Daikin
Mobile application design
/2020
Hennesey + Ingalls
E-commerce website
/2019
Role:
Solo design project via General Assembly
Timeline:
2 weeks
Tools:
Sketch, InVision, Google Forms
Hennessey + Ingalls is a design-centric specialty bookstore with a rich history. I explored ways to translate the bookseller's unique in-store experience into the digital space and improve usability on their existing website.
Summary
The existing Hennessey + Ingalls site was not optimized for discoverability and lacked a well-articulated unique offering. I sought design a more efficient and engaging shopping experience, from search through check-out.
User research and testing informed a streamlined information architecture, a more standard checkout experience, and a clean design that showcases the unique books for which Hennessey + Ingalls is known.
Research
METHODS + ARTIFACTS
Heuristic Evaluation
Competitor Analysis
Surveys & Interviews
Affinity Mapping
To better understand how boutique and independent booksellers differentiate themselves in the marketplace, especially in relation to big-box retailers, I examined a variety of booksellers from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, to Taschen and Arcana. When I compared these sites with Hennessey + Ingalls, a few clear patterns emerged.
"I want to accomplish tasks quickly."
Online bookstore customers fell into two groups: those who shop for a specific title, and those who browse with loose parameters in mind. Both groups want to choose items and check out as quickly as possible. They do not want to linger on the site.
"I love free shipping & Amazon."
Nearly all respondents I surveyed or interviewed purchase books regularly on Amazon. These people would be motivated to shop online by a truly unique offering—otherwise they see Amazon, public libraries, or e-books as better options.
"I hate having to scroll."
Users want simplicity. They want to accomplish tasks in a minimal amount of time, and expend minimal effort. Many users I talked to found the existing Hennessey & Ingalls site to be complex and overwhelming.
“I didn’t realize this was a shopping site."
Users expect and desire graphic content—product imagery signals the purpose of an e-commerce website. WIthout it, users are left confused.
Synthesis
I designed primarily for busy professionals and design students, who are extremely task- and detail- oriented. These users are sensitive to design and crave a unique, elevated experience...otherwise they'll just stick to Amazon.
Design
Product listings appear on the home page in the redesign, rather than buried deeper as on the original site. This simplifies the discovery process for users and puts graphic content at the forefront.
(In the diagrams below, the red box indicates a product listing.)
I tested several options and iterations of the new design, which revealed that combining categories and product listings on the homepage proved to be confusing. Users also suggested additional features they’d like to see, such as the ability to favorite a book.
l took inspiration from minimalist architecture design high-end art publications.