Mau Loa Sweets
Streamlining Online Interactions for a Custom Cookie Bakery
Overview:
Mau Loa Sweets, founded by Kristin in 2019, is a bakery based in Andover, Minnesota. The bakery specializes in custom-decorated cookies and sweet treats, emphasizing the use of organic and local ingredients. The name "Mau Loa" reflects Kristin's Hawaiian heritage and symbolizes endless creativity. Mau Loa Sweets offers custom orders, holiday pre-sales, pop-up events, and cookie decorating classes.
Deliverables:
High Fidelity Wireframe
Findings & Recommendations Report
My Role:
UX Researcher
Product Designer
Methods & Tools:
Heuristic Analysis
Usability Tests
Affinity Diagramming
Wireframing
Context
Mau Loa Sweets wanted to ensure that their website effectively communicated their offerings and made it easy for users to navigate and complete key tasks. The primary focus was on attracting and informing potential clients, encouraging custom orders, promoting pre-sales, and facilitating class sign-ups.
The Research
The research aimed to understand how users interact with the Mau Loa Sweets website, identify any usability issues, and gather insights for improvements. This involved a combination of heuristic analysis and usability testing with real users.
Methodology
The research was conducted in two phases:
Heuristic Analysis: A thorough review of the website was performed to identify usability issues based on established design principles.
Usability Testing: Conducted with eight participants via Zoom, where users shared their screens as they navigated the website. Notes were taken, and questions were asked to gather qualitative data.
Heuristic Analysis
The heuristic analysis identified several issues, including unclear navigation, confusing terminology, and the lack of confirmation messages after form submissions. These insights provided a foundation for more targeted usability testing.
Usability Testing
Eight participants were recruited to perform key tasks on the website, such as understanding offerings, purchasing non-custom cookies, submitting custom cookie inquiry forms, and signing up for events. The testing revealed several pain points and areas for improvement.
Findings
Areas of Improvement:
Navigation Issues: Participants had difficulty identifying and navigating to the non-custom cookies purchase page.
Confusing Terminology: The term "pre-sale" confused participants.
Form Visibility: The custom cookies inquiry form was difficult to find, being located at the bottom of the page.
Lack of Confirmation: After submitting forms, users did not receive confirmation, leading to uncertainty about their actions' success.
Positive findings:
Participants appreciated the high-quality images of cookies, which suggested deliciousness and quality.
Some participants liked the simplicity of the website.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1:
Simplify and clarify the navigation to the non-custom cookies purchase page.
Create a landing page that explains the two order options (custom vs. pre-sale)
Provides direct links to the respective purchase pages.
Current Website
63% of the participants failed to order non-custom cookies
Recommendation 2:
Move the custom cookies inquiry form to the top of the custom cookies page.
Make the form more accessible by reducing the need for extensive scrolling
Position the form prominently to provide a smoother user experience.
“If I had not scrolled down, I wouldn’t have found the form to order the custom cookies.”
Current Website
Current Website
“I don’t know if my order went through”
Suggested Changes
Suggested Changes
Recommendation 3:
Provide Order Confirmation
Implement a prominent confirmation message after submissions.
Include a thank you message, order details, and next steps.
Reassure users that their actions were successful.
Suggested Changes
Final Thoughts
The research highlighted the importance of clear navigation, understandable terminology, and user-friendly forms. By addressing these issues, Mau Loa Sweets can significantly enhance user satisfaction and streamline the process of ordering and customizing cookies. Implementing these recommendations will help the website better serve its primary and secondary user groups, ultimately contributing to the bakery's success.