Improving User Experience on COLES Website

Imagine Meera, a busy Melbournian mum who spends hours each week hunting for deals online. Like most Aussie women (who make up two-thirds of local online shoppers!), she wants to save time, money, and effort. But her quest for a simple lunchbox at Coles turns into an odyssey.

Why? Because the current website throws up irrelevant search results, hides crucial information like stock and payment options, and forces her to commit to signing up just to add items to her cart. Frustrating, right?

Reeya embarked on a mission to redesign the Coles online shopping experience, making it as smooth and satisfying as a perfectly packed lunchbox. Here's her story:

Where

Melbourne, Australia

What

Website Improvement

Why

Portfolio project

When

End of 2023

Role

Designer, Researcher

Meera's Browsing Experience

"Online shopping should be quick, simple and intuitive, unlike in-store where you can ask for help"

EMPHATISE: Unveiling the Pain Points

During a user research sprint, she conducted interviews with three women (urban dwellers aged 20-60+, living alone or with family/partners and experienced online grocery shoppers) via Google Meet discussions and dives into relevant online communities. By empathising with their frustrations, desires, and core needs, she identified key insights that would inform her design decisions to create a product that effectively addresses user pain points.

Problems & Desk Research Methods

Based on pain points, the appropriate desk research or benchmarking methods would be:

Combining Landscape and Heuristic Reviews, Reeya gained a comprehensive understanding of the platform's position in the market and its usability. Landscape Review provided insights into where Coles stands compared to competitors, identified innovative features, and ensured alignment with industry best practices. Although this method might overlook specific user needs and consume significant time, Heuristic Reviews offered quick, cost-effective insights into usability issues and provided structured feedback. By leveraging both approaches, Reeya gained objective and subjective perspectives, enabling iterative improvements to meet user needs while staying competitive in the market.

CONCEPTUALISE: 1. Affinity Mapping

Through Affinity Mapping, Reeya categorised common user complaints, transforming each one into a stepping stone for improvement. Whether grappling with search functionality or discontent with product information, each piece of feedback was a building block toward crafting a user-friendly Coles online experience. Customers deserved an intuitive and enjoyable shopping journey, and she was committed to delivering precisely that.

2. Impact Effort Matrix

3. User-Centred Design

With a clearer user focus, Reeya transitioned from Ideation to a User-Centred Design (UCD) approach. By addressing browsing challenges, optimising product listings, and streamlining the purchasing process, she wasn't just reacting to problems; she was strategically enhancing the platform to boost user satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, sales.

DESIGN: Proposed Flow Chart

Website Prototyping

View: FIGMA Website Prototype

In her quest to improve the user experience, conducting usability testing on the prototypes was crucial. Every click, scroll, and interaction was scrutinised as she aimed to achieve seamless online shopping at Coles. The feedback she gathered wasn't just helpful; it was transformative.

From tweaking the review bar to simplifying the labyrinth of billing information input, each adjustment brought her closer to her goal: making Coles online a joy to navigate. But it wasn't just about fixing what was broken; it was about understanding customers on a deeper level. Reeya learned that the trolley confirmation needed a makeover, shedding unnecessary clutter to become a streamlined buying checklist. And who knew that something as simple as leaving a delivery note could make all the difference?

Armed with these insights, she wasn't just redesigning a website; she was crafting an experience, one click at a time.

FINAL RESULT

Project Presentation

This case study represents hours of Reeya's research and design thinking. Do you have any insights to share?

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