Black Rodéo
Product
The Black Rodéo app, is your gateway to an exclusive shopping experience, allowing you to explore and purchase meticulously designed accessories directly from your mobile device.
Case Overview
Product: Black Rodéo is a high-quality luxury accessory brand.
Role: UX/UI Designer
Platform/Device: App
Length: 4 Weeks
Design software: Figma, Whimsical, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
Prototype software: Figma
Research/Testing: Market research, Competitor analysis, Google Forms, Poll Pool
The Proposal
Challenge
How might we obtain, retain, and increase consumers, traffic, and conversions while creating an effortless shopping experience?
Key Objectives
Black Rodeo requires a platform that allows consumers to access the luxury brand from anywhere. This platform will keep users updated on the latest trends, and new releases.
Solution
From research and ideation to UI and implementation, I designed Black Rodeo to provide users with an aesthetically pleasing and effortless shopping experience. The application was developed holistically, addressing branding, logo exploration, and marketing considerations throughout the process.
Design Process
🧮 Research & Synthesis
🏗️ Architecture & UX Design
🖍️ Branding & UI Design
🩻 Prototyping & Testing
🔎 Research 🔍
Black Rodéo's journey started with ideation, followed by thorough market research and competitive analysis.
I carried out comprehensive primary and secondary research, utilizing various sources. The secondary research was essential for effective market positioning, evaluating SWOT, and conducting competitor analysis, forming the project's foundation. In the primary research phase, I performed in-depth interviews both in-person and virtually, alongside detailed competitor observations.
Research Goal: To gain insights into the luxury accessory market, identify the target audience, understand the target demographic's behavior and journey on online shopping platforms, and analyze the successes and failures of competitor applications.
Key Findings: The luxury accessory market within the eCommerce sphere is highly competitive. However, by asking the right questions and developing a strategic marketing and brand development plan, the market potential can be highly lucrative.
Interview Findings: I conducted interviews with participants about their experience with being a fashion consumer. All participants were between the ages of 25 and 35 and had experience with online shopping, in-person shopping, or catalog shopping.
"I frequently shop online for my family's everyday needs. Fashion is integral to our daily lives, and accessories are essential for completing our looks. I enjoy the effortless shopping experiences online shopping platforms promote." - Interviewee from Ohio
"I appreciate the convenience that technology and online shopping offer, allowing for peaceful shopping from anywhere. However, I still enjoy in-person shopping experiences in public spaces and value the real-life interactions they provide." - Interviewee from Pennsylvania
"I have very limited time to shop, but I love it! Online shopping lets me quickly fulfill all my needs and desires, and having items delivered to my car or doorstep is incredibly convenient."- Interviewee from New York
Key trends among the interviewees included:
Interviewees expressed a strong preference for shopping environments that align with their personal consumption habits. They sought a tailored shopping experience that fits seamlessly into their lifestyle, emphasizing a desire for a peaceful and time-efficient process.
Needs
- Interviewees require a streamlined process that allows them to quickly and easily find and purchase the products they need without unnecessary delays.
- Customers prefer a shopping atmosphere where they can browse and make decisions at their own pace without feeling pressured by sales staff.
Pains
- Many interviewees struggle to find the time to shop because their demanding schedules leave them with limited free time.
- The sheer volume of choices and the crowded nature of stores can make the shopping experience feel chaotic and stressful for customers.
- Shoppers are often frustrated by lengthy wait times and the need to engage with numerous sales associates, which can make the shopping process feel cumbersome and intrusive.
Desires
- Seamless and intuitive shopping experience with minimal effort and hassle.
- A shopping solution that fits effortlessly into one's lifestyle, offering flexibility and accessibility.
- A quick and efficient shopping process that minimizes time spent on purchasing decisions
🔬 Synthesis 🔬
After conducting a thorough analysis of the data, I synthesized the findings into manageable reference points, starting with an empathy map. This map, developed from interviews, secondary research, and observational analysis, provided valuable context for understanding future users' interactions with Black Rodéo.
Utilizing empathy helps me make informed demographic and psychographic decisions that shape the persona, brand, and overall design.
User Persona & Story Board
Understanding the target audience's experiences with luxury accessories and identifying how potential technology can meet their needs and goals enables me to craft a detailed representational persona. Derived exclusively from my research and interview quotes, I synthesized a user persona using various reference tools to accurately reflect the audience's preferences and behaviors.
For Black Rodéo, I also created a storyboard. In this scenario, the user faces the problem of desiring rare luxury accessories to enhance their style and discovers Black Rodéo's technology as the solution. Storyboards help clients visualize the integration of our products into the user's lifestyle, enabling brainstorming on how the technology can be employed and how it may enhance or impact the user's overall experience
🏗️ Architecture 🏗️
To develop the physical product, I began by identifying the business objectives and essential features to meet user goals. I then crafted a comprehensive architectural plan. Central to this process were "How Might We" statements, which facilitated addressing user needs while evaluating the tasks and integrations of potential technology.
These particular "How Might We" statements followed the needs of Sara Jane Persona
1) How might we attract a diverse and loyal customer base?
2) How might we significantly increase both traffic and conversion rates?
3) How might we create an effortless and seamless shopping experience?
Task & User Flow
Building on the architectural goals identified through the "How Might We" exercise, I mapped out tasks and user flows tailored to our user persona's specific needs and goals. By analyzing these flows, I determined the most effective application path to achieve these objectives. To facilitate iteration and refinement, I created detailed wireframes to visualize potential screen solutions before advancing to the UX design phase.
Here is the main task and user flow. I use the SiteFlow technique to detail each task.
📲 UX Design 📱
The Interaction
I sketched solutions and utilized rapid prototyping with Figma to refine ideas iteratively, focusing on addressing the "How Might We" questions. Ensuring compliance with WCAG 2.0 and Apple Human Interface Guidelines, I transitioned from sketches to wireframes and screen designs using Whimsical, Fig Jam, and Figma.
Wireframe
🎨 Branding 🎨
Brand Discovery
Brand/ UI Kit
Final UI Design
🕹️Prototyping & Testing👨🏽🔬
Usability Testing
A comprehensive Usability Test Guide was meticulously crafted after finalizing the high-fidelity prototype. Participants from diverse backgrounds were recruited for a virtual usability test conducted via Zoom.
We conducted four usability tests utilizing the high-fidelity prototype of the Black Rodéo App. Five key tasks were designed to assess the app's usability and core functionalities, including account creation and login, locating information on specific accessories, favoriting/adding items, and the checkout process.
Objectives
Identify any critical errors or incomplete task flows within the app.
Evaluate user challenges with navigation or design elements.
Understand successful task flows and highlight effective UI features.
Ensure relevant information is accessible at the appropriate time and place.
Summary of Feedback
Of the five tasks, all participants completed the tasks efficiently and effectively. Participants were particularly impressed with the visual design, consistent design patterns, and intuitive navigation. They expressed various needs and aimed to learn more about Black Rodéo luxury accessories.
Each participant confirmed that the app met their individual needs and successfully facilitated their goals.
Suggestions for Enhancement
Incorporate more typography or text in the actual design.
Search feature would be useful.
Allow filter feature to filter out whats in stock by size or color etc.
Offer options for where to find the brand or popups, events, etc.
Key UI Elements
The most appreciated UI elements included the accessory profile, iconography, information, and navigation tabs.
The Product