Style is such a personal thing for everyone. Personally for me, I don't wear a ton of jewelry but when I do, I always looked to find something that fits my everyday style. But it wasn't always easy to find a whole collection of styles that fit my needs. So I noticed there wasn't a ton of jewely websites/web apps that focused on jewelry that was dainty, feminine, and classic yet good quality and reasonably priced. I wanted to create not only a functioning web app that could be accessed via desktop or mobile, but I also wanted the brand to really stand out to attract the right customers.
There's a ton of jewelry brands out there. But I wanted to create a strong brand as well as a strong and efficient web app that can cater to the women out there looking for a specific style and brand that fits their everyday vibe. I decided to tackle this issue by interviewing different women.
Synthesizing the most important points and observations (using empathy maps) revealed a few common themes:
After collecting my data and synthesizing it, it lead me to understand some key insights such as:
To start defining what my product should be and achieve, I needed to specify one main problem to solve for. Based on my primary persona's story, I set out a problem statement:
"I want to be able to find everyday simple jewelry that is reasonably priced and good quality”
Besides having a solid product that is priced well and good quality. Ultimately, your users need to feel like this brand fits your everyday lifestyle. The users must relate to the brand and trust the brand while the actual functionality of the web app must be easy to use and allow the users to visually see the products in a unique way. In a way, where it connects them to each piece and they can see themselves wearing the jewelery on an everyday basis.
There are quite a lot of competition. The only major way to stand out is mainly how you portray your brand so that you can attract the right customer that fits your brand. I found 3 direct competitors and analyzed them. I compared the ordering experience from a new user experiencer as well as from a returning user experience. I analzyed their brand and styles in terms of their color palette, fonts, imagery, and copy they used.
I found that many of the competition loves to use imagery within their website in order to inspire the user. Navigation structure varied within the competitors. Some offered sales and discounts while others did not. Some offered free shipping while others did not. I also notice many of the branding was either super high end feel, or some could be classified as very casual and inexpensive in terms of feel and style. There are many who also showcase a boho or modern style but very few that showcase a very feminine and dainty style that catered to the everyday simple woman. Most important, there were tons of imagery being used to help the user visually see each product as well as suggest other similar products to help inspire more shopping needs/wants.
Based on my findings, I created some requirements and scope for my project.
There are quite a lot of competition. The only major way to stand out is mainly how you portray your brand so that you can attract the right customer that fits your brand. I found 3 direct competitors and analyzed them. I compared the ordering experience from a new user experiencer as well as from a returning user experience. I analzyed their brand and styles in terms of their color palette, fonts, imagery, and copy they used.
I found that many of the competition loves to use imagery within their website in order to inspire the user. Navigation structure varied within the competitors. Some offered sales and discounts while others did not. Some offered free shipping while others did not. I also notice many of the branding was either super high end feel, or some could be classified as very casual and inexpensive in terms of feel and style. There are many who also showcase a boho or modern style but very few that showcase a very feminine and dainty style that catered to the everyday simple woman. Most important, there were tons of imagery being used to help the user visually see each product as well as suggest other similar products to help inspire more shopping needs/wants.
Based on my findings, I created some requirements and scope for my project.
The most important action a new user could take is to start adding items in his/her cart and continue to shop and add additional items. This is our primary flow. I charted a basic version, taking into consideration choices users might want to make, and specifying a clear happy path, which would allow me to start structuring the content within the app.
"As a customer, I want to be able to place multiple items in a shopping cart, so that I can purchase more than one item at a time.”
Less is more. Hello Heart aims to create jewelry with an aesthetic that is clean, simple, and modern so that each piece can be mixed and matched for everyday use.
We treat every interaction and decision with integrity and transparency. From our top-quality materials to our talented artisans and customer-centric focus, we stand by our work, honor our word, and care about your satisfaction.
We do everything with sustainability at the front of our minds. Our manufacturers use recycled gold and silver, and our materials can last the wear and tear of everyday life. We go against fast fashion - we don’t believe in making pieces that you only wear once and then toss. All of our packaging is recyclable (plastic free!). Our materials are both waterproof and safe for sensitive skin.
We offer free US shipping, and even offer free returns if you choose store credit.
Photography for Hello Heart will stay consistent throughout with modern and clean aesthetics showcasing the jewelry product as well as a hint of femininity.
Before finalizing anything, I decided to do user testing on 10 users in order to gain feedback which would allow me to make improvements to my web app. Here are some feedback about what they loved about the web app and what they would like to change about it.
Due to time constraints, I was not able to add in a feature that would allow the user to custom their product. It is definitely a feature I plan on adding if time permitted. I also had one user love the menu with the images scrolling horizontally but I had another user prefer I change that. Ultimately, I decided to keep it because I felt it was helpful for the user to visually see the subject matter vs just text. Shopping is is very visual and users need to see and be inspired to shop.
Overall, I am really happy with how everything turned out. It’s easy to use, functional, and has a very clear brand and style. If I had more time, I would definitely do further user testing to refine my project even further.
