Online Grocery Experience Redesign (Service UX)
Online Grocery Experience Redesign (Service UX)
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Project Focus - Redesigned key parts of Coles’ online grocery journey to reduce friction in browsing and checkout — especially for time-poor shoppers.
Problem - Users struggled to shop efficiently because the website:
returns irrelevant search results
hides stock availability and store/location context
makes delivery vs click & collect unclear
forces sign-in/sign-up just to add items to trolley
lacks clear product detail and payment option information
Result: frustration, hesitation, and drop-off.
My Role - End-to-end UX designer responsible for research, analysis, interaction design, prototyping and usability validation.
What I Did
User interviews & behavioural research
Heuristic & competitor analysis
Insight synthesis & prioritisation
Service flow redesign
Wireframes & interactive prototype
Usability testing & iteration
In e-commerce, uncertainty kills momentum — so the design must surface availability, fulfilment and cost before asking for commitment.
What I Changed (High-impact improvements)
Guest-first flow: allow “add to trolley” and checkout as guest
Clear fulfilment info: delivery + click & collect details visible early
Real-time availability: stock/location surfaced at the right moments
Better product pages: stronger image gallery + clearer descriptions
Checkout clarity: simplified steps and reduced cognitive load
Payment transparency: payment options shown before the final step
Outcome - A streamlined shopping journey that helps users find items faster, understand availability, and complete purchase with fewer interruptions and less uncertainty. Find results here
"I identify friction in real-world purchase journeys and redesign decision points so users can act quickly and confidently."
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
Category
Online Groceries
Pictures
Pexels, Unsplash
Meera's Browsing Experience
Meera's Browsing Experience
"Online shopping should be quick, simple and intuitive, unlike in-store where you can ask for help"
"Online shopping should be quick, simple and intuitive, unlike in-store where you can ask for help"
EMPATHISE: Unveiling the Pain Points
EMPATHISE: 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
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 combining objective market insights with subjective usability critiques, Reeya confirmed her hypothesis that search and checkout were key pain points, allowing her to iterate effectively toward a more competitive user experience.
CONCEPTUALISE: 1. Affinity Mapping
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
2. Impact Effort Matrix
3. User-Centred Design
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
DESIGN: Proposed Flow Chart
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.
Armed with these insights, she wasn't just redesigning a website; she was crafting an experience, one click at a time.
FINAL RESULT
FINAL RESULT
Project Presentation
Project Presentation
This case study represents hours of Reeya's research and design thinking.
In the end, Reeya transformed a frustrating shopping process into a streamlined experience, demonstrating how thoughtful UX strategy can turn user pain points into opportunities for delight.
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