Art-a-Fair
An Art supplies e-Comm website design to help them increase their reach to new and aspiring artists
Overview
E Com is all about building trust, confidence and relationship with the user. So naturally when it comes to art supplies, understanding the user’s relationship and experience with the product formed the basis of the project. The first step however, is to inspire users to get drawn to the site. A clear Information architecture is key to building a long term relationship with the user.
Role
Research and analysis, sketching, wireframing, Testing and Iterations, prototyping
Duration
2 week fast track project
Design Process
Discover
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Research
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User Interviews
Define
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User Personas
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Card Sorting
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Information Architecture
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User Flow
Design
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Sketching
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User flow
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Wireframing
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Usability Testing
Deliver
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Interactive Prototype
User Insights and Persona
The research indicated that social media is a strong influence in the selection and decision making process. A large segment within the target group preferred going to the store for the experience and actual look and feel of the product. Also, seeing new products was a strong motivation.
Kara Rogers
28, Graphic Designer
Social Influences
" I am not sure which is the right tool or product to buy"
" I want to be up to date with the latest art trends"
" I am not sure of the quality and condition of the products when I buy them online"
Information Architecture
The key takeaway from the user interviews was that the website needed to be more than just a shop to buy products. It needs to be a community where budding artists can look for inspiration, share their creations and find out about new products. Like going to an art fair. The primary navigation for the website was divided into three categories based on this need.
Products
Products are categorized by their physical nature. This also simulates product display in offline stores
Get Inspired
Watch the latest trends and techniques in art through curated videos and buy the products as shown
Showcase
Share your creations with the art community, attend workshops, events and join new challenges
By using the technique of card sorting, wherein users were asked to group and label products as per what made most sense to them, we derived some meaningful insights which informed the basic nature of the website in terms of the structure and subcategories.
Color pencils, graphite pencils, watercolor pencils were all grouped together
Easels, canvases and frames were grouped together
All types of paper products were grouped together
80% Users expect products to be grouped by their physical nature rather than specific usage
Userflow and Wireframes
The primary user flow for product discovery is based on the user’s need to be able to find a specific product and find satisfactory information about it to encourage the purchase.
Each product type required a specific type of information. For the project, one category of products was explored, Paper
Provide curated and product specific information to the user to instill confidence and surety in the quality of the product
Usability Testing and Design Iteration
The decisions regarding the website structure and key user flow were tested over two rounds with 5 users each. Design iterations were progressive enhancement based on user feedback. This helped in the validation of design.
Round 1
Round 2
The website was tested on Users for ease of product discovery and checkout process
Test Results
On a scale of 1 to 7, the overall task rating went up form 5 in round 1 to 6 in round 2.
The users appreciate the detailed product information and a straightforward product discovery and checkout process. The Get inspired and showcase segments generated interest in the users.
Challenges and Learnings
An alternative product discovery path through Get Inspired can be explored.
Multiple rounds of card sorting/tree testing may be conducted for validation of findings.
Lack of visual imagery to support Clear communication.