SUMMARY
Crochet Critters is an ecommerce website tailored for a wide variety of handcrafted crochet creations. The site is thoughtfully designed to provide a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience, with user-friendly navigation and vibrant visuals showcasing the intricate details of each crochet masterpiece.
PROBLEM
Many ecommerce platforms overwhelm users with abundant features and complex navigation systems. Along with many websites falling short in understanding their target audience, they tend to appeal to a very niche group of people or a very broad group of people - the sweet spot is somewhere toward the middle.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
How can we design an ecommerce website that is easy to navigate and maintains user retention?
SOLUTION
To design a website with user-friendly navigation involves skillful design incorporating constraints and high visibility. The goal is to strike a balance—providing enough information and features without overwhelming the user to the point of losing their retention.
ROLE
Research, UX/UI Design, Interaction Design, Visual Design
DATE/DURATION
Nov 2023 | 1 Week
TOOLS
Figma, Procreate
TEAM
Solo Designer
WHY
School Project/Portfolio Piece
KEY FEATURES
The "Crochet Critters" website contains a sleek and intuitive interface designed for effortless navigation, appealing to a diverse audience of all ages. As well as embracing a minimalist and pastel color palette. Consumers are able to easily navigate through each collection effortlessly, where every product is showcased with clear visibility, ensuring an enjoyable and visually pleasing shopping experience.
WALKTHROUGH
PROTOTYPE
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Competitive Analysis
I conducted research on diverse range of websites retailing products from stuffed animals to mascot apparel. Through this a series of trends emerged; these websites typically organize their layout into distinct sections. There is a header which encompasses essential elements like the logo, navigation bar, and contact information. Along with hero space that captures the user's attention, it conveys the brand's values and displays products. Additionally, there's a dedicated communication section facilitating newsletter sign-ups, fostering ongoing engagement. Lastly, a footer is placed at the bottom that contains additional information that a consumer might seek. This type of systematic structure is a common trend among successful online platforms, optimizing user interaction and information accessibility.
Identifying the Audience
I wanted this website is to cater to both children and adults, whether they are purchasing for themselves or their child. The key focus is on creating a design that sidesteps flashy and overwhelming elements, ensuring it captivates the user's attention without making them want to click away.
Constraints
Some problems I encountered while designing this project was optimizing the website layout, utilizing the standard space effectively and avoiding excessive blank areas. Additionally, a crucial consideration was scalability, the design is intended to seamlessly adapt to various screen sizes, with particular emphasis on the common 1920x1080 resolution.
User Flow
Sketches & Ideas
User Testing
During user testing, I encountered challenges with Figma's prototyping functionality, specifically in the reset mechanism when transitioning between the front page categories in prototype mode. Interestingly, this wasn't an issue within my components' test bed. As a result, the navigation experience may be a bit sluggish. On a positive note, observing my peers navigate the website revealed a smooth experience, without any notable issues.
REFLECTION
Working on the Crochet Critters website was a fantastic learning journey, especially since it was my first time navigating Figma. The experience allowed me to exercise my creative freedom in designing a website, adhering to the standard 1920x1080 webpage dimensions. Researching other websites provided me with valuable insights into the optimal structures for browsing and consumer engagement.
When I reflect on this project, if I were to tackle it again, I'd consider adding more functionality and spend extra time on refining the logo, and experiment with various color schemes. I am genuinely pleased with the knowledge and skills I learned throughout this entire experience. What initially began as a silly idea after attending an art festival and seeing these products in real life, transformed into a tangible project, where I got to grow and learn more about design.
