Overview
Myopic Books is a well established local book store in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. Introducing an ecommerce functionality that emphasizes in store pickups would help users browse the stores inventory online while also tying into the tactile joy that users expressed in relation to the in store experience.
Project Information
Design Practices: contextual inquiry, user interviews, affinity mapping, developing personas, site mapping, user flow, paper sketches, wireframing, digital prototyping
Timeframe: 2 week sprint
Tools: Sketch, inVision, paper and pen
Role
Conducted user interviews
Performed contextual inquiries
Synthesized research
Developed paper and wireframe prototypes
Conducted digital prototype tests
Major Learning
Users are accustomed to pre-existing design conventions regarding ecommerce and any deviation from these conventions creates confusion
An Ecommerce redesign can include off-line solutions to user pain points such as having in-store pick up as an option to retain the visceral appeal of visiting a brick and mortar bookstore that users expressed.
The Problem
Loyal customers are buying most of their books online
Myopic Books has been a Chicago booklovers landmark for decades. According to Myopic Book users, Myopic Books has a loyal customer base and strong ties to the community due to their longevity and encyclopedic staff knowledge of all things literary. Despite these user opinions, the rise of ecommerce in the last 20 years has led many users to purchase more and more of their books online, despite their emphatically professed love for Myopic Books. I wanted to find out, “why”?
The Contextual Inquiries
I decided the best way to find out why people loved Myopic Books so much was to go to the store and perform an on site contextual inquiry, followed by a contextual inquiry of a user navigating their current website.
Results from Contextual Inquiries
Onsite contextual inquiry
Myopic Books on premise user demographic skews >40. Most users described themselves as loyal, long time customers.
Web site focused contextual inquiry
The user was confused by the top navigation. They expected to be able to browse and search for titles but there was no functionality for this.
Current Homepage Strengths
Myopic Books core values were being expressed on their homepage
Current Homepage Opportunities
Allow the user to interact with the store inventory in some way
Myopic Books Current Landing Page
The Interviews
Six users were interviewed ranging in age from 28-65 years old
Users interviewed identified as both men and women.
User interviews were conducted both outside of the store/ in the neighborhood as well as with colleagues.
Interviews with users on/near premises resulted in a demographic focus of 40 plus which illustrated the need not to overlook older users needs during the redesign.
Questions that prompted a strong user response:
Could you tell me a little bit about how you usually purchase books?
How do you decide to buy the books that you choose to purchase?
How important are others opinions to you when you are deciding what to read?
User Interview Takeaways
“I don’t look for things like I used to.”
Amazon is the default online book purchasing site for almost everyone because of price, speed, ease of use.
The ability to search an inventory online allows users to take control of the decision making process on what to purchase at a time of their own convenience.
“If these guy’s [books store employees] recommend it, I’ll read it, they must know their [stuff].”
Appeal of brick and mortar is the romance and tactile/visual nature of the process combined with the human element.
Staff recommendations were important to users as a trusted guide to the stores inventory.
“It’s either easy or it’s hard!”
Users love to support local bookstores but are unsure about their inventory and view their websites as inconvenient.
Users expressed a willingness to shop online on local bookstore sites but get confused when the ecommerce layout is not what they are used to.
The Persona
User Flow
User Research Takeaways That Influenced User Flow
User research suggested that a browse and search functionality would increase the likelihood that users would shop for books online at Myopic Books instead of Amazon.
Users love the in store experience so would love an option for instore pick up in order to spend a little time in the store. E-commerce does not have to come at the expense of the brick and mortar experience.
Other’s opinions and especially staff recommendations were cited in user research as key desirable functions so access to recommendations based off of other user purchases and staff picks were included in the user flow.
The Design Workshop Process
Paper Prototype Sketches
Paper To Digital
Paper prototype iterations demonstrated clear user design convention issues.
Buttons were not always intuitive to the user and imprecise labeling caused confusion, such as users not understanding the staff picks carousel.
Users are accustomed to the design conventions that the big online retailers have established in terms of layout of buttons and shopping carts; any deviation caused consternation for users.
Users prefer to browse before they search most of the time, but rarely ever browse by genre. After several tests with users never utilizing genre search unless prompted, feature was removed for now.
Digital Wireframes
The Prototype
Digital Prototype Testing Takeaways
Initially the staff picks link on the homepage was not highlighted in color and was not apparent as a link to users
The checkout process seemed smooth to users, but several of the screens didn’t hit the sweet spot for them, they couldn't articulate exactly why but, “It just doesn't feel right.” Removal of repetitive purchase summary helped to alleviate this pain point.
Some direction indicators were still needed, such as “ Please select your preferred delivery option” on the shopping cart screen.
The Future
As user base expands the implementation of user reviews could help solidify the community. The lack of an existing user base makes initial user reviews unreliable but with continued growth this feature would reap greater returns.
Digitizing the whole stores inventory may be cumbersome at first to implement, recommend to start with featured and staff recommendations in order to build and online identity and then proceed to add more functionality if success metrics are reached.
Success metrics would include a consistent growth of conversions as well as a consistent growth in store pickups.