The Project
GearNav is a proof-of-concept clickable prototype created for the marketing director of an international outdoor gear company here in Seattle. After conducting a round of UX/UI testing through TrymyUI.com the director discovered that customers were having difficulty comparing complex outdoor products (i.e. tents) using their mobile devices. The director invited me to assist in finding an effective solution.
Competitive Analysis
After surveying the mobile shopping experience of multiple leading outdoor retailers, I was surprised to discovered that they all suffered from a similar problem. While several companies had developed useful tools for their desktop sites, none seemed to have a good solution to the problem of comparing complex products on a mobile device. Customers were forced to make dozens of clicks back and forth between screens to try and decipher the differences between tents.
Problem Articulation
The marketing director and I discussed the customer feedback and identified two primary user challenges: 1) customers felt overwhelmed by the number of choices presented to them and 2) they did not have an easy-to-use tool for comparing similar products on mobile. They expressed frustration with these challenges and given the current site design they did not feel confident purchasing a complex item using only their mobile device.
Ideation & Testing
I began brainstorming potential solutions, testing my ideas through multiple iterations using a lo-fi prototype with sample users. These fast prototypes helped me play with the site's information architecture and discover how potential users wanted to move through the mobile site.
Proposed Solutions
After a period of brainstorming and testing I presented the marketing director with my recommendations. A mobile-friendly decision tree and a customized product comparison tool. These two designs together would help users quickly narrow down the number of potential product choices and allow them to confidently compare similar products.
Clickable Prototype
To demonstrate my proposed solutions, I presented the marketing director with the following clickable prototype.