Giao Phung

Urbanized Case Study

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Client

Urbanized is an e-commerce business with a mission to repurpose organic goods into innovative and eco-friendly beauty products. The company is selling exfoliating soap made from recycled coffee grounds.

Task

·      Collect and synthesize data from current and potential consumers

·      Leverage current brand elements and elevate the identity of the business

·      Identify short- and long-term goals for the business based on research

·      Deliver a working prototype and mockup as a part of the set of deliverables for the business

Solution

·      Perform user research to make informed recommendations on existing and future products

·      Rebrand the website to elevate the business identity and build brand credibility

·      Create a product vision and roadmap to provide business direction recommendations

·      Deliver an interactive prototype and mockup that holistically incorporate user, business, and technical needs

Project Type, Duration, Tools, Deliverables

Final assigned project and group (Joseph Wood) | Two weeks | Sketch, Axure, Pen, Paper | Clickable Prototype, Mockup, Competitive Analysis, Research Findings, Product Recommendations

Roles & Skills

UX Researcher, Visual & Interaction Designer | Competitive Analysis, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews Synthesis, Journey Map, Wire-framing, Prototyping, Usability Testing, A/B Testing, User Interface Design, Interaction Design, Project & Product Management

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Project & Product Management

In order to meet the project deadline and fulfill all business requirements, I mapped the project objectives and deliverables against a two-week timeframe. The main tasks were then broken into subtasks with a clear goal and target completion time. I also utilized Trello to keep our two-member team on track.

Market Research

The first step in our UX design process was to perform market research and competitive analysis to understand the business and problem landscape. I focused on some of the relevant factors: tagline, ingredients, product categories, user interface elements, and value proposition. Most of these companies market their products as natural and effective with ingredients ranging from pure coffee to organic fruit and vegetables. Their user interface designs are modern, clean, and trendy.

User Research

Simultaneously, we also took turns conducting in-person interviews with ten users within Urbanized’s target market.

The goal was to understand users’ skincare routines, goals, motivations, and pain points.

Research Synthesis

After documenting the interview findings as a team over a span of 3-4 days, we synthesized the data based on key user themes, pain points, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. I also used an empathy map to plot out our findings.

Pain Points

· Consumers want skincare products that work--regardless of the price sometimes.

· They want natural and organic ingredients for their skin.

· Some experience scarring from acne and have other skin conditions.

· Having dull skin and looking older is a concern.

· Most have a skincare routine and want something convenient.

· They value word-of-mouth recommendations and product reviews.

· Some also have difficulties finding the right products for their skin type.

Themes

· Anti-aging and beauty

· Appearance and confidence

Persona

Using this research data, Joseph updated our client’s current persona, Lauren, to keep her new needs, pain points, and goals in mind throughout our design thinking process.

"I feel young and that's really important. I use all of these products because I want to look better when I get older.”

"When you notice blemishes, you feel bad. And I don't want to feel that way…”

Journey Map

To further immerse ourselves in our user's journey, I also created a user journey map to gauge Lauren’s experience while using our skincare products (current and future). We mapped her needs and expectations against her routine and emotional states, starting with when she wakes up and ending with when she leaves the house.

Recommendations, Ideation & Prototype

Based on the overall user research and market analysis of the current product, new products, the website, and the product roadmap and vision, we were able to come up with key recommendations for each business objective.

Current product recommendations based on our synthesis of the client's A/B testing results:

· Create a less mushy soap

· Enhance the coffee aroma

· Increase the bar size so it won’t slip

· Add more exfoliating sensations

· Increase the font size on the box

Future product recommendations based on our user research and competitive analysis:

· Add more coffee-based products to satisfy consumer needs for natural, fragrant, and anti-aging ingredients in their beauty and skincare products: soap, moisturizer, toner, face mask, SPF, and shampoo. Feedback for coffee products on the market has been very positive.

· Expand the product line in the near future to include fruit, tea, and flower skincare products or a combination of some of these products to offer a natural, effective, and cost-efficient product line and bundle.

· Elevate the brand to include other repurposed and natural lifestyle products to stay true to the company mission and vision of being eco-friendly and socially responsible.

Website rebranding recommendations based on research:

· Use branding and storytelling to elevate Urbanized as a credible, eco-friendly, and innovative skincare company.

· Showcase the brand's personality as a socially consciously, respectful, and trustworthy brand. 

· Incorporate key skincare words to increase SEO rankings and add calls-to-action to convert visitors.

Usability Testing

After creating the wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes individually, Joseph and I tested these various versions with different users.

Sketch Mockup 1 (Individual)

Usability Test Results

User feedback for one of my final individual Sketch mockups was pleasantly mixed.

Deliverables

After incorporating feedback into our individual designs, we combined them into one final mockup.

The final Sketch mockup (and my Axure interactive prototype) now features future products crafted with coffee, fruit, and flowers, and it also follows the original website color scheme.

Final Mockup 2 (Team)

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Next Steps

Due to time constraints, we couldn’t effectively execute the final design details. The next steps would be to iterate and perform a more in-depth analysis of the current product, future products, website, and business roadmap.

Takeaways

Joseph and I had a great time working with our clients at Urbanized. It was a valuable learning experience and a meaningful project to contribute to.

We had a chance to be part of a team that is striving to make a positive impact in the world, one repurposed product at a time. We both wish them all the best in their mission to make the world a better place.