The plant store with a pottery twist.
When embarking on the redesign of a local plant shop's e-commerce website in Hollywood, I noticed an opportunity to improve the user experience. The initial design primarily showcased pottery, which could be confusing for visitors. With the redesign, I aimed to create a welcoming online space that catered to both plant enthusiasts and art lovers, offering a seamless shopping experience that accurately represented the shop's diverse offerings.
In the process of redesigning our e-commerce website, it was crucial to define our target user and the type of plant shoppers we wanted to attract. To accomplish this, I envisioned several personas that could align with our goals, ultimately choosing the one that closely resonated with the existing user base. This thoughtful approach helped us tailor the website to meet the needs and preferences of our primary audience effectively.
Okay, so we are selling plants.
… but to who?
Calling all plant parents.
The primary challenge faced by users on the existing e-commerce website revolved around confusion, stemming from both content misalignment and the complex navigation structure. Visitors often found themselves engaged in a frustrating back-and-forth quest for the right information, hindering their ability to make informed plant selections. In our redesign, we prioritized clarity and streamlined navigation to alleviate this common pain point, ensuring a more user-friendly and efficient experience.
3/5 - Users didn’t recognize the site as a plant website, but rather as a pottery/ art site.
3/5 - Users had to navigate back and forth to cross reference information to choose the right plant.
They WANT plants. But what do they NEED?
How do we navigate this?
Through a card sort test, we gained valuable insights that led to a pivotal decision in our e-commerce website redesign. Sorting plants by species, as per user preferences, significantly improved navigation and the ease with which users accessed specific information about each plant. This change not only enhanced the user experience but also optimized the presentation of crucial details, ensuring a more informed and streamlined shopping process.
First things first.
During the initial ideation phase, I focused on redesigning the homepage to convey the shop's essence in a trustworthy and visually engaging manner. My goal was to make it clear that the site offers a variety of plants while preserving the artistic aspect that the existing site cherished. This delicate balance allowed us to present a user-friendly interface that seamlessly combined the shop's identity and the diverse offerings, ultimately enhancing the website's appeal and trustworthiness.
Let’s test this theory.
For our e-commerce website redesign, we utilized low-fidelity wireframes to conduct usability tests, both moderated and unmoderated, aiming to evaluate users' navigation and their ability to find the ideal plant based on specific prompts. These tests provided invaluable insights into the effectiveness of our design, ensuring that users could easily and successfully navigate the website to discover their perfect plant.
