Bhandaar
Bhandaar
Bhandaar
Team
Team
Team
Research
Research
Research
Design
Design
Design
Rohit Ramesh
Rohit Ramesh
Rohit Ramesh
Rahul Malgundkar
Rahul Malgundkar
Rahul Malgundkar
Gautham Krishna
Gautham Krishna
Gautham Krishna
Duration
Duration
Duration
10 weeks
10 weeks
10 weeks
Timeline
Timeline
Timeline
Feb 23' - May 23'
Feb 23' - May 23'
Feb 23' - May 23'
Bhandaar was a shopping solution created to improve the online shopping experience for Indian goods selling stores in the Rochester Area. This case study talks about the problems we uncovered with ordering items from Indian stores in the area, the expectations of users from the proposed application, and how we dealt with user issues using our designs.
Bhandaar was a shopping solution created to improve the online shopping experience for Indian goods selling stores in the Rochester Area. This case study talks about the problems we uncovered with ordering items from Indian stores in the area, the expectations of users from the proposed application, and how we dealt with user issues using our designs.
Bhandaar was a shopping solution created to improve the online shopping experience for Indian goods selling stores in the Rochester Area. This case study talks about the problems we uncovered with ordering items from Indian stores in the area, the expectations of users from the proposed application, and how we dealt with user issues using our designs.
Role on Team
Role on Team
Role on Team
Qualitative Study
Qualitative Study
Qualitative Study
(contextual inquiry)
(contextual inquiry)
User Research
User Research
User Research
(creating user personas)
(creating user personas)
Visual Identity
Visual Identity
Visual Identity
(design system, logo)
(design system, logo)
Interface Design
Interface Design
Interface Design
(wireframes and high-fidelity)
(wireframes and high-fidelity)
The Problem
The Problem
The Problem
The stores that sell Indian goods in the area don't provide standard online delivery services, which resulted in customers often being forced to forgo their grocery orders or paying unnecessarily high amounts for delivering orders to their locations. This posed a huge problem for international students in the area, who often purchased goods from these locations, losing on a significant amount of time and money.
The stores that sell Indian goods in the area don't provide standard online delivery services, which resulted in customers often being forced to forgo their grocery orders or paying unnecessarily high amounts for delivering orders to their locations. This posed a huge problem for international students in the area, who often purchased goods from these locations, losing on a significant amount of time and money.
The stores that sell Indian goods in the area don't provide standard online delivery services, which resulted in customers often being forced to forgo their grocery orders or paying unnecessarily high amounts for delivering orders to their locations. This posed a huge problem for international students in the area, who often purchased goods from these locations, losing on a significant amount of time and money.
User Research
User Research
User Research
To understand the issues that the users faced, we decided to conduct contextual inquiries that allowed us to understand where exactly did users face difficulties in the online shopping process whilst trying to buy Indian goods in the Rochester Area.
To understand the issues that the users faced, we decided to conduct contextual inquiries that allowed us to understand where exactly did users face difficulties in the online shopping process whilst trying to buy Indian goods in the Rochester Area.
To understand the issues that the users faced, we decided to conduct contextual inquiries that allowed us to understand where exactly did users face difficulties in the online shopping process whilst trying to buy Indian goods in the Rochester Area.
Total Participants: 6
Total Participants: 6
Total Participants: 6
Demographic: 18-25 years, Indian
Demographic: 18-25 years, Indian
Demographic: 18-25 years, Indian
Stakeholders: Students, Working Professionals
Stakeholders: Students, Working Professionals
Stakeholders: Students, Working Professionals
Main Task: Add 2 pre-determined items from the store's catalogue to your cart and reach the payment checkout
Main Task: Add 2 pre-determined items from the store's catalogue to your cart and reach the payment checkout
Main Task: Add 2 pre-determined items from the store's catalogue to your cart and reach the payment checkout
The participants were encouraged to actively discuss their actions with us, using the 'think aloud' strategy, that allowed us to interpret, question and understand their rationale of every action they performed to complete the task provided to them
The participants were encouraged to actively discuss their actions with us, using the 'think aloud' strategy, that allowed us to interpret, question and understand their rationale of every action they performed to complete the task provided to them
The contextual inquiry was conducted over 2 of the most popular websites currently available that sold Indian products in the area (names removed for privacy reasons)
The contextual inquiry was conducted over 2 of the most popular websites currently available that sold Indian products in the area (names removed for privacy reasons)
Key Findings
Key Findings
Key Findings
We uncovered a number of issues from both stores, which will be referred to as Store 1 and Store 2:
We uncovered a number of issues from both stores, which will be referred to as Store 1 and Store 2:
We uncovered a number of issues from both stores, which will be referred to as Store 1 and Store 2:
Indian Store 1
Indian Store 1
Indian Store 1
Most participants were unable to find the website
Most participants were unable to find the website
Most participants were unable to find the website
Annoyed by the lack of feedback
Annoyed by the lack of feedback
Annoyed by the lack of feedback
Not pleased with the minimal interactions website offered
Not pleased with the minimal interactions website offered
Not pleased with the minimal interactions website offered
Website's 'search' results were disorganized and irrelevant
Website's 'search' results were disorganized and irrelevant
Website's 'search' results were disorganized and irrelevant
Indian Store 2
Indian Store 2
Indian Store 2
All participants were unable to find the website
All participants were unable to find the website
All participants were unable to find the website
Most participants did not end up finding a way to place an online order
Most participants did not end up finding a way to place an online order
Most participants did not end up finding a way to place an online order
Distinct lack of user interface elements on the website
Distinct lack of user interface elements on the website
Distinct lack of user interface elements on the website
Participants noted that their experience felt outdated and almost unusable
Participants noted that their experience felt outdated and almost unusable
Participants noted that their experience felt outdated and almost unusable
Affinity Diagram
Affinity Diagram
With the issues of the users determined from the contextual inquiry, we then decided to streamline the pain points of users with an affinity diagram.
With the issues of the users determined from the contextual inquiry, we then decided to streamline the pain points of users with an affinity diagram.
The Solution
The Solution
The Solution
From a good understanding of the issues that users faced, we then moved on to create a heuristic solution that takes the streamlined pain points into a single application
From a good understanding of the issues that users faced, we then moved on to create a heuristic solution that takes the streamlined pain points into a single application
From a good understanding of the issues that users faced, we then moved on to create a heuristic solution that takes the streamlined pain points into a single application
The application was able to deftly tackle a majority of issues that were presented by users whilst navigating both websites
The application was able to deftly tackle a majority of issues that were presented by users whilst navigating both websites
The application was able to deftly tackle a majority of issues that were presented by users whilst navigating both websites
User Personas
User Personas
The first step was to condense the participants' information into personas that would help us create a suitable design for the application.
The first step was to condense the participants' information into personas that would help us create a suitable design for the application.
Story
Boarding
Story
Boarding
While the personas will help us hypothesize the target audience, understanding how these hypothetical users would interact with existing applications.
While the personas will help us hypothesize the target audience, understanding how these hypothetical users would interact with existing applications.
Jay's experience
Visual Design
Visual Design
Visual Design
Now understanding how hypothetical users would experience and expect from the current and proposed application respectively, we could then focus on creating an all-inclusive application that would allow users to freely purchase goods from their favorite Indian stores without having to jump between platforms.
Now understanding how hypothetical users would experience and expect from the current and proposed application respectively, we could then focus on creating an all-inclusive application that would allow users to freely purchase goods from their favorite Indian stores without having to jump between platforms.
Now understanding how hypothetical users would experience and expect from the current and proposed application respectively, we could then focus on creating an all-inclusive application that would allow users to freely purchase goods from their favorite Indian stores without having to jump between platforms.
Design System
Design System
Design System
beech
#F47D52
#F47D52
Saffron
Saffron
Exo Bold
Exo Bold
#5C413F
#5C413F
Kabul
Kabul
Exo SemiBold
#3E3E3E
#3E3E3E
Mine Shaft
Mine Shaft
Exo Regular
#FFFFFF
#FFFFFF
White
White
Wireframes
Wire-frames
The first step was to determine the information architecture of the application, which was determined using rough wireframes.
The first step was to determine the information architecture of the application, which was determined using rough wireframes.
Low
Fidelity Screens
Low
Fidelity Screens
The next step was to collaboratively decide on a design style using the wireframes initially designed. It helped to create screens that would ultimately act as the base for the finished application
The next step was to collaboratively decide on a design style using the wireframes initially designed. It helped to create screens that would ultimately act as the base for the finished application
High Fidelity Screens
High Fidelity Screens
High Fidelity Screens
With the application design set and information architecture determined for the pages, we then moved on to finalizing screens and tackling issues that users where facing during the contextual inquiries.
With the application design set and information architecture determined for the pages, we then moved on to finalizing screens and tackling issues that users where facing during the contextual inquiries.
With the application design set and information architecture determined for the pages, we then moved on to finalizing screens and tackling issues that users where facing during the contextual inquiries.
Login and Verification Screens
Login and Verification Screens
Login and Verification Screens
The login and verification screens ensured that the users could easily access their Indian products shopping experience without having to worry about their previous issues of interface security and risk of their information being compromised.
The login and verification screens ensured that the users could easily access their Indian products shopping experience without having to worry about their previous issues of interface security and risk of their information being compromised.
The login and verification screens ensured that the users could easily access their Indian products shopping experience without having to worry about their previous issues of interface security and risk of their information being compromised.
One Application for All Stores
One Application for All Stores
One Application for All Stores
The application boasts a common place for Indian product-selling goods in the Rochester Area, which helps significantly reduce the interaction time of consumers with the online store's interface.
The application boasts a common place for Indian product-selling goods in the Rochester Area, which helps significantly reduce the interaction time of consumers with the online store's interface.
The application boasts a common place for Indian product-selling goods in the Rochester Area, which helps significantly reduce the interaction time of consumers with the online store's interface.
Better Cart and Checkout Experience
Better Cart and Checkout Experience
Better Cart and Checkout Experience
Compared to the previous experiences of users who had sub-par cart and checkout interactions, the cart and checkout screens in our application saw that users were easily able to traverse through the cart and the checkout process.
Compared to the previous experiences of users who had sub-par cart and checkout interactions, the cart and checkout screens in our application saw that users were easily able to traverse through the cart and the checkout process.
Compared to the previous experiences of users who had sub-par cart and checkout interactions, the cart and checkout screens in our application saw that users were easily able to traverse through the cart and the checkout process.
Delivery Details and Updates
Delivery Details and Updates
Delivery Details and Updates
The current versions of the stores featured no method to track the delivery, nor provide any instructions from the store on how would customers receive their goods, which was solved in our application.
The current versions of the stores featured no method to track the delivery, nor provide any instructions from the store on how would customers receive their goods, which was solved in our application.
The current versions of the stores featured no method to track the delivery, nor provide any instructions from the store on how would customers receive their goods, which was solved in our application.
What I learned
What I learned
What I learned
There were some concepts in this project which I was made familiar with for the very first time:
There were some concepts in this project which I was made familiar with for the very first time:
There were some concepts in this project which I was made familiar with for the very first time:
Contextual Inquiry
Contextual Inquiry
Contextual Inquiry
While interviews were considered commonplace for qualitative data, it was the first time dealing with participants without actively talking with them, only purely understanding their actions.
While interviews were considered commonplace for qualitative data, it was the first time dealing with participants without actively talking with them, only purely understanding their actions.
While interviews were considered commonplace for qualitative data, it was the first time dealing with participants without actively talking with them, only purely understanding their actions.
Story-boarding
Story-boarding
Story-boarding