Case Study
The Problem
My Client's website is not the best designed for selling t-shirts. He needed a critical eye to see what could be the problem and suggest changes to make the experience better for his customers. These changes must be based on design elements and be beneficial for both my client and their potential customers.
The Audience
I assumed that the website's target audience is Treehouse Students who know who Mike the Frog is. This assumption is based off the fact that Mike is the Treehouse Mascot, and that only Treehouse Students would know that. I also assumed that they are no stranger to buying clothing online, and are after quirky designs on their shirts.
My Process
First, I browsed through the website as a customer trying to purchase a shirt myself. I noted the pain points that I encountered and the good points that I came across. I also tried to envision the type of customer that the website would usually attract to pinpoint a target audience. I was able to create a persona that reflected the target user of this website well by experimenting with an Empathy Map. I listed out the major design features (Color, Shape, Grouping and Balance & Organisation) so I was able to describe them in detail and analyse the design decisions made. Then, I listed out 3 Strengths and Weaknesses that are based off the findings from the design features. With these, I was able to write out a concise summary that clearly explained to my client, Mike, what needs to be changed to support what already works for his website, and therefore attract more customers.
The Outcome
The most important thing I learnt from this project is that design critique always starts from describing what I see. As someone with a design background, I wrongly assume that my client already speaks my language, and I am guilty of using jargon with previous clients. Describing what I see is so important in critique because it keeps my client on the same page as me.