Revamping Uniqlo
Overview
Uniqlo’s website, a global leader in fashion, was experiencing significant challenges with navigation and user satisfaction. As part of my introduction to HCI, I undertook a redesign project aimed at improving usability, enhancing visual clarity, and optimizing task flows for users. The goal was to make the site more intuitive, reduce cognitive load, and make online shopping more enjoyable for both experienced and new users.
Project Role: UX Researcher & Primary Designer
Timeline: September 2024 - December 2024
What Needed Fixing
To ensure a user-centered redesign, I analyzed the Uniqlo website using both a heuristic evaluation and usability testing. The findings highlighted several areas for improvement, which were crucial in shaping the redesign.
🌀 Confusing Navigation
Users struggled to locate specific items quickly. Task completion times were slower for new user
🎨 Cluttered Product Pages
A lack of clear visual hierarchy made it difficult for users to quickly distinguish key product details.
📍 Ineffective CTAs
The homepage lacked clear CTA buttons, especially on the carousel images, reducing user engagement.
⚠️ Ineffective Error Handling
Error messages were unclear, and feedback links were often broken.
⏳ Slow Task Completion
Task flows such as sign-up, product selection, and checkout were slow and cumbersome.
⚡Inefficient Search Functionality
The website's search didn’t account for misspellings or alternative product names, leading to frustration and dissatisfactory experience.
Based on the research insights, I established the following design goals to address the key usability issues identified. These priorities guided the redesign to improve user experience, efficiency, and accessibility.
Design Goals & Priorities
Simplify Navigation
Make it easier for users to find products quickly, especially first-time visitors, by streamlining the navigation structure
Enhance Visual Heirarchy
Improve the clarity of key elements (like prices and product features) to reduce visual clutter and help users make decisions faster.
Improve CTA Visibility
Increase the prominence of key CTAs (e.g., “Add to Cart”) to drive user engagement and reduce missed actions.
Optimize Task Flows
Speed up common tasks (sign-up, product selection, checkout) by reducing unnecessary steps & clicks.
Design Process
To ensure a user-centered redesign, I analyzed the Uniqlo website using both a heuristic evaluation and usability testing. The findings highlighted several areas for improvement, which were crucial in shaping the redesign.
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Conducted heuristic evaluation to assess navigation consistency and usability.
Performed usability testing with participants completing core shopping tasks.
Analyzed competitor websites to identify best practices in e-commerce UX.
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Created low-fidelity wireframes to iterate on layout improvements.
Developed high-fidelity prototypes with enhanced visual hierarchy and improved navigation.
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Tested redesigned prototypes with users to measure improvements in task efficiency and satisfaction.
Iterated based on feedback, refining elements like search functionality and CTA placement.
Sketching Up
The Screens
Improved information heirarchy
Streamlined the checkout process
Revamped account creation process
The Impact
To validate the improvements, I conducted usability testing comparing the original and redesigned websites, measuring three key metrics:
🟢 User Satisfaction: The redesigned site led to a 61% increase in user satisfaction scores, demonstrating a significantly improved shopping experience.
🟢 Task Efficiency: Users completed tasks 61% faster on the redesigned website, reducing frustration and improving usability.
🟡 Task Success Rate: The redesigned site achieved a 14% improvement in task success rate, but this increase was not statistically significant due to the already high baseline performance.