Playhao Toy e-store Redesign
Creating a digital storefront for Playhao, a small toy store, emphasising usability and affordability while catering to parents and children seeking quality playtime together.
MY ROLE
User research • Responsive design • Competitive & Comparative analysis • User interface design • Card Sorting • Prototyping • Usability Testing
TEAM
Individual project
TIMELINE
2 week sprint
11 – 25 March 2024
THE BRIEF
To design an e-Commerce platform that optimises toy discovery and categorisation for improved user experience.
The Process
My background in art curation and marketing, coupled with personal shopping experiences, provided a solid foundation. However, designing a digital space tailored to the unique needs and preferences of little ones required a deeper understanding of their digital behaviours and desires.
Discovery
Research
To gain a deep understanding of my target audience and their behaviours, I initiated a comprehensive research phase. This involved conducting user interviews and conducting in-person observations at physical toy stores
My primary research objectives were to:
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Identify key factors influencing toy purchasing decisions.
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Analyse the categorisation and layout strategies employed by competing stores.
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Uncover common pain points within the toy shopping experience in both online an physical stores.
Contextual inquiry
To understand consumer behaviour within the toy retail environment, observational research was conducted at prominent toy stores such as Toys 'R' Us and Lego. This involved studying the purchasing decisions of both parents and children to identify key factors influencing toy selection.
Some of the key takeaways were:
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Product in action
Product images show toy being used to engage shopper (A Greener Wood) -
Faster checkout buttons
Encourage more convenient checkouts with GPay, Apple Pay or PayPal -
Dual interface
Encourage browsing for both child and adult alike (like Toys R Us)
Competitive analysis
Taking a close look at what other toy stores were doing online, I noticed some areas where Playhao could improve. It seemed like there was a big opportunity to create a website that would really connect with both kids and their parents.
I concluded that I should implement:
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A redesigned interface that caters to the diverse needs of both children and parents, ensuring accessibility and engagement for all users.
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The incorporation of interactive features, such as a toy finder function, to enhance product discovery and selection.
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A streamlined menu bar to optimise navigation efficiency and overall user experience.
What are users saying?
Through the 8 user interviews I conducted with people with kids in their network, such as parents, or aunts and uncles, the key insights I got were...
User personas
Through my user research, I've synthesised these two main user personas to focus on.
Busy Parent Brian
Busy Parent Brian needs a way to keep up with the latest toy trends related to his child’s age so that he can find popular toys that interest his child.
Thoughtful Aunt Sarah
Thoughtful Aunt Sarah needs assistance in finding toys for her niece/ nephew because she is unsure about what they would like or what is appropriate for their development.
Toy Finder
Initial iterations of the toy finder proved ineffective due to a lack of visual prominence and overall appeal.
To enhance the visibility and engagement of the toy finder, it was redesigned on the landing page and playful visuals were incorporated for the quiz component to make it more engaging.
Ideation & Design
Key features:
Through user research, I identified several key features essential for the website. These included:
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Streamline Navigation
Provide easy navigation to best sellers and popular toys by age -
Toy finder
A feature to help shoppers find relevant toys -
Estimated delivery
Clear indication of when toy will arrive
To visualise how customers might interact with the website, I created wireframes focusing on a mobile-first approach. This decision was based on research indicating that most customers prefer shopping online using their smartphones.
To establish a cohesive visual direction, I created a design mood board. This served as a valuable reference point while developing the design system for the prototype.
Reflections
WHAT WORKED
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Clear age-based navigation on the homepage proved effective in helping users quickly locate age-appropriate toys.
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A clean yet visually immersive interface successfully attracted users and facilitated efficient product discovery.
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Providing estimated delivery times enhanced the overall user experience by informing purchase decisions.
GOING FORWARD
If I had a chance to do this all over again,
I would love to be able to incorporate more illustrations and visuals to keep it interactive and appealing to children as they were key decision makers.
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