Currently it is difficult for users to search, view and buy a plant that fits their lifestyle. This leads to users not feeling confident in buying a product and abandon the checkout process which is leading to a lower online sales for Patch.
We believe that [by improving the search and checkout flow for the user, would increase the number of online sales for Patch].
After concluding the research and problem definition phase, we came to the conclusion that by adding categories we could address the search issue. We also simplified the layout on mobile as the users were feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information. Some of the components were also redesigned to be easier to interact with on mobile for example the Navbar. Hierarchy of information was a major consideration as well as necessity of information as we wanted to reimagine the design to only have the most crucial information on the mobile scree so that the user was able to easily complete their goal.
We started with our initial observations and questions on Unplugged by analysing the current experience. To easily document these we followed the structure [situation], [response], [problem to business or experience] to ensure we were aware of users and business needs.
When [looking for plants to buy], users [search for plants], which causes [a problem as they are unsure which plants will match their lifestyle].
When [browsing through options to stay at], users [scroll through a list of cabins], which causes [a problem because they cannot filter or sort results].
User Goal: We believe that by making it easier for users to purchase fresh and good quality plants as well as providing information on plant care will make users feel more confident in buying plants.
Business Goal: We believe that by making it easier for users to find plants that match their lifestyle as well as providing information on plant care, will make them more confident to purchase plants and increase the number of orders on Patch.
By analysing our observations to understand users' main frustrations when using the mobile version of Patch, we identified the primary frustration based on what would provide the greatest gains for both user and business.
Primary Frustration
When [looking for plants], users are [finding it challenging to search for a plant that matches their lifestyle], which results in [them feeling insecure and doubtful].
With a picture of the problem at hand starting to come into place, we jumped into the ideation phase and worked through the solution design model, identifying users actual behaviour, and optimal behaviour. This allowed us to form a how might we statement to begin forming a solution.
How might we make it easier for users to find their ideal plants on Patch?
We wrote down our main User Story to keep us focussed when we created both the current and improved user flow after which we decided on the features to incorporate in our design.
User Story: As a fan of plants, I want to buy a plant from Patch for my desk so I can improve my home office setup.
To organise our ideas, we sketched some possible solutions on how might we solve the identified problem. We annotated the sketches with notes to give clarity and direction on the design which we used as guidance for the mid-fi wireframes.
We used a neutral colour palette to avoid any decision bias and would use mid-fi wireframes to get feedback internally. We also used these wireframes to determine the position and sizing of elements.
The sketches and wireframes helped us recognise frustrations with the experience that we improved at hi-fi stage. To create the high fidelity prototype we inspected the products style and followed the 4px rule to effectively and easily create a prototype that was consistent with the product styling. Before creating the prototype, we created interactive components in Figma to easily and quickly help us design.
Below is the final version of the prototype that we created. We included interactions and transitions from Figma to match the products flow. We recorded our solution to make it convenient to experience the improved flow.
With the hi-fi prototype created we received feedback from users on the search the experience. We validated that it was more clear to users how to search and find plants that suited their preferences.
Improving on the experience on Patch was great to work on as we had the opportunity to contribute to meaningfully to a digital product. We reflected on how we approached the project, where we could improve next time and what the highlights were.
