Timeless Island Visions
B2C Site Rebrand
Brand Design/
B2C
Project Type
Solo Project
The Team
July 2023 - 2 weeks
Timeline
Timeless Island Visions comprises two local gift and souvenir shops, owned by Fort Myers metal artist Steve and his wife. Together, they specialize in crafting high-quality, handcrafted steampunk decorations and jewelry. Additionally, they actively support their community by showcasing and selling art and photography from Central Florida-based artists.
The Client
Timeless Island Visions: Two stores crafting artisanal treasures.
While reviewing the existing site for both stores, I observed a substantial difference between the pages. Both spoke to the aesthetics of their respective shops, but the lack of cohesive design was very harsh on the eye. Additionally, the site was unfinished and did a disservice to the beautiful handcrafted items I found in their inventory. Together with the owners, we wanted to find a way to give these items the spotlight they truly deserved.
The confusing layouts of the product categories made navigation difficult. If we wanted to attract new traffic and retain our current customer base, I was going to reimagine the layout through user-friendly categories without forcing customers to go down a rabbit hole.
The Problem
Unlocking Growth: Lockdown challenges limited in-person traffic.
According to an Alibaba.com study, 93% of companies now conduct some portion of their business online, up from 90% in December 2019, and 43% use e-commerce, an 8% increase over the same period. By leveraging these metrics, I knew that creating an e-commerce site for Steve and his wife would be the best way to keep their beautiful products in demand.
To succeed, I developed these key features into their site:
The Solution
E-Commerce Empowerment: Revolutionizing Mom and Pop Industries
Customers sought to know the quality of the products they were purchasing. We developed an about me section so customers could see Steve and other artists' process when creating the products
Highlight The Process
The hardest part for customers, is finding the right product. Through card sorting, we organized the items into labels that customers would be familiar with
Categorize
The majority of the users we interviewed preferred shopping in person so they could speak with someone directly. We added a contact area and the company number to each order for any questions
Service Please!
Customers preferred shopping in person because returns were easier. We simplified the return process by placing call-to-action buttons for returns in the order history and multiple options for the return process
Return of the Lamp
To get into our Persona's mindset, I researched what motivates buyers to purchase art and niche products (i.e, Steampunk décor and souvenirs)
In an article on LinkedIn, Dirk Zadra discussed the effects of Psychologist Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how it influences what we feel compelled to buy.
Zadra, and indirectly Maslow, explained that three primary needs drive buyers' motivations when making purchase decisions.
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Love/Belonging: Buyers want to feel connected to a community through their purchases.
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Esteem: Buyers want to feel respected by their peers. This can be achieved by having access to highly sought-after limited items. It also comes through gaining expert knowledge and building networks with like-minded individuals.
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Self-actualization: This was especially important for our gift givers, as I discovered in my User Interviews. This need is more spiritually or empathy-driven. It speaks to customers' desire to connect more deeply with others by purchasing items for others that evoke fond memories.
Article on LinkedIn,
Breaking Down The Process
Decoding Motivations: Understanding Buyer Psychology in Gift Purchases
Major Learnings and Call Out Points
Gift givers were more likely to purchase potential gifts year-round if they found something they believed a loved one would enjoy.
Theme: Love/Belonging
3 of our Interviewees expressed willingness to travel long distances to purchase a desired item, especially if it was an exclusive offer.
Theme: Esteem
Gift givers are expected to have access to exclusive items when they sign up for a company account.
Bargain hunters appreciated exclusive items, especially when they could be purchased at a reasonable price.
Theme: Esteem
4 out of 5 of our interviewees expressed that money should not be a factor when considering a gift for someone else. They felt the focus should be on expressing their understanding of the recipient's needs and interests.
Theme: Self Actualization
Analysis of some of our main competitors showed us areas where we could leverage our small-town-owned business over larger companies like Amazon, which ship from multiple manufacturers.
Analyzing the Competition
Embracing Local Advantage: Leveraging Small Town Ownership in a Competitive Landscape
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Large sites allowed for accounts, most of which required a monthly fee.
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Product Warranties were dependent upon the original manufacturer.
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Exchanges were allowed for limited items or for items sold by the seller.
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Shipping times varied by seller
Takeaways
After seeing the positive impact of e-commerce on other small businesses, I interviewed 5 local shoppers to understand their gift-buying habits. I focused on areas such as:
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How often were they purchasing gifts?
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What were their frustrations with the online shopping process?
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What were some of the key factors they looked for when purchasing for someone else in mind?
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I also sent an open card sort to more than 10 shoppers, along with a list of products sold in Steve's stores. I took the 11 most common categories chosen by the shoppers to divide and organize our site's products
Understanding the Users
Quality Over Price: Unveiling User Preferences in Gift Shopping Habits
User Story
"I'm 70 years old, a grandmother to four and a great-grandmother of six. I love to spoil my family when I can. I believe that a good gift is not about the price, but the memories it can invoke in your loved ones."
Frustrations
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Customer service is so confusing; no one wants to talk to each other anymore.
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Large sites have too many items and categories; I use the search bar when I'm on Amazon.
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It's either pouring cats and dogs or boiling in Florida. I wish companies would offer a better way to track packages so my gifts won't get ruined.
"The Doting Grandma"
User Story
"I'm 40 years old, a programmer, and single. I'm a connoisseur of talking piece decorations for my home and a gamer in my spare time. I'd rather spend time with my family and friends than waste time running from store to store to find the perfect gift. I'm always down for a good deal, especially on quality items. I prefer to review prices and reviews before purchasing. I have been known to drive over an hour to pick up something I really love."
Frustrations
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Hard to tell on large sites if the reviews are legit.
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Wants to support businesses that are active in the community
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Prefers sites that show they have expert knowledge in their products. Large e-commerce sites that sell everything make him question the quality
"The Introverted Bargain Hunter"
To build out my Most Viable Product, I chose to focus primarily on my grandmotherly persona, Winry.
Now that I had a new crew in place, I developed three workflows to improve user navigation by providing multiple options to find items and contact information when they need help.
Design
Crafting User-Centric Design: Bridging aesthetics with functionality for both stores.
Testing & Iteration
Based on usability testing and feedback from 3 local shoppers, iterations were made over the span of three days and focused on three major areas to improve the design:
Step 1: Add an Artist Blurb
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Based on usability feedback, shoppers found it beneficial to add an artist blurb to the product page, along with a link to their own sites.
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Adding an "About the Artist" section helps customers feel connected and provides expert knowledge on the product creation process.
Step 2: Add Tracking Number and Return policy to Receipts
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User feedback indicated that while they appreciated the quick links to returns and tracking, adding the information directly to the order confirmation would make them feel more confident in their purchase.
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By clarifying the return policy and tracking information, I was directly addressing some of the reasons why my interviewees preferred to shop in person
Step 3: Reduce the Rabbit Hole
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Shoppers appreciated the thoroughness of the navigation, but felt the extra dropdowns in the local navigation were redundant given the options they had to connect to their desired product.
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As we learned from our interviews, too many navigation options can be just as confusing as not enough, causing potential buyers to drop off before completing their purchases.
What I Learned
With these iteration changes, our prototype sails were now catching a strong breeze. This project confirmed my decision to become a UX Designer. Advocating for and supporting local business owners and artists is why I began this journey.
Before we pull up anchor, I want to go over the key insights I took away from this project and the next steps I recommended to the Timeless Island Visions crew.
Learning & Opportunities
Valuable takeaways and future Opportunities Going Forward
This project taught me the most about Figma's capabilities. I've been excited to explore this program's capabilities more and look forward to developing more in-depth designs on future projects.
Diving into Figma
Understanding the psychology behind why people make purchases enabled me to create a functional design that would attract the clientele Timeless Island Visions was looking for.
We are Creatures of Comfort
Per the research we discussed earlier on the significant increase in e-commerce businesses, we've managed to bring Steve's shops head-to-head with its competitors. This will allow Steve and his wife to reach more customers and increase access for existing customers.
The proof is in the metrics
Opportunities
Another way we can deepen our connection with the community and clientele is to add a vlog page or an interview section featuring local artists featured at Timeless Island Visions.
Blogging Brings the Community Together
I always recommend retesting any changes made to the site and implementing new iterations. Design is an ongoing process, continually evolving to implement new features and remain competitive.