The Starving Musician - 2022
SUS score indicating high user satisfaction
Growth in monthly users over 6 months
Increase from initial conversion rate
Growth in total users over 6 months
The Starving Musician, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a leading destination for music enthusiasts, offering a diverse range of music equipment for in-store pickup or delivery. However, their current website lacks modern e-commerce capabilities, hampering the user experience.
Through meticulous research and iterative design, my goal was to create a seamless and intuitive platform for users to effortlessly explore, select, and purchase their desired products.
To enhance the online music gear shopping experience, I analyzed competitors' websites and conducted user interviews. Insights revealed the significance of product comparisons and high-quality images, particularly for used items.
This guided the redesign strategy, emphasizing improved browsing, product comparisons, and showcasing quality images. The user journey map below illustrates the current journey, addressing pain points and opportunities for a seamless shopping experience.
During the research phase, I conducted an open card sort activity with 32 participants to improve the website's navigation. Through analysis of the dendrogram, 5 categories were identified based on user agreement.
Further analysis led to the creation of 2 additional categories. With a total of 7 categories and subcategories, this data informed the redesign of the primary navigation, providing valuable insights into how users perceive and group items for an improved user experience.
Participants were provided with 50 cards representing music equipment from The Starving Musician's inventory.
Users employed the OptimalSort tool to categorize the cards according to their self-determined criteria.
5 user-consensus-based categories were identified, which informed the redesign of the primary navigation.
The redesigned user flow introduced a mega menu for category exploration, streamlining navigation. Additionally, a faceted navigation system enabled users to refine their search with filters, saving time finding specific items. These enhancements improve user efficiency and usability of the website.
The redesigned pages strategically incorporated enticing content exploration opportunities, considering users' preferences for engaging imagery to guide their shopping experience and aid decision-making. To enhance user exploration, useful tools were implemented, allowing for multi-angle photo views and exploration of various color options for products.
Users effortlessly expand a card to experiment with product color options, aiding their decision-making process.
Enhanced product information is displayed alongside enlarged image for optimal user comprehension.
A strategic mega menu condenses navigation links into an organized block, informed by card sorting results.
In the vast landscape of online music retailers, information overload and complex navigation can overwhelm users. To counter this, our small music retailer's website is thoughtfully organized, presenting users with tailored tools. With a medium-sized filter system and large product cards, this streamlined approach simplifies navigation and exploration, setting the website apart from larger competitors.
This simulated case study showcases the strategic advantage of small retailers through personalized experiences and user-centric design. The notable improvements in user experience, satisfaction, and comprehension validate the effectiveness of the implemented design changes, underscoring the success achieved in this project.