Project Summary
The goal of the project was to re-design the A&I Photography website to incorporate an e-commerce platform. The current website only served as a portfolio, and the company wanted to expand its online presence by allowing customers to purchase prints and books directly from the website. The project aimed to improve the user experience, increase conversions, and streamline the purchasing process.
Problem Summary
A&I Photography's current website lacked the capability to facilitate online transactions, forcing potential customers to contact the company separately to make a purchase. This process was time-consuming and resulted in missed sales opportunities. Additionally, the website's navigation and information architecture were not optimized, making it difficult for users to explore and discover the company's offerings.
Please view figma version of the original website here*Please note due to the age of this project, the original version of this website may no longer be available online so it has been recreated in Figma. Therefore some links, images, and other elements might appear broken.
Solution Summary
The solution involved a comprehensive redesign of the website, incorporating an intuitive e-commerce platform through a 3rd party platform connected via an API. By integrating an e-commerce functionality, customers would be able to browse and purchase prints and books directly from the website, streamlining the purchasing process and enhancing user satisfaction. The new design aimed to create a visually appealing and user-friendly interface, highlighting the company's photography portfolio while providing a seamless e-commerce experience.
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Role
Lead developer, Senior UX/UI Designer
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Type
Full-Time
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Client
A&I Photography
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Date
04.2016 - 03.2020
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Website URL
www.aandi.com
Research
User Interviews: To gain a deep understanding of the target users' needs, preferences, and pain points, a series of user interviews were conducted in form of surveys with the incentive of 45% off their next book order. Existing customers of A&I Photography were interviewed to gather insights into their experiences with the current website and understand what improvements they would like to see. Potential customers who had expressed interest in purchasing prints or books online but had not done so were also interviewed to uncover barriers and motivations. These interviews provided valuable qualitative data that guided the design decisions.
Key Findings: Existing customers found the lack of an e-commerce platform on the website inconvenient and time-consuming, as it required contacting the company separately to make a purchase.Potential customers expressed interest in purchasing prints and books online but were deterred by the absence of a straightforward and user-friendly purchasing process. Users desired a visually appealing and intuitive website that showcased the company's portfolio effectively and provided a seamless e-commerce experience. Competitor analysis revealed successful features such as easy navigation, comprehensive product information, user-generated reviews, and secure payment options.
Competitive Analysis: A comprehensive competitive analysis was conducted to examine other photography e-commerce websites. This analysis aimed to identify industry best practices, trends, and successful features. The team explored various websites, paying close attention to their user interfaces, product displays, browsing experiences, checkout processes, and overall user experience. This analysis helped the team understand the existing landscape and identify opportunities for differentiation.
Market Research: In addition to user-focused research, the team conducted market research to understand the target audience's demographics, preferences, and buying habits. This involved analyzing industry reports, market trends, and customer surveys related to the photography industry and e-commerce. The market research helped in shaping the overall strategy and understanding the competitive landscape.
User Needs and Goals:
- Convenient Purchasing: Users wanted the ability to browse and purchase prints and books directly from the website without the need for additional communication.
- Visual Showcase: Users desired a visually stunning portfolio presentation that highlighted the quality and uniqueness of A&I Photography's work.
- Intuitive User Experience: Users expected an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, with clear product categorization, filtering options, and a streamlined checkout process.
- Trust and Security: Users sought secure and reliable payment options, as well as transparent shipping and return policies to ensure a trustworthy online shopping experience.
- Personalization: Users expressed interest in personalized recommendations and the ability to customize prints or books according to their preferences.
User Goals:
- Purchase Convenience: Users wanted a seamless online purchasing process that allowed them to explore, select, and purchase prints or books with ease.
- Visual Delight: Users aimed to discover visually striking photography prints and books that matched their personal preferences and aesthetic taste.
- Trustworthy Transactions: Users aimed to complete transactions confidently, knowing their personal and payment information was secure and protected.
- Efficient Browsing: Users wanted to efficiently browse through different categories, filter options, and access comprehensive product information to make informed decisions.
- Customization Options: Users desired the ability to personalize prints or books to suit their specific requirements and preferences.
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Personas
Paul Rivera
- Demographics:
- Profession: Professional Photographer
- Gender: Male
- Age: 35
- Background:
Paul is an experienced professional photographer who frequently collaborates with clients for various projects. He focuses on capturing architectural and landscape photographs.
- Needs and Goals:
Paul is looking for high-quality prints to showcase his work to potential clients and for gallery exhibitions. He values unique and visually captivating prints that effectively represent his artistic vision. He seeks a seamless browsing experience, easy customization options, and secure transactions. Paul appreciates a website that understands the specific requirements of professional photographers.
- Frustrations:
- High Printing Costs: Paul may be frustrated if the printing service is too expensive, affecting his profitability.
- Limited Customization Options: If the website doesn't offer a variety of print sizes, materials, or finishes, Paul might find it limiting.
- Complicated Ordering Process: If the website's ordering process is convoluted or unclear, it could lead to frustration.
- Inadequate Print Quality: Poor print quality or color accuracy could be a major pain point for Paul, as it affects the representation of his work.
Emily Carpenter
- Demographics:
- Gender: Female
- Age: 24
- Background:
Emily is an art lover with a keen interest in photography. She enjoys decorating her living space with visually striking artwork and unique prints. She appreciates various photography styles, from nature to abstract.
- Needs and Goals:
Emily is looking for visually stunning prints to enhance her home decor. She values a website that offers a wide range of options and allows her to explore different categories easily. Emily seeks personalized recommendations, product details, and transparent shipping policies. She wants a user-friendly interface that inspires her and makes the browsing and purchasing process enjoyable.
- Frustrations:
- Lack of Variety: Emily may be disappointed if the website has a limited selection of prints, especially if they don't align with her diverse tastes.
- Unclear Product Information: If product descriptions and details are lacking, Emily may feel uncertain about her purchase decisions.
- Hidden Fees or Shipping Costs: Unexpected fees during the checkout process can be a source of frustration for Emily.
- Complicated Navigation: A website with a confusing layout or poor navigation might discourage Emily from exploring further.
Sarah li
- Demographics:
- Gender: Female
- Age: 45
- Background:
Sarah owns a small gift shop that specializes in unique and artistic products. She frequently sources products for her store, including photography books, to offer a curated selection to her customers.
- Needs and Goals:
Sarah is interested in finding unique and visually appealing photography books to stock her store. She values a website that provides comprehensive information about each book, including author details, reviews, and sample pages. Sarah seeks a straightforward ordering process, wholesale options, and reliable shipping. She appreciates a website that offers personalized support for businesses like hers.
- Frustrations:
- Inadequate Wholesale Options: Sarah may be frustrated if the website doesn't offer suitable bulk or wholesale purchasing options for her store.
- Lack of Product Details: Insufficient information about the photography books, such as missing author details or limited sample pages, could be a concern.
- Unreliable Shipping: Delays or inconsistency in shipping times could impact Sarah's ability to meet her store's demands.
- Limited Support for Businesses: If the website doesn't provide dedicated support or resources for businesses like Sarah's, it might be a pain point.
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Ideation
Design Process:
- Brainstorming Sessions: Conducted collaborative brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and concepts for the new website. These sessions encouraged free-flowing discussions and creativity, allowing fellow team members to share their perspectives and insights. The focus was on finding innovative solutions to address the identified user needs and goals.
- Visual moodboards were created to explore different design directions and establish the overall look and feel of the website. Collected inspiration from various sources, including photography websites, art platforms, and contemporary design trends. These moodboards helped in setting the visual tone, color palette, typography choices, and overall aesthetic direction for the website.
- Design Sprints: Organized design sprints, which involved rapid prototyping and iteration cycles to explore various design concepts. Multiple design variations were created for key components and user flows. These designs were then reviewed, refined, and narrowed down to the most promising options.
- Feature Mapping: Identified the essential features required for the e-commerce platform and prioritized them based on user needs and business goals. Then mapped out the user flows, considering how users would navigate the website, discover products, customize prints or books, and complete the checkout process. This process helped in understanding the overall structure and functionality of the new website.
Brainstorming Ideas for New Website Components:
- Customization Options: Introduce a user-friendly interface that allows customers to personalize prints and books with various options such as size, framing, cropping, or adding custom text. Provide real-time previews of the customized product to enhance the user experience.
- Product Gallery: Implement a visually appealing and immersive product gallery that showcases the photography prints and books in high resolution. Incorporate zoom functionality and multiple image views to allow users to examine the details and quality of the products.
- User Reviews and Ratings: Integrate a review and rating system to build trust and credibility. Display user-generated reviews and ratings for each product to help potential customers make informed purchasing decisions.
- Wishlist and Favorites: Enable users to create wishlists or mark favorite products for future reference. This feature allows users to curate their selections and easily return to them later, improving user engagement and encouraging repeat visits.
- Related Products and Recommendations: Implement a recommendation engine that suggests related products based on the user's browsing and purchasing history. This feature helps users discover new prints or books that align with their interests and preferences.
- Seamless Checkout Process: Streamline the checkout process by minimizing the number of steps required. Provide clear progress indicators, simplified form fields, and multiple payment options to ensure a smooth and efficient purchasing experience.
- Social Media Integration: Allow users to share their favorite products or purchases on social media platforms. Implement social sharing buttons to encourage customers to promote the brand and increase its online visibility.
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Testing
- Testing:Created low-fidelity wireframes and conducted usability tests to gather feedback on the proposed information architecture and user flows.
- Prototype Testing: Developed interactive prototypes of key e-commerce features, such as product browsing, filtering, and purchasing, and tested them with representative users to identify pain points and refine the design.
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Delivery
Provided detailed design specifications and assets to ensure accurate implementation. Conducted final rounds of testing and QA to address any last-minute issues. Monitored post-launch analytics to evaluate the success of the redesign and gather insights for future improvements.
The new A&I Photography website successfully transformed their portfolio website into a robust e-commerce platform, providing customers with a seamless purchasing experience and increasing the company's online revenue by 65%.
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