Data Source: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/ Design: Rosie Sanders
The Problem
The number if people living, working and holidaying in multi functional homes and spaces in the UK is dramatically increasing. The number of people living on house boats has doubled in the last 10 years. Similarly, the number of people buying caravans & motorhomes is also rising faster in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. There are however no e-commerce businesses solutions that provide contemporary stylish furniture that is also affordable, customisable and flat packed for small homes and spaces.
Data Source: www.thencc.org.uk/our_industry/statistics.aspx / Design: Rosie Sanders
The Solution
EG is a start up company selling customisable flat pack furniture for small multifunctional homes & spaces. Users can choose from a range of space saving designs and customise the proportions by entering their required dimensions via the specially designed user interface, that are then made to order from sustainable materials in the UK.
The Challenge
EG required a brand identity, style sheets, icons & copy writing. Most importantly, they needed a combination of information graphics and wireframes to communicate their unique e-commerce vision for flat pack furniture for a wide variety of users, from house boats, caravans & motorhomes to tiny spaces. To see the brand identity and UI work in detail please click here
The Research
Surveys
Primary & secondary research includes a number of surveys that were conducted or compiled by EG, as seen below. This research informs the creation of the user personas, the website requirements and sitemap, as well as a range of information graphics embedded into numerous wireframes.
Competitor Websites & Product Ranges
I conducted online research into other online furniture businesses that sell either adaptable or customisable furniture. What is very apparent is the huge disparity between design aesthetics; furniture from 'small furniture' or narrow boat specialists tends to be very old fashioned but functional, whereas modern contemporary wooden furniture is not designed for small, unconventional or multifunctional spaces.
Personas
I used the primary & secondary research above to create two personas; one primary & one secondary.
Requirements
~ To design a website that is delightful and easy to use.
~ To design a website that establishes trust & credibility.
~ To educate and inspire users to order using the website.
~ To design a website that ensures users order the correct piece of furniture for their space.
~ To design a website that ensures users order furniture that is the correct dimensions, materials and finish.
~ To design a website that conveys the product range and USP's - ie. space saving & highly customisable.
Site Map
Brand Identity
LOGO, BRAND ICONS & COLOURS
Wireframes
HOME PAGE - 1st Fold
HOME PAGE - 2nd Fold
HOME PAGE - 3rd Fold
'WHO WE ARE' PAGE
FURNITURE BY CATEGORY - GALLERY PAGE
PRODUCT LISTING PAGE
PRODUCT LISTING PAGE - EXPANDED MENU OPTIONS
PRODUCT LISTING PAGE - 2nd fold
CONTACT PAGE
Recommendations
Videos
In order to sell both the concept and the products, I recommend that short videos are included on each PDP to demonstrate the opening of the box to the assembly of the product and its final installation in a space or home. Videos convey a huge amount of information that save users from having to carefully read too much written information. Videos are also fun and inspiring and establish transparency and credibility.
These pages require product photography and lifestyle imagery to show the products situated in a variety of small and multifunctional spaces.
Product Listing Page (PDP) Images
PDP page primary images need to scale in tandem as users move the sliders on the website interface so they get an idea of scale and proportion.
Product Listing Page CAD Drawings
These are required to uniformly show all the products in the same orthographic layouts (top, side & front) and are necessary for Product Assembly guides.
Poll & User Surveys
Creating a page or a widget to embed on the home or 'Who We Are' page would to invite customer feedback that directly influences EG product and services.
Usability Testing
I created the initial set of wireframes and infographics but was not commissioned to test them. I would however advise continual rounds of evaluation and iteration. Namely a 5 second test for home page, as well as devising search based tasks to see how well the information architecture performs. I would also survey the same group of users with a SUS survey.
Further User Research
The research was mainly conducted with people living on narrow boats and urban spaces. It does not include motorhomes and caravans, despite the fact that the company feels this is also a huge growth market.
