Website Redesign | UX Design

2024 | Desktop Website

Crafting an

Engaging Visual Storytelling

for

Intuitive Plus-Size Shopping Journey

Website Redesign | UX Design

Website Redesign | UX Design

2024 | Desktop Website

Crafting an

Engaging Visual Storytelling

for

Intuitive Plus-Size Shopping Journey

Website Redesign | UX Design

Team Members
Team Members

Nivedita Thakurdesai (Me)

Shuyang Lin

Liwen Chang

Michelle Huang

Duration
Duration

3 Months

Tools Used
Tools Used

Figma / Figjam

Zoom
Google Suite

Client
Client

Sue Rock Originals

My Role
My Role
  • Part of Client meeting

  • Part of deciding strategies

  • Research on Plus-size users

  • Competitive analysis of 2 websites

  • Conducting 2 user interviews

  • Formulating user insights

  • Creating colored options for ideation

  • worked on first 2 recommendations

Nivedita Thakurdesai (Me)

Shuyang Lin

Liwen Chang

Michelle Huang

3 Months

Figma / Figjam

Zoom
Google Suite


Sue Rock Originals

  • Part of Client meeting

  • Part of deciding strategies

  • Research on Plus-size users

  • Competitive analysis of 2 websites

  • Conducting 2 user interviews

  • Formulating user insights

  • Creating colored options for ideation

  • worked on first 2 recommendations

Who is client (Sue Rock Originals)?

Plus Size Women Clothing Brand

Sue Rock Originals is a fashion brand recognized for its unique, handcrafted clothing and accessories, specifically designed for sizes 18 and up. Based in New York City, the brand emphasizes sustainable practices by utilizing high-quality materials and artisanal techniques in its creations.

Additionally, Sue Rock Originals is committed to supporting survivors of domestic violence, fostering healing and empowerment within the community.

Sue Rock Originals is a fashion brand recognized for its unique, handcrafted clothing and accessories, specifically designed for sizes 18 and up.


Based in New York City, the brand emphasizes sustainable practices by utilizing high-quality materials and artisanal techniques in its creations.


Additionally, Sue Rock Originals is committed to supporting survivors of domestic violence, fostering healing and empowerment within the community.

The Problem : What challenges prompted us to undertake the redesign?

To Stand Out in Modern Retail and Establish a Strong Brand Identity, we chose to Redesign

Low User Engagment

Visitors are not interacting with the site as expected, resulting in fewer page view, making it difficult to build a loyal customer base.

Incomplete Brand Narrative

Website lacks a clear, complete brand narrative, leaving visitors disconnected from the brand's story. 

Pre-sale Model Integration

Owner is attempting to incorporate a new pre-sale model on her website, ensuring that effectively communicates to users is challenging.

Website before Redesign

Website before Redesign

The Solution

Developing a pre-sale shopping experience focused on effectively conveying the brand narrative

Highlighting Sue's story, brand mission, and vision on the 'Our Story' page to create a connection with users

Highlighting Sue's story, along with the brand's mission and vision on the 'Our Story' page, fosters a meaningful connection with users by showcasing the values and narrative behind the brand.

Crafting a contemporary checkout process that integrates a pre-sale model

Crafting a modern checkout process that incorporates a pre-sale model improves the shopping experience by enabling users to engage with products beforehand, leading to smoother transactions.

Our Strategy : How did we accomplish this?

Research & Design Process

Our redesign process was breakdown in two major parts: Research & Redesign

  1. Research

  • Literature Review

  • User Interviews

  • Competitive Analysis 

  • Deciding Strategic Direction

  1. Research

  • Literature Review

  • User Interviews

  • Competitive Analysis 

  • Deciding Strategic Direction

  1. Designing


  • Restructuring Information Architecture

  • Ideating - (Mid-Fi Wireframes)

  • Usability Testing

  • Final Prototype & Shopify implementations

  1. Designing


  • Restructuring Information Architecture

  • Ideating - (Mid-Fi Wireframes)

  • Usability Testing

  • Final Prototype & Shopify implementations

Literature Review

We Analyzed our Target User's Experiences and Industry standards through Desk Research

Understanding Plus Size User

Pre-Sale Model

Brand Storytelling

Understanding Plus Size User

Pre-Sale Model

Brand Storytelling

User Interviews

Understanding the Plus-Size Shopping Experience through User Interviews

We chose to interview users to understand their pain points when shopping for plus-size clothing, their comfort level with online clothing websites, their awareness of pre-sale options, and how they perceive and connect with the brand.

  • We were looking for Plus Size Females

  • We interviewed 8 Female user (5 out of 8 were actual customers)

  • Our Interviews lasted around 45-60 minutes.


View Interview Script

What were our user interview insights?

Key User Insights

87.5 %

Participants felt connected to Founder's story, Design Philosophy & community focus of the brand.

87.5 %

Participants felt connected to Founder's story, Design Philosophy & community focus of the brand.

75 %

Participants encountered

Shipping & Returns related challenges in the past

75 %

Participants encountered

Shipping & Returns related challenges in the past

62.5 %

Participants appreciate if they could get detailed information on

Sizing, Production & Product Care, Product Images as well as Inclusive Sizing

62.5 %

Participants appreciate if they could get detailed information on

Sizing, Production & Product Care, Product Images as well as Inclusive Sizing

Competitive Analysis : How our competitive analysis helped us in creating better website?

We used Competitive Analysis to Improve Visual Design, Navigation, and Social Impact on Our Website

We conducted a competitive analysis of 8 different websites, focusing on Plus Size, Branding, Pre-Sale, and Shopify aspects.

Do's

  • Clear, minimalistic Navigation & Call-to-action

  • Using Visuals and captions to convey brand's vibe

  • Using multiple product images for better user understanding

  • Having clear sizing information with measurements

  • Incorporating sustainability/ Social Impact within storytelling & branding

Do's

  • Clear, minimalistic Navigation & Call-to-action

  • Using Visuals and captions to convey brand's vibe

  • Using multiple product images for better user understanding

  • Having clear sizing information with measurements

  • Incorporating sustainability/ Social Impact within storytelling & branding

Dont's

  • Text heavy pages

  • Focusing more on company than user's problems

  • Having cluttered navigation keeping each and every category on them

  • Unclear/Hidden Shipping & Return policies

Dont's

  • Text heavy pages

  • Focusing more on company than user's problems

  • Having cluttered navigation keeping each and every category on them

  • Unclear/Hidden Shipping & Return policies

Strategic Direction/ Goals for the project

Three Key Directions Derived from Research and Client Goals

  1. Engaging Customers

Emphasize aspects of your brand narrative that resonate most with audiences, ensuring consistency in brand messaging and imagery across the website

  1. Engaging Customers

Emphasize aspects of your brand narrative that resonate most with audiences, ensuring consistency in brand messaging and imagery across the website

  1. Attention to Details

Provide detailed product information and imagery of diverse models to help facilitate and persuade customers to buy.

  1. Attention to Details

Provide detailed product information and imagery of diverse models to help facilitate and persuade customers to buy.

  1. Transparency

Build trust and promote transparency in pre-sale by addressing policies and procedures (pre-sale ordering, shipping, and returns) in clear, simple language.

  1. Transparency

Build trust and promote transparency in pre-sale by addressing policies and procedures (pre-sale ordering, shipping, and returns) in clear, simple language.

Information Architecture

Information Architecture

To design the website, we needed to reorganize the information architecture to enhance navigation.

Ideation

Infusing Sue’s Vibe in Style Choices and Storytelling for our Initial Designs

To capture Sue’s vibe, we crafted two design options: one with vibrant, colorful UI elements reflecting her bold, vibrant, and positive energy, while the other maintains a subtle, neutral UI, allowing her product images to stand out prominently.

Colored Option

Neutral Option

Usability Testing Results

User Insights Led Us to Create a Vibrant, Product-Focused Website

Banner With Models wearing actual Product

1

Banner Doesn't Replicate actual product

Banner Doesn't Replicate actual product

Before Testing

Banner With Placeholder Image

After Testing

Banner With Models wearing actual Product with Slide room

User : “I want to see more actual products , not just three beautiful plus-size models wearing black.”

User : “I want to see more actual products , not just three beautiful plus-size models wearing black.”

Problem 1 : The homepage banner is not attractive enough.

Solution : Change the banner image and replace the static banner with slide room.

Problem 1 : The homepage banner is not attractive enough.

Solution : Change the banner image and replace the static banner with slide room.

2

Subtle Red colored Call-to-action

Subtle Red colored Call-to-action

Before Testing

Call to action buttons of Subtle red color

Bright Reddish Pink colored Call-to-action

Bright Reddish Pink colored Call-to-action

After Testing

Call to action buttons with Bright Reddish Pink color

User : “I want to see a pop of color; the colorful website attracts me more.”

User : “I want to see a pop of color; the colorful website attracts me more.”

Problem 2 : Subtle color is not elevating shopping experience.

Solution : Add bright reddish pink as pop-up color for purchase.

Problem 2 : Subtle color is not elevating shopping experience.

Solution : Add bright reddish pink as pop-up color for purchase.

3

Before Testing

Testimonials on Homepage

After Testing

Testimonials shifted to our story page to strengthen the trust

User : “I won’t read this section on homepage; it should be somewhere else.”

User : “I won’t read this section on homepage; it should be somewhere else.”

Problem 3 : Testimonials on homepage is not helpful.

Solution : Relocate the testimonials to better connect customers with the brand.

Problem 3 : Testimonials on homepage is not helpful.

Solution : Relocate the testimonials to better connect customers with the brand.

Final Prototype

Presenting final design to Sue Rock

Reflections

We learned to plan design strategies that align with the business

For Design Strategies

  • Our continuous communication with the client kept us aligned.

  • Understanding the client's resources and budget enabled us to achieve more effective and adaptable outcomes.

For Design Strategies

  • Our continuous communication with the client kept us aligned.

  • Understanding the client's resources and budget enabled us to achieve more effective and adaptable outcomes.

For Business

  • Website becomes key communicator in E-commerce trading.

  • Incorporating user research is vital for Website Styling and Lay outing to create a successful E-commerce brand.

For Business

  • Website becomes key communicator in E-commerce trading.

  • Incorporating user research is vital for Website Styling and Lay outing to create a successful E-commerce brand.

Interested in Collaborating?

If my work resonates with you, let’s talk!

Interested in Collaborating?

If my work resonates with you, let’s talk!

© Nivedita Thakurdesai 2024