Smell
Background
Our team conducted an eye-tracking study for Winners in order to improve the current experience navigating the store. Using the eye-tracking device we managed to lay out the way our participants navigated the store in order to complete 4 specific tasks and pinpoint any issues that appeared while completing the tasks.
Research Objectives
● To address any issues that came up along the way of our participant
● To improve the layout of the store for easier/more effective navigation and improve users shopping experience
● To understand and point out the flaws in a current layout of the store
Eye-Tracking Study for Winners
Deliverables
● Detailed Findings from the eye-tracking results with Heat Map and Gaze Plot
● Floor Plan Mapping
● Customer Journey Map
● Participant Profile
● Addressing of the issues and points of interest of the user
● Rating of the issues in terms of severity
● High-level recommendations on how to address the issue(s)
● Insights from the quantitative data
● Recommendations based on the optimization of the UX on the evaluated product
UX Research Methodology
● Moderated 1-1 user sessions in which users worked on scenarios using an eye-tracking device
● Moderator provided specific instructions for the participant to follow consisting of 4 consecutive steps
● Moderator interacted with the participant and encouraged her to think out loud
● Moderator asked the participant not to pay any attention to her surroundings in order to eliminate the unwanted bias
● Moderator followed the participant around the store to follow her path to better understand the decisions made by her
● In the end of each task moderator asked the participant a set of questions for the user to reflect on his experience and decisions made
● Using the eye-tracking device our team dissected the footage to better understand the user’s path and demonstrate the points of interest of the user
Participant Profile
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Marital Status: Common Law
Employment: Full Time Sales - Hallmark
Household Income: 75k~100k
Location: Milton
Children: 3
Shopping Frequency: 4 times/week; 10+ of Winner stores visited per year.
Shopping Areas of Interest: Beauty, Houseware, Accessories, Gourmet
Winners Store Branches Visited Past 3 Months: Trafalgar, Dorval, Winston Churchill, South Oakville
(Un)structured Scenarios
We came up with 3 different scenarios for our users to follow in order to find the most common shopping patterns and how users reach their common goals.
Unstructured Scenario 1
Unstructured Scenario: User will do the shopping without any instructions on buying any specific item. This is meant to be exploratory.
The participant has arrived 10 min early for a meeting with a
friend close by at a Starbuck for an afternoon coffee. She decides to go to Winners and browse casually with no intent to buy anything but she decides to kill some time and see what’s new.
Structured Scenario 2
Structured Scenario: User will do the shopping knowing what to
purchase.
Next week, the participant has an upcoming Job Interview that
she is excited about, so she would like to find a pair of new
business casual pants. The facilitar will walkthrough with the
user where she would go and find these pants. Also the user
will be asked to explain her decision making process while
looking for these new pants.
Structured Scenario 3
The participant realized this weekend she will be visiting a close friend for the first time since her friend gave birth to a new baby girl. She has decided to pick up a small baby gift. The participant would go to the store, find this baby gift, and explain her decision-making process while looking for this baby gift.
Structured Scenario 4
Mother’s Day is next week and the participant needs to buy something for her mother since she’s at winners she knows there is a kitchen item section and since her mom loves to cook she decided to browse for an item to purchase. The participant will walkthrough where she would go in the store and find this kitchen section while explaining her decision-making process.
Floor Plan Scenario 1: Killing Time Shopping
Floor Plan Scenario 2: Finding Formal Pants for an Interview
Floor Plan Scenario 3: Getting a Gift for a Baby for a Close Friend
Floor Plan Scenario 4: Buying a Kitchen Gift on Mother's Day
Customer's Journey Map
Executive Summary
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The Winners store has a pretty common floor layout.
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There is no digitized assistance in the store.
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Trending products are not highlighted very well.
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There is no distinctive separation between items.
Detailed Findings
Screen by Screen
Scenario 1: Killing Time Shopping
Usability
• User went to the hall to be able to see more
• User can’t see any signs in the hall from the side view
• User is looking at corners but doesn’t receive any useful info
• User is confused
• In certain situations it’s useful but not when you have a certain aim in mind
Severity:
Medium
Insights
Multiangle signs in some corners can be used to guide people to certain areas.
Usability
• User doesn’t have a particular mindset
• Trendy items should be highlighted so user can get motivated to buy
Severity:
Low
Insights
Trending products should be highlighted.
Scenario 2: Finding Formal Pants for an Interview
Usability
• User sees diagonally for a wider viewing angle
• User is not getting any useful info
• No motivation for the user to get wider viewing angle because there is no indication of attractions
Severity:
Very High
Insights
User is more focusing on diagonal views to get a wider view.
There was no right direction for the user to follow because of horizontal and vertical layouts only.
Usability
• User is looking for a particular product
• User is also browsing other products while looking for a certain one
• User is trying to see the size of the item
Severity:
Normal
Insights
It would be advisable to put a size tag for the user to see easily.
Scenario 3: Getting a Gift for a Baby for a Close Friend
Usability
• User is demanding more variety of colors
• The arrangement of the clothing doesn’t show the variety of colors
Severity:
High
Insights
When arranging the product, consider the color separation and trending items.
Usability
• User has no particular mindset
• There’s a great variety of products here
• Arrangement of the products is confusing
• So the user can consider more items
Severity:
Normal
Insights
The products are not arranged properly and are mixed up.
Recommendations
Some recommendations for the stakeholders to consider
1) We can use signs to guide people to certain areas by putting multiangle signs in some corners.
2) Trending products should be highlighted.
3) The user is more focusing on diagonal views to get a wider view. There was no right direction for the user to follow because of horizontal and vertical layouts only.
4) It would be advisable to put a size tag for the user to easily see.
5) When arranging the product, consider the color separation and trending items.
6) The products are not arranged properly and are mixed up.
Usability Test Log
1st Scenario (Time taken to browse: 6 mins)
The participant has arrived 10 min early for a meeting with a friend close by at a Starbuck for an afternoon coffee. She decides to go into a Winners and browse casually with no intent to buy anything but she decides to kill some time and see what’s new.
Where would the user start?
Run the task of the store for 10 minutes max. Remember the facilitator asks the user to think out loud so it helps to understand her thought process.
1) The user feels very chilly in the store.
2) She goes towards the woman's sweater section.
3) She picks out a few sweaters, looking at them for a bit and returns them back to the stock.
4) She picks out a few more again to have a look not worried about the exchange policy.
5) She looks for clothes to prepare for the next season (winter).
6) At the beginning as of nowm she has a good estimate of the time while shopping.
7) She walks towards the footwear category.
8) She looks at high heels and checks the price thinking about buying footwear for events.
9) She lost track of the time and became anxious of not being sure how much time was left.
10) She noticed she walked past something and went back to check but quickly went towards the line of cashier.
11) She is checking out the stuff near the cashier as she knows there are always specialized items being arranged there. She has the habit of buying stuff near the cashier's register table.
12) She knows that the seasonal items will always be sold out quickly.
2nd Scenario (Time taken to browse: 3 mins)
This is what we call a structured scenario.
The user has arrived at WINNERS with an intent to locate and purchase some items.
Next week you have an upcoming Job Interview that you are excited about, so you would like to find a pair of new business casual pants. Walk us through where you would go and find these pants and also explain your decision making process while looking for these new pants.
User is looking for formal pants.
1) The user goes directly to the women's section of the store from the store entrance without hesitation.
2) She chooses to go through pants one by one at a very rapid pace.
3) She notices she is looking at the wrong pants' style and goes to the opposite side of the aisle.
4) She pictures in her mind how the pants will fit the upper clothing.
5) She thinks that black is a safe bet in almost all the situations and goes with it.
6) She flips through the pants again, thinking about trying on both grey and black colors.
7) She takes a handful of pants from her quick observation without thinking too much about it.
8) She picks 5 pairs and would buy 2 pairs at the end of the day.
9) She has found the items she was looking for easily enough but was confused about the way the store arranges skirts, pants and dresses.
3rd Scenario (Time taken to browse: 2 mins)
You realized this weekend you will be visiting a close friend for the first time since she gave birth to a new baby girl. You have decided to pick up a small baby gift. Walk us through where you would go in the store and find this baby gift. Also explain your decision-making process while looking for this baby gift.
User looks for a Baby Gift for a Close Friend.
1) The user goes to the children's section of the store. There, she is a bit confused about whether she should pick the size of the clothing in an aisle that fits newborn babies or toddlers of an older age.
2) She picks different sizes of clothing as babies usually grow very fast. She starts with newborns to 3 months. She likes how the clothes are organized by months of age.
3) She considers a bundle or a value pack since she can buy several sets of clothing.
4) She picks a wide range of color for baby clothing from dark to bright. There is a wide range of seasoned cloths from summer to winter.
5) She picks 5 items.
6) She mentions she would have definitely asked about the size that the baby needs.
7) She says she would prioritize her choice on the comfort as the most important factor, followed by prizing and aesthetics.
4th Scenario (Time taken to browse: 3 mins)
Mother's Day is next week and you need to buy something for your mother since youe are at WINNERS you know where the kitchen item section is and since your mom loves to cook you decide to browse for an item to purchase accordingly.
Walk us through where you would go in the store to find the gift. Also, explain your decision-making process while looking for the kitchen item.
User looks for the Kitchen Gift Item.
1) She goes to the houseware section that has shelves with tiny items.
2) She thinks about personalized items.
3) She walks quickly through the aisles of the same category.
4) She thiks about what items can be stored easily and will last for a long time.
5) She picks out a wooden artifact that has interesting textures and patterns. Some sort of abstract art.
6) Her shopping strategy for gifts is, even though she's not sure about what she is looking for precisely, she is definitely sure about what she shouldn't purchase.