Viledge
My team and I were selected to work with a wonderful company, Viledge. We were able to provide the client with qualitative data, research based solutions and strategies, as well as next steps to consider.
This case study explores the process our team took in providing the client with user based design solutions and highlights the choices we made as UX designers centering user research.
Project Duration
2 weeks
My Roles
Scrum Master
UX Researcher
UX Designer
Team
Christopher Matthews
Christina Massey
Steven Natale
Lisa Weng
Deliverables
Persona
Journey Map
Sitemap
Lo-fi Wireframes
Mid-fi Wireframes
Prototype
Wireflow
About the Client
Viledge is a relatively new company that came to fruition because of the need of supporting and uplifting Black-owned businesses. There’s an opportunity for Viledge to be the breakout curated brand and become a clear market leader for value-driven shopping.
When we started working with Vildege, they were undergoing a business development and redesign. This presented some challenges in the sense that the businesses vision and ideas were occasionally evolving.
“Where you spend your dollar matters.
Every dollar you spend with a small business goes back into the Black community, creating a thriving village of Black creators and makers.”
Goals
Viledge
To make it fun and easy to discover black owned businesses by aggregating the best products through theme-based experience boxes.
Team
To use the UX Design process to develop a solution for the “path to purchase” that reflects the needs of the consumer who will use the system, the business goals, and aligns with the direction for “experience boxes” [in development].
Additionally users need to be able to
Access information about the company and the brands they promote.
Buy into the organizations mission and purchase the product.
Return to the website to engage with Viledge and additional experiences.
Discovery
Our team conducted initial research of the client through their current documentation to become familiar with Viledge, the product, and their users. We then met with the business owner to discuss goals for Viledge and had the opportunity to ask questions to prepare us for our research.
User Interviews
We needed to examine what motivates customers to purchase products, what information value driven shoppers wanted to see about a brand, as well as what information sells the value of subscribing to the experience boxes.
The project team conducted a total of (14) user interviews with consumers that support social justice and are motivated to purchase products from Black-owned brands. They were also individuals that are educated, conscientious consumers who earn an average annual income of $80K or more and have an understanding of the value and impact by purchasing high quality and locally sourced products.∏
What We Found
From our interviews we found valuable information on what users want and need
in order to confidently make the decision to purchase from and subscribe to Viledge.
Ownership
User wants to know who they are supporting.
Credibility
Relies on research and reading reviews.
Utility
Wants products that are useful and dislike wasting time/money on products they can’t use.
Promotion
Users will share products with friends if they enjoy it, is relevant, or knows that it will help them.
Define
In order to put all of these insights and findings into a comprehensive and understandable format, we created a Persona that represents our users. This was important for our team to refer to throughout the process and equally provides the stakeholders with a clear understanding of who the user is and that their needs, goals, pain points, and behaviors are in a visual representation.
Persona
Lusana needs enough information to know if it is something she can use.
A pain point she has is that there isn’t enough explicit information showing that the product is Black owned or has a Black founder.
She relies on trusted sources and reviews to inform her decision.
Journey Map
To understand the users experience from discovery to post-purchase, our team created a users journey map to visualize Lusana’s prior experience with subscription box services. The journey map highlights the areas of opportunity and the need to focus on improving the process of, consideration, research, and purchase phases, prior to moving into design studio.
Now, with Lusana at the forefront of our minds and a better grasp of what Viledge users need, we can get a better understanding of what features were going to be essential in our design. From our user research, users consistently brought up their desire to feel connected and aligned with brands. They are conscious consumers who want to know about the business founders.
Opportunities
Highlight Brand/owners, their stories & values.
Provide trusted sources and credibility of the company and brands. As well as what users say about the products she will receive.
Additionally, provide adequate information and enjoyable features for her to feel confident in making the purchase.
Problem Statement
Due to recent events, more people want to shop from small black-owned businesses and support the black community. Lusana needs to know the product will be something she will enjoy because it is a waste of time and money receiving products that aren’t useful.
How might we help Lusana sign up for Viledge with confidence knowing that she is both supporting small black owned businesses while receiving high quality products and resources that she will find useful?
Feature Prioritization
To personify Viledge’s identity in our design, we knew incorporating visual imagery, owner stories, and clear call-to-actions were a must to create a sense of engagement, of empathy, and giving users a clear path to purchase.
Design
With the essential features in mind and our research, we moved forward into the design studio process. We used this process to collectively brainstorm and develop creative design solutions addressing Lusana’s needs.
Lo-fi Sketches
Homepage
Hero Image, Clear call to action (CTA) button directly to check out
This months theme for the box and CTA to take you to How It Works
Values of Viledge
Quotes for credibility
Ability to sign up for the Newsletter
Companies Viledge has partnered with in the past
Our Story
Information highlighting the mission
Our Founder, credibility, black owned brands (brand connection), values
From our research it was a priority (in the pre-purchase phase) for the user to know about the owner and founder of the businesses
My Account
Added value for the user
Housing the post-experience (member exclusive content)
Articles
A-synchronous chat between users/members
Social aspect, sharing in network, not feeling forced to share but encouraged to share
Testing
Lo-fi prototyping and testing are useful to evaluate functionality and usability.
“Test early and often!”
We found overall success with our design. Users mainly had a direct success in completing the tasks & navigating through the site. We were able to get some great insights and opportunities for revisions.
My Account- “when I think of my account, I think of payment and shopping.”
Users stated they felt the design was very easy to use and straightforward in its options.
Delivery
Taking the lo-fidelity usability testing results and feedback into
consideration, we moved into building our mid-fidelity mockups.
Mid-Fidelity
Homepage
Hero Image
Clear call to action (CTA) button leading directly to check out
This months theme
CTA to take you right to How It Works
Values of Viledge
Quotes for credibility
Ability to sign up for the Newsletter
Companies Viledge has partnered with in the past
Our Story
Information highlighting the mission
Our Founder, credibility, black owned brands (brand connection), values
From our research it was a priority (in the pre-purchase phase) for the user to know about the owner and founder of the businesses
Member Access
Viledge members receive monthly boxes including exclusive experiences. From research, we learned that she is not likely to re-engage with a brand post purchase unless she has the opportunity to learn more about how to better use the product. Therefore, we wanted the Member Access page to be customer focused and truly add value to help Lusana feel connect and part of Viledge.
Lusana can access the exclusive video paired with the current months box.
Filter the content based on monthly themes.
Access articles and information related to the products and brands associated with the box.
Lusana can see what other Viledge members are saying and how they are reviewing the products they received.
Testing
After creating the mid-fidelity prototype we did another round of usability testing.
100% of users were able to:
Find information about Viledge and its founder.
Locate details of the current months box.
Complete the task of joining Viledge.
Locate the member exclusive experience and content.
The overarching general feedback received was that the site was easy to use and straightforward. One user said, “If I stumbled on this site, I would quickly want to become a member”.
Next Steps
Conduct usability testing on updated Mid-Fi Prototype.
Elevate Designs into Hi-fidelity mockups.
Design for secondary breakpoint/responsive for mobile.
Conduct additional user interviews to better understand
user needs post purchase.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype