IKEA CANADA
UX research
User experience (UX) research was conducted on Ikea Canada's website to comprehensively examine issues related to findability and discoverability. The primary objective was to assess whether users encountered challenges while navigating the website and accessing Ikea's products and services.
Role: UX designer responsible for user research with different methods
Team Interactions: Collaborated with 3 UX designers.
Project Duration: 14 weeks
Methods
1.Competitive Analysis
Conducted secondary research involving a competitive analysis, wherein the Ikea website was compared to two other websites, namely Wayfair Canada and Canadian Tire. The evaluation encompassed aspects such as business goals, user goals, heuristic analysis, and SWOT analysis.
Following a comprehensive competitive analysis comparing Ikea with Wayfair Canada and Canadian Tire, the team identified pain points associated with the Ikea website.
Pain Points
1. Hidden price until the last step.
Choosing between a king or queen-size bed currently reflects an increase in the base price rather than the total price. The assembly pricing is only disclosed in the final step, and taxes on the cart are not transparently presented. How can we create more transparency surrounding our pricing structure?
2. Breakdown of cart details.
The checkout page lacks a detailed breakdown for users, failing to display the price, item quantity, and names of the products being checked out.
3. Assembling products is difficult.
The post-purchase experience becomes challenging when acquiring furniture from IKEA due to the need for assembly, which is frequently intricate and stressful.
2. User Interview
As a team, we conducted interviews with 8 participants, gathering insights into their thoughts, emotions, and experiences while using the Ikea website.
The participants included a diverse group of individuals, encompassing both men and women, who were a mix of domestic and international students. Some had previous experience using the Ikea website for furniture and decor purchases, while others were new users. The objective of the interview was to uncover users' thoughts and experiences during the online furniture purchasing process, with a particular focus on identifying any challenges or pain points encountered throughout the journey.
Key Findings:
1. Unclear pricing leads to frustration
2. Assembly service is not expected but appreciated
3. Dimensions and measurement confusion encountered in the purchasing journey
3. Persona and Journey Map
Following the analysis and synthesis of data obtained from the 8 interviews, we developed user personas and journey maps. This process was essential in utilizing the gathered insights to guide the subsequent stages of wireframing and prototyping.
User Persona
Journey Map
Next Step
The emphasis of this project has been on user research and understanding their needs. Conducting interviews with students provided valuable insights and various perspectives. The primary challenge identified by participants was the difficulty in locating specific elements on the website. Addressing and resolving these issues highlighted during the user interviews will be the team's primary focus as the initial significant step forward.
Challenges
1. Analyzing the user's interview data was difficult.
2. Avoiding researcher bias and ensuring a neutral approach was tough.
3. Striking the right balance between qualitative and quantitative data can be challenging.
4. Immense focus is required during user interviews or there might be a chance of losing important points.