Mirror Case Study
Mirror Case Study
Client: Mirror
Roles: UX Design, Research, Branding, Testing
Tools: Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Whimsical
Figma PrototypeProblem Statement
Mirror is a small retail store with 15 locations around the United States. They have been in business for over 60 years and want to start focusing more on their e-commerce site. Mirror wants to stay away from fast fashion and the harm it has caused. Mirror's stakeholders want their customers to know they are focusing more on ecological ways of manufacturing quality items for lifetime use.
Overview
Total rebrand with a new logo that feels youthful and easily recognizable. Create an ethical and sustainable e-commerce site that is not overwhelming for their existing customers while also appealing to a new younger demographic.
Research
Research Goals
- Learn more about features and details that motivate the user to stay or leave.
- Understand how users choose clothes without trying them on.
Objectives
- Understand how users find our site
- Better understand the value of shopping online
- Learn user behaviors while they navigate the site
- Pinpoint where the pain points are that might be causing the users to go to another site
- Understand what they like and dislike about competitors
Direct Competitors
Strengths:
Strong online presence and positive customer feedback with the rebrand
Strengths:
Easy and appealing website and high costomer loyalty
Strengths:
Provide reward points for their customers to help bring customers back and save money.
Weakness:
Company has a negative history with inclusiveness and treatment of staff
Weakness:
Macy's interacts with brands that don't always align with customer demands as well as not differentiating with orginal products
Weakness:
They do not always have the best reputation for professionalism in their stores or sites. (Their stores have been known for being messy and the site is hard to use)
Strengths:
Strong online presence and positive customer feedback with the rebrand
Strengths:
Easy and appealing website and high costomer loyalty
Weakness:
Company has a negative history with inclusiveness and treatment of staff
Weakness:
Macy’s interacts with brands that don’t always align with customer demands as well as not differentiating with orginal products
Summary
Shoppers want transparency regarding prices and how to gain reward/loyalty points. Women's departments are the leading area of revenue for major department stores. Having an easy and efficient return policy is very important. I predicted that not being able to touch and experience the clothing would deter customers from buying; however, the user research showed that was not a problem for the participants. Having a difficult or non-existing return policy was the common issue that participants mentioned.
User Interviews
Goals
- What do customers value in buying online vs. in person
- Learn what are the typical behaviors associated with online shopping
- How do customers feel about not being able to try clothes on before buying them
Objectives
- What are customers looking for in a clothing company
- Learn why customers choose online shopping and in person shopping
What was learned
Testers favored online shopping more because of the frequent discounts and faster-searching process. Testers liked buying online from stores that were not in their area. Testers enjoy trying clothes on and feeling the fabrics, but that didn't deter them from buying online. The variety of body types shown online of the models also helps the testers know how clothes might look on them better.
User Persona
Anna Whitaker
Anna Whitaker
- Funny
- enthusiastic
- thoughtful
- adventurous
Brands
Goals / Needs
- Having an idea of what clothing will be like through diverse model, reviews, size charts
- Finding active and profession wear at a bargain
- Navigate the site with ease and hassle free returns
Frustrations / Fears
- Wasting money on clothing because of site confusion or annoying returns
- Models don't represent a range of body types
- Not being able to feel and see the clothing before buying it
Site Map
Low Fidelity Wire Frames
High Fidelity Wire Frames
User Testing
Participants
4-6 Participants between the age of 23-69
All participants are female
Goals
- Can the user complete the task efficiently
- Were users able to navigate the site without major issues or concerns, if so learn what the issues are and where they are located on the site
Objectives
- How easy was it for the user to find a particular item?
- Can the user start the checkout process without confusion?
- Observe which path the user takes to find items.
- Observe areas that give the user confusion or hesitation and understand why.
Prototype
Task
You need to add a basic crew neck from today's deals and look in cart
Figma PrototypeUser Testing Finding
Common Themes
- First sight of the homepage was positive
- Described as clean and uncluttered
- Feelings of familiarity
- Other areas were easy to navigate and intuitive
- Theme of the site was liked
- No areas seemed confusing or left out
Areas to focus on
- Visual hierarchy needs work
- Descriptions and reviews are important to the user
- Visual accessibility needs to be better
- More testing and iteration
Iterations
For the original design the text was not standing out from the background. The overall site felt dark and not natural and clean like the client would have liked.
For this iteration the primary color was changed to a light teal and the background was changed to show more sky and vibrance. The primary button was changed to a dark teal to give more contrast with the background.
Side scroll was added to sales sections to promote interactions. A purpose section was added to the homepage to reassure the user this a consciousness company.
Featured was changed to Today’s Deals to be more direct with what the page is displaying. The best seller tag was lightened for more contrast and let the user know customer favorites faster.
Customer reviews were add to the iteration and the color options were changed to rectangles to be consistent with the sizing options. And suggested picks were changed to similar items with a square shape to stay consistent.
Conclusion
Mirror was struggling when it came to their online presence. The owners came to me with great ideas and wishes for their online clothing company but didn't know where to start. I learned that this online ecommerce site was focused on eco-friendly ways of making and selling clothes and did not want to be associated with fast fashion. The research found women's clothing made the majority of sales in department stores. When it came time to branding this was important to keep in mind and Mirror wanted to appeal to younger generations of women between the ages 25-55. Mirror stores around the country have a dark green, moody aesthetic that the online store wanted to play off of.
My hypothesis for online shopping was not being able to try on or experience the clothes was going to be an issue. However that was not an issue with research participants and having an easy return process was a high priority. User research showed that the dark theme was not matching their expectations of an online ecommerce that focuses on eco friendly clothing. Iterations were made to show the process Mirror goes through to sustainably make and sell their clothes and the primary color was changed to a light teal and the CTA's now use the dark green.
Next Steps
The new design will need another round of user testing. The initial concern with the first round of testing was how users pick clothing without trying items on. We found that this was not a concern for users; however, easy checkout processes and return policies were very important to the user. Our second round of user testing found that item descriptions and reviews heavily influenced if users added to their shopping bag. This new information will be added to the next stage of iterations and testing.