Mirror — Extended User Research Analysis

MOTIVATIONS

All 5 Users…

• Shop/browse for clothing online.
• Are drawn to shop a site from an email newsletter.

3:2 Users…

• Browse online and then purchase in stores. (Interesting feedback into the “why” and “how” that transaction could be translated fully online.)
• Shop & purchase clothing monthly. (2 shop less frequently)
• Shop for clothes because of “retail therapy” or “boredom”, (A continued study into designing for the impulse shopper.)

NEEDS

All 5 users expressed the following as the most important factors contributing to a pleasant online shopping experience.

Finding their size:

• Filtering options in the product search list.
• Reviews based on customer body data input.
• Social media images of customers in the products.
• Models, they can identify with (Models measurements listed.)

Easy return/shipping policies:

(An easy way to find out if shipping is free (early on in the shopping process)

• What is the minimum check-out amount to reach the free shipping?
• Memberships that include free shipping
• The return time limit is long enough.
• Customer service is a real person.

3:2 Users expressed outfit suggestions on the website were helpful.

PAIN POINTS

All 5 users express frustration with the filtering system not being as efficient in sale searches/sections.

Interesting feedback on how to push/sell excess inventory and help the user find their size easier and feel like they found a great deal.

DEMOGRAPHIC AVERAGE/RANGE

5 Participants:

Age: 26–38. Gender: 3 Female: 2 Men. Marital Status: 3 Married: 2 Single. Occupations: Creative & Tech Industries. Annual Income: 35–110k

SHOPPING FREQUENCY

All 5 user participants…

• Shop/browse for clothing online.

3:2 user participants…

• Browse for clothing weekly.
• Make purchases 2–3 times per year
• Purchase 3–5 items per transaction (Usually, 1 or 2 items of the transaction are the same item in two different sizes. Tries on both at home and returns the balance.)
• Check the quality of more expensive items in stores after seeing them online, or before purchasing them online later.

INTERNAL MOTIVATORS

All 5 user participants…

• Shop for clothes because of “retail therapy” or “boredom”.
• Impulse items or feel-good novelty items at a price.
• Reaching a shipping minimum

3:2 user participants…

• Expressed social anxieties about shopping for multiple items in stores
• Wanting to avoid commissioned based sales associates
• Avoid standing in checkout/return lines.
• Trying on clothes to check for fit, in an unfamiliar location. (Poor lighting. Comfort to move around or try on for a little bit longer.)
• Need base shopping turns into want based shopping
• Inspired by external motivators. (see below)

EXTERNAL MOTIVATORS

All 5 user participants…

• Email Newsletter indicating a sale
• Seasonal Changes
• Occasions

3:2 user participants…

• Website’s product or outfit recommended section
• Items need to be relevant
• Prefers when items are either similar in silhouette or color/pattern.
• Outfit items need to be click/shoppable.
• Social Media (Instagram)
• Website styling
• Window shopping in stores

Additional mentions:

• Friends recommendations
• Replace existing items in the wardrobe
• Check to see if saved items in their wish list have gone on sale
• Advertized technology

PRICE

Emotions:

3:2 user participants…

• Enjoy shopping for clothing, but don’t spend a lot of money on it.
• Feel savvy when they find an item at a good deal.
• Their total budget is considered before the shopping trip begins.
• No more than X amount on specific types of items.

Sale Section Behaviors:

All 5 user participants…

• Discover sales via Email Newsletter.
• Shop the sale section when first arriving on the site, before any other category.

3:2 user participants…

• Will check back to see if items go on sale.
• Filter search results with price max.

SEARCH BEHAVIORS

Search Result Page:

All 5 user participants…

• Will search through every page of an item category, before moving on.

4:1 user participants…

• Color catches their eye first when looking through the product list.
• Open items they like in a new tab before going to look at it or deciding to add it to their cart.
• Don’t want to lose their place in the search result list by clicking “back”.
• One user clicked the back button in their browser and is removed all their filters from their search.
• Did not use the “quick view” options because … They felt it didn’t give them enough information. & They didn’t want to add to the cart if they were still thinking about it or wanting to compare it to other items.

Additional mentions:

• One user liked the color of an item and tried to search the color name on the website to find that specific shade of “blue” in other items.
• Viewing color options from the product search menu
• One user mentioned they “liked being able to hover over the image on the product result page to see the color options clearly without clicking on anything.”
• “they don’t like when a website shows a photo for each colorway on the product search result page. Gives the illusion they have more styles/silhouettes of items than they do.
• One user mentioned they love seeing the 4 core fits listed at the top of the product result page.

FILTER BEHAVIORS

Top items used for filtering item category:

Price: Sale items, Max price, Arrange Price “Low to High”

Fit: Core/named fit, Size (Selecting more than one)

Additional mentions:

• Users struggled with seeing if their filter auto-updated or was selected.
• Some filter systems removed options to select as they got more specific. Wasn’t clear that their “core fit” was out of stock. The website assumed customers would understand that.

PRODUCT PAGE BEHAVIORS

All 5 user participants want to see photos of the same items on multiple body types.

• Studies images first (Details photos, Multiple Angles, Different lighting. Colors of fabric photograph differently. (Black is hard to photograph, Shade or blue read differently on screen than in person, etc.)
• Studies fit measurements/size guides second (see FIT/SIZING Emotions below)
• Studies product description third
• Fabric descriptors not being clear or accurate.
• Home launder care

Additional mentions:

• Zoom hover over the image is helpful to see details
• One user tried to search for a “BACK TO SEARCH RESULTS” button, on the product page. Was nervous to click the browser back button for fear of losing search results.

FIT / SIZING EMOTIONS

All 5 user participants…

• Wants to see photos of the same items on multiple body types.
• Feel more confident in their purchase because product photos were taken on multiple models, one they felt they could relate to
• Happy when multiple body type sizing is offered
• Regular, Petite, Plus, etc
• Spends the most time comparing people’s reviews.
• Feels reassured when they can enter their own measurements and compare to previous customers who purchased and reviewed/kept/returned an item.
• Reads models measurements.
• Reads the size chart measurements.

CHECKOUT BEHAVIORS

Cart: 3:2 user participants…

• Apply coupon codes at checkout.
• Check their cart frequently while browsing.
• Additional mentions:
• Will add items to wishlist to purchase next time or if it goes on sale.

Shipping: All 5 user participants…

• Want free shipping
• Through memberships
• Through reaching the minimum.

Additional mentions:

• One user expressed wanting a try at a “home program” of some kind.

Returns: All 5 user participants…

• Expressed they are comfortable buying anything online, as long as…
• They are able to return the item
• Have 30 days to think about it/send it back
• Sending/returning shipping is free.
• They have real/accessible customer support they can reach out to if they have questions or concerns.

Additional mentions:

• Will remove sale items from their cart if it’s final sale.