Scoops
Project Details
UX/UI Designer and Researcher
MY ROLE
DURATION
3 weeks
Scoops is an artisan ice cream shop based in Los Angeles. They are known for their unique, innovative blend of ice cream flavors that you cannot get anywhere else. Some examples of their unique flavors are the “Brown Bread” and the “Pistachio Rosewater” flavors. They have an Instagram and Yelp page but currently do not have a website and are looking to expand their digital presence.
Background
PROBLEM
Scoops do not have a website and the owner is looking to expand its online presence.
Research
Context
We want to know customers’ shopping behaviors so we can create an excellent experience.
Competitive analysis
Customer Reviews
Survey
Approach
In order to understand the ice cream market, I conducted a competitive analysis with direct competitors of local ice cream shops based in Southern California and indirect competitors whose target market is more national. I analyzed the pros and cons of each competitor relative to each other. This also helped me see if there are any gaps in the market.
Takeaways:
In order to increase engagement, the content must be high quality and the branding must be strong.
Scoops need to offer local delivery and pick up in order to have a competitive edge in the market
Scoops need to include ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts information in all of their ice cream flavors so customers are well-informed before making a purchase
In order to get potential customers to connect with the brand, Scoops need to include a story about them as a business.
Competitive Analysis Findings
Customer Reviews on Social Media
I research online customer reviews on Yelp and Google to understand what current customers are saying and their specific experience at Scoops.
Takeaways:
It’s important for customers to have dairy-free/vegan options
Customers find that ice cream can be too expensive by the scoop and would rather buy at the grocery store so it’s less expensive
Customers are frustrated their business hours are not reflective of what they see on their postings.
I surveyed 27 people who have experience buying ice cream to understand their habits, frustrations, and motivation when buying ice cream.
Survey
96%
want to check the menu before buying
40%
would order online for in store pick-up
20%
needs information about ingredients & nutrition facts
59%
wants to check where a store is located
I like the option to buy pints that you can take home.
“
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User Personas
Meet Sally, the adventurous foodie who loves to try unique flavors.
Sally has her own set of unique problems which helped me brainstorm feature ideas in the next step. Some of her frustrations include wasting money by overpaying for food, waiting in long lines, and consuming ice cream flavors that are underwhelming.
Then there’s Jason who is vegan and often needs to look at the ingredient list.
Because Jason is on a vegan diet, he scrutinizes the ingredient list in order to know exactly what he is eating. In addition, he gets frustrated when there’s a lack of vegan options when buying ice cream.
Needs
Ingredients & nutrition facts information
High quality ingredients
Motivations
Supporting local businesses
Convenience
Frustrations
Wasting money
Standing in long lines
Define
In order to make sense of the data we’ve gathered from our research, I need to identify high level goals of both the business’ and users’ goals.
Context
Approach
Feature roadmap
Ideate
With my features and personas in mind, it was time to focus on the scope and sitemap of Scoops' website.
Context
Sitemap
User flows
Task flows
Wireframes
Approach
To help me understand how the information and content of the website will be structured, I created a sitemap of where each piece of content will be located.
Site map
Creating user flows allowed me to understand the journey my user will take to complete a task. In this case, I created one flow where a user wants to check a store’s location information and another where a user wants to order ice cream online for in-store pickup.
User flows
Design
After creating the user flows, I sketched out pages that are important to my users’ journey. This also helps me better visualize key components of what to incorporate for each page.
Sketches
I digitized my sketches by creating low-fidelity wireframes and made additional pages based on my user flows.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Scoops was in need of a brand refresh so I created a new brand identity that can be best described as fun and playful. In designing the logo and brand identity, I kept these keywords in mind.
Branding and UI Kit
High Fidelity Pages
Testing
I turned my wireframes into high-fidelity prototypes for usability testing. My participants are users who have experience buying ice cream.
Context
Understand the efficiency and ease of use of finding an ice cream flavor
Understand if users can gain information about the ice cream on the product page
If users are able to successfully order an item for pickup
Evaluate any pain points or frustrations users might experience during the process
Test Goals
Two participants said they would like to see either a confirmation number or a statement stating they will get a text or email confirmation message.
One participant noticed there was a “Pint” tab on the menu page and wondered if Scoops also offered ice cream by the scoop.
One participant said they would like to see the days of the week when the business opens since that information was missing in the design
Usability Test Findings
Reflection
Overall, I was extremely happy with the results of my usability tests. There were only a few tweaks that I needed to make after the feedback I received from my participants. They are able to locate the ice cream flavor and successfully ordered online without any hurdles.
Conclusion
I conducted an audit of the ingredients section of their product details page and noted what was working and what wasn’t.
The problem I discovered is some customers might be hesitant to convert because there’s insufficient information about the product in terms of its ingredient benefits. A typical user can read the Supplement Facts but doesn’t know how that will benefit their health.