LCBO IA Website Redesign
MY ROLE
UX Designer, Researcher
TOOLS
Figma, Balsamic, Optimal Workshop
TIMELINE & COMPLETION
May - August 2023
1. Overview
LCBO website redesign is a group project for my class INF2170 Information Architecture. In redesigning the LCBO website our group sought to improve clarity, findability, and ease of navigation for users of the site. We aimed to do this by reducing unnecessary repetition of content and ensuring that users can not only find the exact products they are looking for but are also able to learn and explore the world of alcoholic beverages, which is a corporate mandate of the LCBO.
2. The Challenge
The LCBO website faced significant usability issues. Users were overwhelmed by redundant information, leading to confusion and difficulty in navigating the site. Our task was to create a user-friendly interface that aligned with LCBO's commitment to providing quality service and a diverse product range.
Problem Statement: Addressing usability issues due to confusing navigation and labeling systems, leading to information overload and poor findability on the LCBO website.
Target Audience: Diverse users, primarily aged 30-40, with varying levels of experience with the LCBO website
3. My Role in the Project
I was responsible for crafting a comprehensive questionnaire and conducting in-depth interviews with five participants. These interviews were instrumental in gathering qualitative insights about user needs, preferences, and pain points.
During the usability sessions, I meticulously observed and recorded how users interacted with the current LCBO website. This hands-on research was crucial in identifying key areas for improvement and in understanding the real-world challenges faced by users.
Transitioning to my role as a UX Designer, I utilized the insights gathered from my research to inform the design process. I spearheaded the creation of the prototype, which was not just a visual representation of the new design, but also a practical tool for testing and refining our concepts. The prototype I developed played a pivotal role in bringing our research findings to life, enabling us to iteratively test and enhance the user experience based on real user feedback.
My involvement in both researching user needs and designing solutions allowed me to ensure that our redesign was deeply rooted in user-centered design principles. This dual capacity was integral to creating a more intuitive, navigable, and user-friendly LCBO website.
4. Research and Methodology
Tree Test: Our approach included 3 rounds of tree tests, targeting different sets of users. The tests were designed to mirror common use cases of the LCBO website, helping us to understand user behavior and preferences in a real-world context. These insights were critical in guiding our redesign efforts.
Key Insights: Learning from each testing round to refine the website design and improve user navigation paths
Design Evolution
The design process was iterative and responsive. We started with a complex IA schematic, which, through user testing, we realized was too convoluted. Subsequent revisions focused on simplifying and streamlining the navigation and content organization, significantly improving the user experience.
High Fidelity Prototype
We created high fidelity prototype pages for:
Flow 1: Explore Wire
Flow 2: Game Day Picks
The LCBO’s website usability problems resulted in information overload, redundancies, confusing language and poor findability. To solve this, we addressed:
Organization
top-down organization vs. bottom-up reducing information overload
shifting the order of titles and sub-categories
Labeling
changed label names to reduce confusion
Navigation / Search
improved filter searches
added clickable buttons for further information
Based on our user research from 3 tree tests, users wanted to search in Products over Collections, we needed solutions to make the Destination Collection more visible, hence Explore Wines.
Conclusion
The new design reduces the number of main categories and reduces information overload that could confuse the navigator once they are inside the menu and in each section. It also offers an increase in findability and usability that could potentially. Reducing the number of main categories reduces information overload and increases findability and usability.
