Client
Role
User research,
experience strategy, IxD
Scope
Comprehensive mobile
app redesign
Status
Prototyped and pitched
March 2016
The Brief
According to a Forbes article, as of January 2015, there are 1,200 malls in the country. Of those perhaps 15% are 30-50% vacant. Online information has suggested that smartphones have directed consumer behavior away from in-store shopping to online shopping. Consumers want information throughout the shopping process, they seek it out online even while in a store, and they expect more from retailers who want to win their business. - Google 2014
THE CHALLENGE
Reduced in-store sales attributed to online shopping have severely decreased tenant lease renewal rates in malls. General Growth Properties (a leading property management firm) saw saw an opportunity to increase tenant space renewals by targeting tenants’ customers with a digital solution. Our challenge was to improve the current GGP Mall app experience to the extent that consumers found it a valuable companion to enhance their current shopping experience.
OUR APPROACH
Given that GGP was a local client, we had an opportunity to employ some onsite research methodologies that would provide a foundation upon which we could build an enhanced shopping experience. Our solution consisted of a set of revised wireframes of the current GGP Mall app.
Understand
By conducting user interviews, surveys, contextual inquiries, and ethnographic studies at local malls, we found that shoppers value the product experience, saving time, and will buy an item if the right deal arises. Through usability testing, we were able to identify issues with the existing GGP Mall App.
We presented our findings to the client, going into greater depth on our research insights (including statistics gathered from user surveys).
Competitive Analysis Key Insights
Only 39% of shoppers currently use shopping apps
The most common of these apps is RetailMeNot, which controls approximately 66% of the userbase.
Competitive Analysis
User Research Client Presentation
Define and Strategize
We created personas to define our target user, documented their shopping process and pain points using journey maps and mental models, and established a set of product values in order to define a key feature set. We then conducted a best-in-class audit to gather insights that would influence our interaction design strategy.
User Journey Map
User Mental Model
Proposed Application Site Map
Experience strategy client presentation
Prototype and Deliver
Our findings allowed us to craft a solution that included improved search filters, inspiration boards, product and store updates, and guided navigation. A portion of our final design document included a set of wireframes for an enhanced experience that we felt would increase user engagement in brick-and-mortar shopping centers.
Final Wireframes - Key Screens
Final client presentation
Want to talk retail consumer trends?
Email me at venkat.k.murali@gmail.com
