Capturing the Gen Z Latinx Market
A Case Study on E-Commerce Website Redesign
Background
Espacio 1839 is an identity driven apparel brand representing the Latinx Community. Their brick and mortar store, located in Boyle Heights, is bursting with colorful products ranging from t-shirts and pins to face masks. Besides attracting shoppers, the physical store houses a bilingual radio station and serves as a performance space for artists looking to showcase their work.
Problem Space
As a small business, Espacio 1839 has been heavily impacted by COVID 19. Safety regulations have forced them to reduce their hours of operation which has negatively affected their sales revenue. Although they have an online store, most customers shop in person. For that reason, the owners did not invest resources into creating an e-commerce website that their customers would truly want to use.
To explore how they might increase their online presence and introduce an alternative revenue stream, I tackled a redesign of Espacio 1839’s existing e-commerce website. My focus centered around enhancing the online store’s ability to deliver clear navigation, helpful product filters, and impactful brand identity.
Roles/Responsibilities
As the sole member of this case study, I contributed directly to all research and design phases throughout a two week sprint.
The Double Diamond Design Process
Discover
The discovery phase of this case study began with a series of usability tests conducted on 3 users representing Espacio 1839’s target customer which is any member of the Latinx community looking to purchase apparel that aligns with their cultural identity. The goal of these initial usability tests was to identify customer’s shopping behaviors and key pain points when navigating the existing website.
These usability tests were followed up with in-depth user interviews to understand why customers are attracted to identity driven apparel brands such as Espacio 1839 and what their ultimate goals are as shoppers.
Here are the key insights I gathered from these research methods:
- Shoppers navigating the original website were frustrated with the limited number of options available in the top navigation. For example, one user interested in purchasing a mask noticed that this product category was not available in the main navigation bar. This caused them to scroll through the entire website to find the masks they were searching for which the user described as “not ideal”.
- Shoppers were also dissatisfied with the website’s filtering system for products which is limited to “Price Range”, “How to get it” and “Item Option”. Users reported that these filters were not helpful in narrowing down products by characteristics that actually matter to them such as size and color.
- Additionally, users were disappointed by the lack of information on the brand’s history. Customers felt that having more access to Espacio 1839’s unique story would help them further engage with the brand and their product.
It became evident by the end of my user research that customers shopping at identity driven apparel brands like Espacio 1839 are looking to do more than just purchase product. They are searching for a story to connect with, enabling their fashion choices to become cultural and political markers.
To round out my research, I also conducted competitive analysis to identify features found on the e commerce website of comparable brands. I also ran a series of card sorting tests to develop a navigation structure that aligned with users’ mental models.
Define
With all of these research findings in mind, I created a persona, Diego, who is a recent grad from Southern California with a newfound appreciation for his Mexican heritage and apparel that will showcase his cultural currency. As an avid online shopper, Diego appreciates the importance of clear navigation and useful product filers. Furthermore, since Diego is in a cultural discovery phase, he is looking for any opportunity to connect with the history of identity driven apparel brands and the message in their products.
Beyond embodying the insights that were gathered during my research, Diego represents an opportunity for Espacio 1839 to capture a larger share of the market by tapping into the potential spending power of their Gen Z customer base.
Before moving onto the the design phase, I developed the following problem statement:
Diego needs an organized and reliable way to shop online at Espacio 1839 so that he can learn more about his Latinx identity and reconnect with his culture
From this, I was also able to develop a user flow that represented Diego’s “Happy Path” which would also be used to inform my design decisions.
Design
Keeping the needs and goals of my persona, Diego, in mind, I began sketching a reimagined version of Espacio 1839’s online store.
While the integrity of the initial layout was largely kept, the elements within this structure were incorporated with more intentionality. For example, the hero image of Boyle Heights on the home page provides shoppers with important context about where the brand is located. The addition of a tag within this image provides an immediate understanding about what Espacio 1839 stands for.
Deliver
The initial mid-fidelity prototype I developed based off of these wireframes continued to implement intentionality with the introduction of restructured navigation, including an about section, improved filters and a new checkout process among other features.
I then conducted a usability test to measure the success of these features and my overall redesign. During usability tests, users were tasked with purchasing a medium black t-shirt and asked about their experience using the site after completing said task.
The result of these usability tests informed the design of my final high fidelity in the following ways:
- A shop all T-shirts option was added within the drop down menu from the main navigation bar.
- The clickable area was expanded for key elements such as the shopping cart icon.
- Most interestingly, a tooltip feature was added to define key Spanish terms and accommodate my users desire to connect more deeply with product messaging.
Outcomes
In the end, completing this case study within a two week design sprint proved to be a successful approach towards redesigning Espacio 1839’s existing e-commerce website. The short time constraint and quick pace meant that each step in the UX process had to be conducted efficiently and effectively.
I learned that redesigning an existing product provides a more direct opportunity to understand user pain points and motivations prior to iterating a solution than designing a completely new product. This is particularly true when designing for an apparel brand such as Espacio 1839 because the end product must transcend functionality and resonate with users’ cultural identity and exploration.
Next Steps
As I continue to explore this case study further, I plan to meet with the owners of Espacio 1839 to present my findings and gather their feedback before iterating a final solution. This will ensure that I consider how my design approach could be leveraged to create a product that ultimately engages their customers and expands their business opportunities within the context of COVID-19.
