The Challenge
Jerry’s Art Supply was one of many small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As March of 2020 came to an end, sales began to drop. Jerry’s was the local pitstop for art supplies, but as customers were no longer able to shop in-store, a functional and well designed e-commerce site was more vital than ever.
As it stood, Jerry’s website was jumbled. Users were unfamiliar with where and how to begin looking for an item, resulting in a major loss of sales due to poor design and function, and navigation elements of the site.
The Objective
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly effected small businesses nation-wide. My task was to bring new life to the Jerry’s website, providing users with a quick and easy online shopping experience.
My Role
Research
Sketching
Wireframes
System Design
Tools
Sketch
Photoshop
Invision
Miro
Duration
2 weeks
Team
Solo Project
Jerry’s Art Supply is a wholesale art supply and framing business located in Greensboro, NC. Jerry’s members receive exclusive deals and discounts on bulk items — perfect for artists, amateurs, and everyone in between.
Business Goals
How might we create a seamless and familiar online shopping experience for our users?
User Interviews
After recruiting volunteers for usability testing, I narrowed down users based on how recently they had purchased art supplies or frames online. I targeted six users between the ages of 22 and 56 to ensure my data was representative of a range of users.
Insights
Market Analysis
I completed a market study to compare similar products and service offerings. I discovered that most users turn to dominant product providers for their art supplies. I reviewed several companies, such as Amazon, Blick, Michael’s and Utrecht.
I noticed that one feature remained streamlined and consistent. Large e-commerce sites utilize a familiar global navigation system that users are comfortable with and understand. I decided to implement a similar global navigation in my redesign of Jerry’s site.
Closed Cart Sort
I conducted a closed cart sort using Optimal Workshop to help design and evaluate the information architecture of art supply sites, like Jerry’s. After recruiting 8 individuals, I asked each participant to organize the topics into categories that made sense to them for labeling groups.
User Persona
The Opportunity
While the redesign of Jerry’s e-commerce site offered many growth areas, the most prominent opportunity for improvement was navigation. Users struggled to understand how they might go about completing their task. During initial usability testing, I discovered that 80% of users exited the site during the last step before checkout.
Problem Statement
Users needs a fast, streamlined way to find and purchase items at a discount, so that they can keep their items stocked without breaking the bank.
Sketches
Wireframes
Mockups
The Changes
Invision Prototype
Using Sketch, I was able to map out the intended user flow. My wireframes came together, piece by piece, to create a prototype.
Takeaways
Challenges
This project presented an enormous challenge. Taking on a site that required a complete redesign was like looking at the top of a mountain three thousand miles away. Not knowing which step to take first resulted in a bit of an overwhelming start.
As soon as I started sketching and the possible solutions started flooding in, I knew I was on the right track. I found through this process that I am energized the most by the visual design phase. As a visual learner, it is necessary for me to see possibilities laid out in front of me to fully visualize where the project is headed.
Motivations
E-commerce has become a huge part of our everyday lives. The pandemic has limited our access to in-store shopping, causing a 25% increase in e-commerce since March. As a designer, I am passionate about making our daily interactions with products and services as pragmatic and beneficial as possible. Conglomerate sites have taken over the market, running small businesses to the ground. Providing a site like Jerry’s with solutions eases stress in these uncertain times.
Next Steps
Moving forward, I want to increase visibility and accessibility throughout the entire site. I want to implement more color contrast with text and images, as well as input more descriptive link text throughout. Designing accessibility into all designs is key.
I also want to conduct more research to make Jerry’s site as user-friendly as possible. While there is no need to reinvent the wheel, I want to figure out a way to push the limits while maintaining familiar navigation and features used by most e-commerce sites today.