UX Research Plan
SITKA Website Design
Project duration: Jun 1 to June 5
Embedded Files
Project Background
SITKA Gear uses advanced design, technology and fabrics to create hunting gear systems that enhance the experince of the hunter. The typical user is between 19-39 years old, and most users are Recreational Hunters, Survivalists, Outdoor Adventurers, Professional Hunters, Wildlife Biologist and Researchers. SITKA´s e-commerce site aims to provide a superior online shopping experience, enhancing usability, brand loyalty, and driving sales growth.
Research Goal
Research Goal
Design a SITKA website to be user friendly by providing clear navigation; A new visual style that aims ahead while reflecting the company's core values.
My Role
My Role
Conduct interviews and usability studies. Understand user needs and guide design improvements. Create high-fidelity prototypes while ensuring accessibility compliance.
Research Questions
How long does it take for a user to select and order clothing gear in the website?
Are users able to successfully order the clothing gear that they want?
What can we learn from the steps users took to buy clothing gear?
Are there any parts of the purchase process where users are getting stuck?
Is the payment process easy for the customers?
Key Performance Indicators (KPI´s)
Time on task: How much time users spend on selecting an item.
User error rate: How often users get stuck trying to order the item they want.
Conversion rate: How many items customers are buying.
System Usability Scale: A questionnaire to evaluate customer feedback.
Methodology
Unmoderated usability study.
Location: United States, remote (participants will go through the usability study in their own homes).
Date: Sessions will take place on jun 4th (normal business hours).
8 participants will order an item through the website. Each participant will then complete a questionnaire on their experience.
Each session will last for 20-30 minutes.
Participants
Participants are outdoor lovers and normal people who want to choose hunting as an entertainment.
Five males, two females, and one nonbinary, between the age of 19 to 30.
Script
During the unmoderated usability study.
A list of prompts appears on the device screen.
Prompt 1: Create a profile.
Prompt 1 Follow-Up: How easy or difficult was it to create a profile?.
Is there anything you would change about the process?Prompt 2: Browse clothes and choose a particular one.
Prompt 2 Follow-Up: How easy or difficult was this task to complete?Prompt 3: Select a jacket and rate it.
Prompt 3 Follow-Up: Is there anything you would change about the process?Prompt 4: Use filters to choose a hoodie.
Prompt 4 Follow-Up: Is there anything you would change about the process?Prompt 5: How do you feel about this hunting gear website overall?
Prompt 5 Follow-Up: What did you like and dislike about it?
After the unmoderated usability study, participants will complete the System Usability Scale.
Participants will score the following ten statements by selecting one of five responses that range from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree".
I think that I would use this website frequently.
I find the website unnecessarily complex.
I think the website is easy to use.
I find the website easy to navigate.
There is inconsistency within the website.
I imagine that most people would learn to use this website quickly.
I feel confident using the website.
I need to learn a lot of things before I can start using this website.
The main user flow is clear.
Persona:
Chris Hutton
Problem statement:
Chris is budget-conscious hunter, that needs intuitive website navigation and search filters for online shopping.
User journey map
I created a user journey map of Chris´s experience using the site to help identify possible pain points and improvement opportunities.
User research: pain points
Navigation
Shopping website designs are often busy, which results in confusing navigation.
Interaction
CTA Buttons dont show any action when hover over or selecting.
Experience
Online shopping websites don’t provide an engaging browsing experience.
Usability study: findings
Filters:
No option for Multiple selection on product pages filters.
Connect:
Users weren’t able to easily connect with the community.
Visual Hierarchy:
Carrousel Tittle missing.
Hi-Fi Protoype
https://www.figma.com/proto/UVj9tcrG3N5ss7gq46bGJ5/SITKA?node-id=3-1826
My hi-fi prototype included the design changes made after the usability study, as well as several changes suggested by members of my team.
Navigation
Added an exit button to remove promo blocks.
Rounded the corners of the images to create a more pleasant, modern, and user-friendly design, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal and user experience of the website.
Removed two images from the homepage to simplify the layout.
Removed the logo from the footer to create more room for information.
Interaction
Addeded smooth hover effects to buttons for seamless interaction.
Experience
Typography. Utilized Raleway font as the primary font for a consistent typography experience. Incorporated Playfair font in hero banners to create visual unity with the logo.
Iconography. Developed adventurous iconography to enhance the overall design theme.
Filters
Added checkboxes to the dropdown menu options on product pages to enable multiple selections.
Connect
Changed the title from "Stay Up to Date" to "Connect" to make more inviting for users.
Replaced the CTA "Join the Community" with an email address input field labeled "Enter email address" and a CTA button that says "Join". This removes an extra step and simplifies the process for users to connect.
Details
Added the title "Popular Hunting Styles" to one of the carousels.
Rebuilt the footer links for "Support" and "Shipping" with SITKA branding, as they were previously redirecting to a GORE website.
Added the title "Follow" above the social icons.
Accessibility considerations
Used AI-generated alt text for maximum accessibility.
Alt Text: A child aims a bow and arrow at a deer target while an adult, in everyday clothes, watches in a field. Both stand in tall grass with a rural landscape in the background.
Next steps
1
Conduct follow-up usability testing on the updated website.
2
Identify any additional areas of need and ideas on new features.
Thank you!
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