website redesign

To evaluate the user experience on HEIR's website, I performed a heuristic analysis of the original design. Through this assessment, I identified certain issues in the site's information structure that demanded attention. Specifically, the top-level categories contained redundant items that necessitated consolidation.

Additionally, the filtering system lacked the ability to stack categories, restricting users from refining their search results more comprehensively. For instance, users could only view filtered lists of earrings, ear cuffs, or studs, but not all ear jewelry simultaneously. Addressing these limitations could significantly enhance the site's usability and improve the overall user experience.

HEIR's website also showcases many high-resolution product photographs. While visually appealing, these images sometimes lead to elements expanding beyond the page's bounds, hindering a comprehensive view of the content—especially on older devices with lower native resolutions. Addressing these issues will be crucial to enhancing the overall user experience of the website.

Rather than begin the redesign from scratch, thorough competitive and comparative analyses were conducted. By studying the strengths and weaknesses of similar websites, key areas for improvement in the original Heir design were identified.

This information was then used to create a new design that addressed the pain points of the original design and incorporated best practices from other successful websites in the same industry.

To kickstart development of the new site prototype, I conducted a closed card sort with five respondents. They were asked to sort 30 randomly-chosen items from the HEIR catalog into five pre-defined substantive categories, along with an "other" category for potential outliers.

The process yielded a strong consensus among participants, giving me the confidence to proceed with the new categorization items for the website. This user-driven approach ensures that the prototype aligns closely with user expectations and needs.

Following the consolidation of menu items, my focus shifted towards enhancing the visual aspects of the site's layout. One crucial improvement involved implementing a continuous, anchored navigation menu, which was essential given the extended page length resulting from HEIR's extensive catalog.

To map out the typical buying experience, I created wireframe sketches that illustrated how users would browse, view product cards, and proceed to checkout their items. These wireframes formed the foundation for the overall user interface design, ensuring a seamless and intuitive shopping journey for HEIR's customers.

To ensure the effectiveness of the new design, I created a mid-fidelity prototype and conducted a series of user tests. These tests were instrumental in evaluating user navigation and provided invaluable insights for refining the overall user experience.

During the initial prototype testing, users were tasked with sending a message to the business. Despite the contact link being available in the navigation menu, it was frequently overlooked.

Of the nine users tested, 67% of first clicks were on the site logo, signaling a desire to return to the home screen and reorient themselves within the site, rather than searching for information on their current page.

This behavior raised concerns about the visibility and effectiveness of the menu items. Further refinement of the navigation design was necessary to address this issue.

The solution to this problem affecting the majority of users was to design the nav menu in a way that would command attention at the initial load state, but recede into a smaller, less intrusive state once the user begins browsing.

The original site design didn't allow for stacking multiple filters, and redundant filters prevented users from viewing commonly associated items together. In the redesign, the three featured earring subcategories were compartmentalized into a main earring category, which allowed users to filter down for more specific results if desired.

The introduction of the stacking ability and inclusion of breadcrumbs further enhanced the filtering process, enabling users to refine their search even further. For instance, if they were interested in exploring gold earrings, they could easily filter for that specific attribute while retaining their previous filter(s).

This implementation provided users with a seamless and efficient way to discover their preferred products based on multiple criteria.

The final significant update to address the site's heuristics issues focused on product photography and info cards, which previously expanded beyond the available screen real estate and lacked a clear information hierarchy. To resolve this, a new design was crafted, carefully retaining all essential information while implementing more appropriate sizing properties.

This adjustment guarantees that users can now view their items legibly and comfortably, resulting in a significantly improved user-friendly experience on the website. The enhanced design ensures that visitors can effortlessly explore HEIR's exquisite jewelry collection without any usability hurdles.

In conclusion, the redesign of HEIR's website has significantly improved its user experience by addressing various heuristic issues. Through a comprehensive analysis and a user-centric approach, I successfully optimized the information structure and readability, introduced a more efficient filtering system, and ensured that product photography and info cards are displayed in a user-friendly manner. The redesign provides a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for users, making it easier for them to discover and explore their preferred products.

Moving forward, further user testing and feedback analysis will be crucial in fine-tuning the website's performance and addressing any additional usability concerns. Conducting A/B testing to compare different design variations and features can help identify areas for improvement. Additionally, gathering insights from users through surveys and interviews will provide valuable input to enhance the overall user experience continuously. Keeping a close eye on analytics and user behavior will aid in ongoing optimization efforts, ensuring that the website remains user-friendly and effective for all visitors. By continuously iterating and refining the design based on user insights, HEIR can maintain a competitive edge and ensure a positive and delightful shopping experience for its customers.