye opening and led in interesting questions. Some areas of struggle came into view as well and after a couple of rounds of iterations the experience was smooth and intuitive.
With advancements in data collection and analysis of consumer habits the online retail space still has lots of room for improvement and endless possibilities.
