Out of the Closet Thrift Stores
Identifying usability issues and bringing the website up to speed with competition.
User Research • Competitve Anlaysis • Information Architecture • UX/UI • Visual Design
The website failed page load speed tests, causing users to wait prolonged periods of time for the website to load. Additionally, the navigation was confusing and didn't streamline specific tasks for users, and the overall design needed a lift to align with recent creative designs. This project required continuous collaboration between product, creative design, branding, and other key stakeholders from the thrift store line, along with research on the competitive landscape and the organization's users.
Deliverables
User Research • Competitive Analysis • Wireframes • Mockups
To better understand the competitive landscape, I conducted an analysis of how competitors communicated their value propositions through their websites. This helped uncover gaps in our own website, including missing information that users found helpful, such as an "About Us" and "How To Donate" pages, as well as career opportunities. This helped give direction while learning more about the users. Through our database, we were able to uncover the insights to help construct user personas.
After constructing user personas, I began running usability tests to restructure the navigation system. I learned from stakeholders that I also needed to prioritize finding opportunities to drive interest in the organization's newsletter. From here, I decided to add a newsletter sign-up form in the footer and run tests to see if the language, organization, and layout resonate and are easily digestible to the user. Once tests have passed, this helped me structure the information architecture and navigation of the website.
Outcome
After launching the website, we observed an improvement in page load speed, a reduced bounce rate, and users expressed less frustration when using the navigation. When working with the marketing team, we learned that there is a higher engagement with campaigns through the website, pop-ups, and the footer sign-up form. Overall, we saw success after launching the new design.