How can we optimise the shopping experience while effectively communicating product story?

Jos Mundo Website Revamp
UX RESEARCH   UI DESIGN   INTERNSHIP   During a three-month internship, in close collaboration with the marketing lead and creative director, I was tasked to revise the JOS Mundo website. Focusing on key user flows and leading users to experience the contemporary facets of culture and craftsmanship of Jos Mundo.

Team

Karen Bolilia, Creative Director
Sabine Monfort, Sales and Marketing Lead

What I contributed in

Site Audit and Competitor Analysis
Stakeholder Interviews
Information Architecture
Design System
Wireframing and Prototyping

Results

MVP Prototype

Insights and documentation for future referencing and designs

Background

Jos Mundo is a Filipino fashion brand that honours the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines. Drawing inspiration from the archipelago's diverse traditions and craftsmanship. Principally, the aim of this revamp is to enhance the shopper experience flow throughout the website, hand-in-hand with aligning visual direction of the website. With a focus on: 
An improved mobile experience for seamless transition from social media platforms. An increase in conversion rate for task completion processes such as product exploration and selection.

Summary

1. Discovery

Conducted a site audit and competetive analysis.

Interviewed the creative and marketing team to scope existing analytics and product target.

2. Understanding

Analysed user flows and synthesised into key problems to set basis of timeline.

3.  Prototyping

Gathered visual preferences and set up a design system.

Collaborated and iterated towards an MVP.

4. Final Designs

Created pixel-perfect wireframes in different resolutions for key user flows.

Discovery

What are the key existing problems on site?Through analytics, white paper research and site audit reviews, we identified two primary issues we want to address:
FINDING
Lack of exploration leads upon entering the website.

Users are not going through key user flows for their tasks, some even exiting before exploring product range. Opportunity to showcase product range upon landing.
FINDING
 A drop of conversion rates during product selection.

Unnecessary friction in specification selection. Opportunity to revise selection UI to better suit inventory style.

Understanding

Where exactly is the friction being met?  

Identifying the most immediate issues, we focused our time on redesigning the landing and product pages.

Home Page

“Why can’t I click it?”
Though the GIF is a great tool for showcasing collection range, its unclickable nature of the limits opportunity for immediate pull into the product pages. 

Product Page

The dropdown hassle.

As stock is often limited, navigating the automatically closing drop-down may be more frustrating than enjoyable.

Product Page

“Can I see the shoe?”
The existing product gallery hinders smooth browsing due to its awkward layout, especially on mobile, possibly limiting users' ability to explore easily.

Design System

The archival look.
The redesign theme nods to brand's history. Visual patterns mimic old files with the blocky and rigid organisation. Typewriter-like lettering chosen to align with this visual narrative.



   





Remove

Prototyping

A balance with time and fidelity.


Testing design concepts to identify design direction.  At this stage, also revising the information architecture of the navigation. Designing in desktop view first to manage with scaling later on. 
1.0  – Impact
2.0  -– Light
First Prototype 
Considerations for the first prototype of the home to product page user flow.

1. Problem solving

Wireframing at mid to high fidelity from the get-go whilst incorporating high-level UX fixes, which saved more time for UI detailing in the timeline.

2. Desktop to mobile approach

Beginning wireframing in desktop view which helped with efficiency later on when scaling elements in different resolutions.





During the design refinement stage.


CHALLENGE
Mantaining consistency while designing in parallel of mobile and desktop view.

To ensure an experience that can rely on its intuitive design for all resolutions. 

CHALLENGE
Integrating feedback and refining the design system.

Implementing feedback into the following designs such as a preference for the serif type for body text and a leaning into the original side navigation bar. 

final


How might we

Design an home page that encourages product exploration upon landing?



Synthesis

Product gallery feature at landing





Special features and considerations for the homepage. 

1. Image-forward approach

Utilises quality images in the repository to craft a cohesive brand and product story like the GIF but with a clickable factor.

2. Product range showcase

A sneak peek into the whole product range at landing to access in one scroll which offers the user several browsing leads for exploration.


How might we

Optimise the process to ensure confident product selection for users?
Rounds of concept-testing to replace the drop-down. To identify how variations affects certain affordances.

Intuitive image carousel


Transparent selection



Special features and considerations for product page.

1. Intuitive user control

Intuitive design with clear state markers give users good control when selecting options and help them recover from mistakes.

2. Visible status

Displaying available stock immediately eliminates the hassle of re-entering the dropdown to see options.

3.  Information sorting

Product copy into relevant sections to eliminate information overwhelm.  In addition, highlighting key points that elevate product story.


Synthesis #3

Shopper-forward decision-making when scaling in different resolutions.
Special features and considerations for the desktop designs. 

1. Side navigation bar

Integrating the side navigation from the existing site. An element that proved useful in user error recovering during discovery.

2. Systems match

Simple and clean scaling of UI componenets to ensure a streamlined experience when switching from mobile to desktop.
Musings and LearningsREFLECTION
Reflection prompts during and between design iterations. 

Learned the significance of faciliating open-ended questions with co-designers in better understanding the challenge and explore solutions.

REFLECTION
Refining the eye for detail. 

Challenged the process in which I compose UI elements to better shape user flows.  For example, when designing for intuituive product selection for mobile, experimenting with ways to display an element is clickable and movable.


Synthesis

Product gallery feature at landing