KRAKEN PREMIUM TOOLS
Existing Research > User Flow > UI Kit > Mid-Fidelity Screens > User Testing > Prototype
Project Overview
Kraken Premium Tools is a premium ecommerce website for fine woodworkers and expert hobbyists. Unfortunately, the site was experiencing frequent cart abandonment and a low conversion rate. As a result, the Project Manager requested a redesign of the website’s browsing and checkout experience.
My Role
I designed all of the following screens, taking inspiration from industry benchmarks and existing internal research. I also chose the color palette, created the Kraken logo, and conducted two rounds of usability testing.
The Problem
According to the Project Manager, Kraken Premium Tools was experiencing frequent cart abandonment and a low conversion rate. 70% of users abandoned their carts before completing checkout, and 50% of users would leave the site before putting anything into their cart.
The Solution
The Project Manager recommended two changes: a Guest Checkout option and a browsing experience that prioritized a clearer information hierarchy. Internal research suggested that creating an account to complete checkout and unclear product pages were contributing to Kraken’s poor conversion rate.
User Flow
Since Guest Checkout was new, the site’s user flow needed to reflect this new functionality. This was also true for the browsing experience: Kraken sells many different kinds of tools, and users needed a way to more easily find what they were looking for.
User Interface Kit
Since the Project Manager wanted a complete redesign and fast, starting with a pre-made UI Kit was a clear choice. While this kit did not include any checkout screens, it did provide a baseline ecommerce experience that could be modified into anything Kraken needed.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
Aside from the color palette and product pictures, the mid-fidelity prototype is fairly similar to the UI Kit. I wanted to complete at least one round of usability testing before making major design changes. Other small changes include navigation tiles at the top of the tool pages, an Add to Cart button on the list page tiles, and basic versions of the Checkout screens.
Usability Testing
Usability testing consisted of two rounds of remote moderated testing. Participants were chosen for their proximity to woodworking, either as a fine woodworker, tradesman, or hobbyist. In both rounds, participants had to find three pre-picked tools on the website, add them to their cart, and then checkout. I also asked participants to comment on the design of the website overall.
Testing Results
Usability testing revealed four main areas of concern, along with smaller concerns like product quantity, clearer microcopy, and the style of edit buttons in the checkout experience. Each of these problems were expected, and the participant feedback validated my own concerns regarding Kraken’s design.
Main Concerns
Final Prototype
In the final prototype, the changes were subtle. Gold became a new accent color throughout the site, and the addition of brand names and product quantities in the list pages made for easier browsing.
The checkout screens received a similar treatment: new edit buttons and gray-scaled form fields made checkout more intuitive for all users.
Prototype Link
You can access the final prototype link here.
Moving Forward
In future iterations, the most attention should be given to information hierarchy and the ease of the checkout process. In each iteration, there was always a way to streamline the checkout process even further, even for guest checkout users. The same applies to each product tile; Kraken sells many different kinds of products, and its design should reflect its customers’ expectations.
Project Takeaways
The hardest part of this design process was making sure each product had the appropriate details listed in the right place for the user. This was especially true for products like screws, as screws have countless different kinds and quantities. This also applies to checkout: users tend to see it as a hassle, and any pain points in this area need to be reduced as much as possible. Otherwise, site abandonment results.
