Challenge:

Create a web site for women based on Shopify e-commerce platform with best UX practices applied.

What is on the market?

Understanding industry leaders led us to probably features the Lilyland web site may have. We underlined the next goals for Shopify exploring in:

-filtering search plugins,

-similar smart suggestions,

-smart search.

Also handy size chart and expand more views are great as an idea.

Will U.S-located users likely purchase from Europe?

That question, my team asked me all the time. I asked target users about it.

1. I set up a survey for quantitative information about the general experience of online shopping

2. Went on to 1:1 interview with 5 participants for more qualitative information how was online purchase experience from abroad.

   As a result, the affinity map was created.

Primary research key insights are:

• Users got a bad experience purchased abroad. Because website did not state they are NOT from the USA. Users found out it with an email for an order tracking number.

• Guest checkout no need as its options are limited (no tracking, extra pay for returns shipping, etc)

• The most important product features: photos, short description, handy size chart

• Users get used to wishing lists

• Users rely on the shipping timeframe if it’s shown, and it must be correct.

So here we came to an idea if UX will be set up right - nothing will allow U.S users to feel unsatisfied with a purchasing process from abroad.

Creating a Persona

We found it helpful to frame different needs and mindsets for our product

Seting up the project goals

With new understandings of the market and the needs of our clients, I was able to determine the overall project objectives and see where the business and client goals overlap and where my design efforts should be centered.

Reframing the business needs and persona frustrations into “How Might We” questions.

How Melonie will use the product?

What features Melonie may need? Answering this question with identifying Melonie's needs I built up user stories. MVP helped me to quickly test the product.

Mid fi’s wireframes and Guerilla user testing

Following the given information architecture, I did Mid-fi’s wireframes for 20 screens. Usability testing was performed with 5 participants, 20 minutes each.

My goal was to validate components placement and accessibility of each feature.

Recommendations:

• I need to pay attention to how sorting and filtering search of the items can be made. 

• Rename categories from collections to deals.

• Option to sign in must be added

• Work on brand features - free custom-sized dress as an extra.

• Test similar suggestions or set up the buying options for multiply family members

• Work on subcategories 

The sitemap allows us to plan for usability

With user flow tasks I understood how pages can be prioritized, linked, and labeled.

Sitemap was created with a team also, we discussed which products business owner wants to be on USA market, how Lilyland UA will fulfill and work with warehouse and use drop shipping option. The main thing I advocated here for the user is to have the ability to return or exchange dress, as it is a common part of the online shopping experience.

I started to create mid-fi’s to the picked “Simple” Shopify template.

We wanted to test in a first-round how a black and white simple template will show the simplicity of the usage.

Usability testing with 5 different users from the target audience led to key results for the final prototype.

Project takeaway:

Working on this project was relatively straightforward because many Shopify template features have well-established user centered design solutions, we just need to pick which one we need to concentrate on the start up and related with a USA customer experience, as the company originally from Europe. Therefore I gained a lot of experience in researching and formulating solutions based on user AND business needs. On top of that, since many people use e-commerce sites on regular basis, the information gathered and their expectations were concrete, which makes it crucial to reflect common design patterns to be integrated into Lilyland UA Store website. From what I got from this project is that usability testing can be a big help in discovering areas that are inconsistent with user expectations. overall, I gained much perspective and understanding about e-commerce experience.

I did UX recommendations, currently, the company is setting up the store according to them and the website launch date is scheduled on September 01, 2021.

Latest update:

Web dev team found out very complicated to implement website on Shopify while headquarters are based in Ukraine. There is no Russian speaking team, who can support website on Shopify. Currently we are working on changes and templates with other e-commerce platform Opencart, where my role is to assist designers and keep all the UX research recommendations.