CBCXOXO Vintage Jewelry
E-Commerce Website Redesign
BACKGROUND
CBCXOXO is a small vintage jewelry collector located in Denver, Colorado. The owner, Caroline Barry Cole, wanted to sell items online during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep her business running. I was asked to design specifically for an Influencer Persona, as the store is located in a trendy neighborhood, and has unique products that hold stories and experiences.
DISCOVER
I first conducted a design audit of the current site and recorded initial observations. I then reviewed my given persona and conducted additional research on Instagram influencers to solidify my research methods.
Competitive Analysis
I selected five companies to analyze in a competitive analysis that included a feature analysis and task analysis.
Contextual Interviews
Five female users between the ages of 20 and 35 were asked to complete a purchase on the current site.
User Interviews
Eight female users between the ages of 20 and 35 were interviewed about their online shopping habits & how they shop for jewelry online.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1
Users expect at least three filter and sort options on a jewelry site
2
Users typically sort by product type before metal type
3
Users had issues finding specific product types on CBCXOXO
4
Users would rather browse and buy CBCXOXO in-store
5
Some users were initially confused by the business name
THE PROBLEM
Users are unable to easily find the products they want due
to lack of sort/filter options. They need a more intuitive way to navigate the site. ​
IDEATE & DESIGN
Once I completed my research and defined the problem, I began sketching out possible solutions. I decided I wanted to redesign the website's navigation, add filter/sort options, and expand product categories.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Navigation
Both the contextual interviews and user interviews displayed CBCXOXO's lack of navigation in comparison to user expectations To create this new navigation, I conducted an open card sort with 25 women and 20 products. This helped solidify my research, and led to a new primary navigation. This new navigation showed all product types for quick access, as users typically sort by product type first when shopping.
Filter and Sort
Users were consistent in expecting a jewelry e-commerce site to have at least three filter and sort options. CBCXOXO originally did not have any, so I created a filter and sort to accompany the product inventory.
Branding
When designing the high-fidelity prototype, I went back and looked at some key notes from my contextual interviews. Users reported the business name, CBCXOXO, was initially confusing. I also noticed a few observations of the pink background being distracting. These two takeaways led me to redesign CBCXOXO's logo for better user understanding, as well as a new color palette that complimented the products rather than distracting from them.
Before
After
Before
After
Text & Visuals
While I kept CBCXOXO's copy the same, I broke up some of the more text-heavy pages with visuals to help users find information quickly and improve the overall flow of the site.
TESTING
Once I was happy with my prototype, I tested eight users on basic functionality and three tasks. Testing was extremely successful, with all three tasks completed in minimal time with minimal errors. One key navigation component was changed for usability.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-
Users reported checkout flowed as expected
-
Users reported filter/sort options were as expected
-
Key edit: my high-fidelity prototype moved "About & Contact" into the main navigation bar
-
100% success rate on all tasks
-
Users reported it was "easy" to find different products
-
Usability and functionality tested well
END RESULT
By the end of my two-week sprint, I presented my findings and prototype to a large group of UX/UI professionals and students. If I was to move forward with this client, I would work closely with the owner to develop new branding standards. Additionally, I would be interested in conducting my own research into a persona, and comparing the results from that research. I expect the owner to additionally want options to filter by designer and decade, which requires her expertise.
The biggest challenge for me in this project was not assuming the way users shop for jewelry. As an avid vintage shopper myself, I had to put my assumptions and preferences aside to ensure I was catering to the larger user.