Figma
Maze
100 Hours
.svg)
Designer
Senpai Inu is one of the largest competitors for specialty pet boutiques in the vendor space. Yet, online sales were not as strong compared to in-person. How might we better help address the business and customer needs of the online store?
There was an increase in sales (+172%), total orders (+160%), and site visitors (+89%) within 3 months after the relaunch.
Senpai Inu, an Asian-American specialty pet boutique, sells fashionable handmade accessories. Since established in 2021, Senpai Inu has been a vendor at 20+ events. As one of the main pet boutiques in the vendor space, online sales yet were not as strong compared to in-person.
After meeting with the client, my goal was to revamp the site within the budget, timeframe, and scope of work.
The business goals were clear: (1) grow online sales and (2) talk to customers more. But what were the customers' goals? Did they have any pain points on the current site, and if so, why?
I surveyed 40 people about their online shopping experience for pet accessories. My goals were to understand habits, motives, and pain points.
Customers enjoyed dressing up their pets for fun. Especially during special events, taking pictures of their pets created memorable experiences.
Customers needed practical pet items such as collars, harnesses, or jackets. These would provide more safety, protection, or warmth for their pets.
Participants had the following major pain points while shopping online for pet accessories:
Expensive pricing (55%)
Overwhelmed by selection of products (25%)
Not enough reviews; no discounts or sales (22.5%)
Difficult to find the right size (17.5%)
Customer Pain PointsThe percentage of participants' pain points when shopping online for pet accessories. The top 4 responses were survey options while the last 4 were "Other" responses.
To my surprise, about 18% of participants expressed the same frustration: sizing concerns.
Would this frustration also occur with the client's site? This was an opportunity to take a closer look at the user journey. I wanted to dig deeper and test if these pain points also applied to Senpai Inu's website.
To gather initial feedback on the current site, I performed a remote, moderated UX audit with 3 pet owners. This process helped me better understand:
Users' first impressions of the website
Validating existing pain points or identifying new ones
How users approached tasks from the landing page to the checkout page
Mapping Out the User JourneyThis user journey map summarizes the original website's experiences, expectations, and potential improvements.
During the audits, I noticed a drop in user satisfaction from the shopping pages to the product page. All participants shared a similar concern on the product page—sizing.
“Sizing is a bit of a concern for me. Like it’s not really clear to me what the length is, it sounds like this was like a one size fits all type. I would expect the sizing to be consistent among all of the bandanas…The inconsistency is kind of confusing.”
“…my doubts are pretty high if they’re (product) going to fit my dog so that’s why I kind of need the size and weight."
"Is it one size fits all?…they have sizes here, but the collars did not have a size?”
Rather than price, sizing was the main issue discovered. All participants expressed uncertainty and doubt about purchasing a product due to:
Inconsistent size measurements with other related products
Unclear or no size measurements for specific parts of the product
No existing size guides or charts to reference
Other new pain points identified included accessibility issues such as:
Participants found the product descriptions hard to read or did not read them at all due to low contrast.
Participants referred to the product pictures the most while shopping. Yet the photos were inconsistent or difficult to see, discouraging customers from buying.
Customer confidence dropped due to unclear sizing, inconsistencies, and accessibility issues. This led customers to leave the product page or even the website.
How might we help customers feel more confident while shopping online Senpai Inu?
With the business and user goals in mind, the redesign aimed to be clear, consistent, and visual. The technical constraints of the website were also considered.
Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility DiagramThis diagram illustrates the process of mapping out business, customer, and technical goals.
Clear: To provide customers more clarity about the business, product sizing, and more.
Consistent: To create a more cohesive branding and online shopping experience.
Visual: To make it easier for customers to recognize products through enhanced visuals.
I created wireframes that incorporated new features aimed at enhancing the online experience. These also served as visual blueprints for building the new website designs.
Initial SketchesI added size charts, customer reviews, and a related products section on the product page.
Mid-fidelity WireframesMid-fidelity wireframes used for usability testing to assess the design effectiveness and usability.
I conducted usability tests with 10-15 participants to assess the new designs. The goal was to identify any current usability issues. These tests were remote via Maze.
I also performed A/B testing on two variations of size charts to determine user preference.
A/B Test Results for Size Charts80% of participants preferred Version B, whereas 13% of participants preferred both options.
From the results, 80% of participants preferred Version B whereas 13% preferred both. It was crucial also to consider the website's technical limitations and features.
I decided to incorporate both methods to provide more user flexibility.
Size Chart Implementation Methods
The photo gallery now includes a size chart diagram of the product for a visual view. The "Info Section", a feature offered by the Wix Store, shows size chart information for a textual view.
The final deliverables included high-fidelity wireframes for both web and mobile platforms. I also helped direct the photography for the new product photos with the client.
The website relaunched in June 2022.
Compared to the previous 3 months, here's what happened in the next 3 months after site relaunch:
172% increase in sales
160% increase in total orders
89% increase in site visitors
Helped shape the future of 20+ product photos, establishing cohesive branding.
If I had more time:
Conduct more usability testing after the relaunch to provide more design improvements.
Brainstorm more ideas for branding and explore other imagery opportunities.
What I learned:
Effective communication and collaboration with clients help meet project objectives quicker.
Visual elements play a significant role in influencing users' buying decisions.
Researching technical feasibilities early on helps design within constraints and find sustainable solutions.
