SKI PLANET
E-commerce website for selling alpine skiing-related products
DURATION
Five weeks, March - April.
MY ROLE
Deliver a successful e-commerce solution for sales conversion. Research & UX/UI - interviews, sketching, wireframing, usability testing, prototyping.
TOOLS
Pen & Paper, Figma, Miro, Snip & Sketch, Gogel Drive, and ChatGTP.
INTRODUCTION
I received a project brief, analytics from the PM, and the existing website wireframes. The goal was to bring me on board to find the most successful solution to enhance the company’s browsing and checkout experience to increase revenue.
I created a project plan template to ensure I aligned with the time constraints and identified the most effective tools for success.
Problem
On average, 50% of users open 7 item pages and then abandon the site without moving any items into the cart. Therefore, users cannot determine which skis are best based on relative features.
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70% of users who place skis in the cart do not purchase them. Data shows that users abandon the cart at the registration page.
Solution
Help ski shoppers to determine which skis are best for their desired experience by providing a compare page, a ski test, and an option to talk to Ski Experts.
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Design a guest checkout to solve an abandoned shopping cart.
DISCOVER
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Demographics
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According to the International Ski Federation report, approximately 15 million people worldwide participate in recreational alpine skiing. Most alpine skiers are between 25 - 44 years old.
$126,000 is the average household income for alpine skiers in the US
Have a high level of education, and have a high household income
Male alpine skiers - 60% vs. female alpine skiers - 40%
Purchase alpine skis (survey by the National Ski Areas Association).
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On average alpine skiers replace their skis every 4.5 years.
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45% of alpine skiers buy their skis from an online retailer, and they are more likely to purchase higher-end skis and take advantage of discounts.
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Skiers buy alpine skis based on extensive research and reflection. Skiers typically look for skis that are “right.”
Size, type,
shape
Skill level & terrain preferences
Price
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A few things encourage people to buy alpine skiing gear from an online retailer: discounts, a broader selection of skis than stores, detailed product descriptions, reviews, and clear shipping options.
INTERVIEW INSIGHTES
I interviewed seven alpine skiers, spanning beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of skiing. Through these interviews, I found that when it comes to shopping for skis, two key factors are crucial for shoppers: the price range and the reputation of well-established brands.
Main search criteria for skiers
All skis look good but are priced differently, so the price was my primary consideration when I chose my new skis.
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A well-establish ski brand is important. I do not want to experiment with unknown brands because skis are expensive. I need to use and enjoy them for years.
I observed that alpine skiers find it challenging to choose which ski model is best for their desired ski performance. Before purchasing, skiers prefer to research and talk to trusted and experienced skiers. That helps them confidently make a purchase.
Moreover, beginner skiers rely entirely on experts' advice because they do not have enough technical knowledge and relevant experience to purchase skis.
My ski instructor suggested 2-3 models, then I read the ski description, considered my price range, and purchased the best option. I am still happy with my skis!
I collected all necessary information about skis from store salespersons but purchased the skis online.
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AFFINITY MAP
I used the affinity map to discover the main reasons why it was stressful for skiers to identify the ski model to buy:
Overwhelming amount of information
Mistrust in salespersons' expertise
Too many relevant choices
Need to invest significant time to make "the right choice"
I discovered that most skiers need validation of their skiing level to guide them in purchasing the “correct model.” There is a high level of anxiety that if they buy a ski not aligned with their skill level, it will negatively impact their ski performance on the slopes.
I bought skis above my skiing level because everyone defines "good skiing level" differently. I did not like how skis performed on the slopes.
In addition, I realized people initially gravitate to discounts and sales. Most interview participants who were happy about their purchasing experience underlined their "luck" with the discount. Also, I discovered that the most satisfying experience in buying skis for shoppers is testing them on the slopes before purchasing.
PERSONA
I chose to make a persona to keep in mind the values of the user when designing the SKI PLANET web experience. I wanted to understand, "Who am I designing this product for?" Meet Felix - skier, adventurous, outgoing, and outdoorsy. He tends to be a risk-taker who enjoys the challenge of skiing and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it.
FELIX, 44
Solar Engineer
Boulder, Colorado
BEHAVIOR
Since moving to Boulder, Colorado, a few years ago, Felix has taken advantage of all the Rocky Mountain world-class ski resorts near Boulder. He skis every weekend, holiday, and winter vacation from late October through early April. He usually skis with friends but occasionally enjoys skiing solo to push his skiing abilities to the edge. Felix wishes to have specialized alpine skis to enrich his skiing experience as much as possible, but fashion appearance is also essential to him. He is environmentally conscious and loves to spend time outdoors.
FRUSTRATIONS
Felix feels he would have a better ski experience if his skis aligned with his skill level and terrain preference.
He tried to research and ask around, but the information he got was overwhelming.
GOALS
Be 100% sure of the kind of alpine skis he needs.
Save time and reduce frustration when researching to buy skis.
Get the most out of his skiing experience.
JOB-TO-BE-DONE
By using the Job-To-Be-Done tool, I understand what potential users of the SKI PlANET website would want to accomplish.
Needs
Reduce confusion
and purchase the best alpine skis for the identified requirements
Seamlessly purchase skis that match skier needs
Circumstances
Move close to ski slopes
Became better at skiing
Replace broken skis pare
Emotional Job
Have fun skiing
Ability to spend
a pleasant time in nature
Main Job
Have personal skis to enjoy skiing in the mountains
Related Job
Stay in shape
Spend time outdoors
Explore new ski slopes and improve their skiing techniques
Social Job
Have the freedom to meet new people
DESIGN
CRAZY 8s
Crazy 8s brainstorming methodology pushed me beyond my first ideas, and I developed eight potentially critical screens for the Alpine Skis Product page. According to skiers, the product page is the most useful for their research as it contains all the essential descriptive information about the skis. Therefore, the product page is the key to helping skiers make their decisions on the model they want and, thus, increasing the chance of a purchase.
USER FLOW
Important Information from the Product Manager:
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On average, 50% of the users open seven-item pages and then abandon the site without moving any items into the cart.
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70% of users who place skis in the cart do not purchase them. The data shows that users abandon the cart at the registration page. Right now, a user must create an account to make a purchase. The Product Manager asked me to design a guest checkout to solve this problem.
I developed the "Guest Checkout," but I also took the liberty to incorporate an option for shoppers to validate their ski level through the section "Take our Quiz" and to get technical guidance through "Chat with us Now." In my discovery phase, I learned that both steps helped shoppers feel more confident about buying skis. Also, I added the possibility for shoppers to compare three different ski models on a "Compare" page, which allows them to make a relative comparison of skis, another reassuring step in deciding to buy a ski.
A user searches for alpine skis to buy
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Skiing/Take our Quiz
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Product Page/Chat with Ski Expert
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Filter By/Comparing
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Add to cart
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Checkout/Checkout as Guest
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Payment
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Confirmation
INFORMATION
ARCHITECTURE
In creating the website, I used the Site Map to organize the different products into logical groupings and to minimize the number of clicks for the shopper to find a product.
MOODBOARD
Brand Attributes
Dependable, savvy, confident, and caring.
Brand Personality
Ski Planet’s brand personality is adventurous. It goes beyond selling skiing gear by giving customers confidence in their risk-taking skiing experience.
UI Inspiration
Ski Planet UI brand personality is an edgy modern world with the presence of height technology. This brand radiates professionalism and messages to users, “You are in professional hands, and we know what you need, and we can give you that.” A minimalistic approach and high contrast level give a feeling of success and playfulness.
Imagery Inspiration
Ski Planet’s inspiration comes from mountains representing reliability, and deep gray shame tones give a sense of accomplishment and freedom. The sunset provides a feeling of social connection and worldliness. Modern typography represents reliability, safety, and trust. All these feelings and sensations will give users the joy of using this website confidently.
STYLE GUIDE
VALIDATE
LOW-FIDELITY
WIREFRAMES &
FIRST TESTING
Homepage Hover - First Testing Results
Achieved
SKI PLANET's homepage is clear in showing that the website sells
skiing-related products.
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Testers liked the horizontal scrolling of well-establish brands to search for skis.
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Testers liked the “DEAL OF THE WEEK” section on the homepage to search for skis sales.
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Three out of five users opted to take the quiz while exploring alpine skis options.
Need to improve
the category “SKIING” created some friction when skiers were looking for alpine skis.
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The “SKI POLES” section on the Sking page was not aligned with the “SKI BOOTS” section, causing a visual distraction for testers.
HOMEPAGE
HOMEPAGE/HOVER
Alpine Skis & Product Page - First Testing Results
Achieved
Users liked the "FILTERS" section on the Alpine Skis page, especially "PRICE RANGE".
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Users used the "COMPARE" option.
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Users liked the visual display of discount labels and skis rating.
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On the Product Page, four users used "CHAT WITH THE SKI EXPERT" to clarify skis parameters and details.
Needed to improve
On the Alpine Skis page, the category "SKI WAIST WITH," "SKI CHAMBER," and "TAIL TYPE" were confusing, and users did not understand these ski parameters.
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On the Product Page, the ski image has two indicators, one that represents the skis' capability to perform "ON-PISTE" and the second one identifies the model for the "ADVANCED" level of skiing. Three out of five participants were unsure how to define the website's category "ADVANCED" level of skiing and also needed clarification on what "ON-PISTE" means.
ALPINE SKIS
PRODUCT PAGE
QUIZ - FIRST TESTING RESULTS
Concerns
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Three out of five users took the Quiz while searching for alpine skis. One user took the Quiz from the homepage. The other two users took the Quiz after independently searching for alpine skis on the website to validate that they had made the right choice. From that behavior, I concluded that the Quiz is a handy tool as it helps users narrow down their options and validate their decision, but not all users used the Quiz.
Therefore, I decided to keep the Quiz option for now but closely watch its role in helping shoppers make a final decision, i.e., purchase.
HIGH-FIDELITY
WIREFRAMES &
SECOND TESTING
Homepage - Second Testing Results
I changed the “Find exactly what you are looking for” phrase to a shorter sentence as some users commented that the homepage was too busy.
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Also, three out of five users did not realize they could scroll horizontally across well-established brands; therefore, I enlarged the scrolling arrows.
BEFORE - Homepage
FINAL - Homepage
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Alpine Skis Page - Second Testing Results
I noticed some confusion when users encountered unknown or complex technical ski terms. Hence, I added a pop-up window to define all technical terms on the Alpine Ski page.
Oh, what does Skis Waist Width mean? I need to search for it on the Internet… It would be great to have the definition of this term on the page.
BEFORE - Alpine Skis Page
FINAL - Alpine Skis Page
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Alpine Skis Comparative Page - Second Testing Results
The Comparative Page had the same problem as the previous page. Therefore, I added definitions for each technical ski term to help streamline the selection process.
BEFORE - Comparative Page
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FINAL - Comparative Page
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Product Page - Second Testing Results
Users wanted to know the number of participants involved in Rossignol's five-star rating. Also, three out of five users did not immediately see the correlation between the image of the ski and the parallel snapshots of the various sections of the ski. Some users also needed a more precise presentation of the model's active “Ski Length” on display.
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Thus, I added the number of reviewers to the ratings, a lighter background to the ski image indicator, and a dark background to the ski length indicator.
BEFORE - Product Page
FINAL - Product Page
Login as a guest page - second testing results
The Product Manager asked me to design a guest checkout to minimize the number of shoppers abandoning the cart at the registration stage. The guest checkout also had to capture the email address for future marketing purposes.
The second test showed four out of the five users liked the "Checkout as Guest" option.
I like the "Checkout as Guest" option because I rarely buy ski equipment and do not want to spend time creating unnecessary new accounts.
Also, during the test, three out of five shoppers said it was important for them to know the tax total in advance. I intended to display the tax figure at the payment stage, but the above comment clarified that this figure needed to be shared with the shopper sooner.
BEFORE - Login as a Guest Page
FINAL - Login as a Guest Page
Confirmation - Second Testing Results
After making the payment, all the users said it would be reassuring to be reminded that the product could be returned. Thus, I added the “Easy to Return” field to the purchase confirmation page.
BEFORE - Confirmation
FINAL - Confirmation
Quiz - Second Testing Results
The Quiz helped three users narrow their options while searching for skis. One user used it to check whether the Quiz affirmed his choice was correct given his parameters. When he got the confirmation, the user confidently proceeded to pay. Therefore, I decided to keep the Quiz as a tool to help shoppers make a “buy” product decision.
FINAL VERSION
CLIKABLE PROTOTYPE
REFLECTION
Run more balanced user interviews and testing sessions
USER INTERVIEWS: I focused on balancing the male/female auditorium when I conducted the user interviews and not on the skiing level of the users. Of the seven people interviewed, four were advanced, two were intermediate, and one was a beginner. This was a mistake as it became clear that the skiing level of the shopper shapes the decision-making process and needs when buying skis.
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TESTING SESSIONS: Therefore, in my testing phase, I addressed poorly balanced user interviews by having a pool of one advanced, two intermediate, and two beginner skiers. A balanced testing session was essential to ensure that the user experience of the SKI PLANET website was user-friendly for all skiing levels.
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In conclusion, if I had had more time, I would have re-run my user interviews with a more balanced array of ski levels because the different depths of skiing knowledge affect shopping behavior.
Design familiar interfaces
During usability tests, users could intuitively identify the correct steps to complete tasks because the interface was familiar to other e-commerce websites they had used. UX must be intuitive in both its presentation and usability.
