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This case study was a course work in DesignLab's UX research course. I developed an app for Good Market, a local grocery store. The app lets customers browse, order and deliver their purchases.
PROBLEM
Good Market is a medium scale grocery franchise which focused primarily on physical stores. Although their customer satisfaction ratings have remained relatively constant over the last 4 years, their market share has decreasing by 8% each year. They believe by enabling customers to shop online, they could solve the problem as well as attract new customers.
CHALLENGES
What are the characteristics of Good Market's customers?
What do they value when doing grocery shopping?
How do their competitors design their online platforms?
RESEARCH
Time-consuming
They think grocery shopping in physical stores take time and rather spend it on something else
Pay for convenience
They prefer paying a bit more for grocery delivery to save time
USER PERSONA
We created user personas based on Good Market's data of current customers in order to better grasp their needs and pain points
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Good Market's market research has revealed that the decline of market share is directly caused by competitor's online shopping platforms which are popular among customers. A competitive analysis was conducted to identify the platforms' processes and functions.
Good Eggs
Fresh Direct
Jou Sun
We found that all platforms share a similar browse and checkout process which is common in other shopping sites. The service offered by competitors are also similar, with some having more delivery options. Categorization of items are slightly different, but the offerings are mostly the same with some having additional meal options. The design of those platforms varies greatly. We noticed the branding and design can affect willingness to make a purchase.
CONTEXT OF USE SCENARIOS
What is the situation where the user will need this product?
When they are in a hurry to do grocery shopping or when they don't have time/don't want to go to physical stores. This service should be accessible anywhere since the users are mostly busy professionals.
How long will the user use this product for?
When they are in a hurry to do grocery shopping or when they don't have time/don't want to go to physical stores
Will the user likely be interrupted or otherwise need to return to tasks?
It is possible since they might be using their time between work or commute. The platform must be able to save and retrieve the last progress the users made.
Will they ever use this product again? Why or why not?
The business model should retain consumers for repeat purchases. This depends on their first-time purchase experience. An unoptimized, clunky process could lead to dissatisfaction and ultimately they won't return.
Should the product exist first as a mobile or web-based product?
Considering the users' need to grab grocery on-the-go, a mobile platform/app should be developed first.
Would you need to have multiple accounts to use this product?
There shouldn't be any need for multiple accounts, since delivery addresses can be changed. There is no need to switch accounts to do shopping for friends/family.
How else could your user solve this problem without using your product? Is it possible?
Other alternatives include purchasing over at the competitors'. This could be the case if Good Market failed to offer deals/services that users deem worth. Users might also ask friends/family to help them.
How much easier is it to use your product than the alternative?
It depends on whether Good Market can offer a better shopping/returning/delivering experience, with care given to other factors such as quality of products, visual branding design, appropriate pricing, so on.
PROTOTYPING
Keep the layout simple and efficient
Customers are expecting a time-efficient
shopping experience
Smooth mobile item select and checkout
Navigation should be streamlined and
instructions should be clear
Easy-to-understand item categorization
Item categories should be clearly defined to
avoid confusion
We interviewed 3 people who match Good Market's "busy professionals" persona and asked them to sort items into self-defined categories.
We found out that some categories remain the same for the 3 interviewees - fruits, bread, snacks, vegetables and beverage(drinks); while the others vary.
It helps us get a better sense of the navigation of the app. We were able to iterate and perfect the details with this organization.
Sitemap was created to better lay out the hierarchy of the app. Iterations were made.
Rough wireframes were developed to further test if interactions and navigations are matched with design intentions. Some aesthetic elements has gone through changes to better fit the functional side of the app.
DESIGN RESULT