BIG LOTS
Product Page Experience
Big Lots Furniture description
Big Lots is a retail store that offers a wide range of products, including furniture, household goods, electronics, and groceries. One of the reasons why the company has established itself as a popular destination for budget-conscious families is due to its focus on providing affordable furniture options. Big Lots offers a broad range of furniture, including living room, dining room, bedroom, and outdoor furniture, as well as home decor and accent pieces. Families looking to save money on home furnishings and decor can take advantage of Big Lots' frequent sales and clearance events on furniture. These events have contributed to casual spending, as families can find even more affordable options to update their homes without breaking the bank. With a focus on affordability and value, Big Lots continues to provide customers with quality products at prices they can afford.
My Role
As a UX designer for the Big Lots Furniture website, I played a key role in collaborating with stakeholders, researchers, data analysts, and developers to create a user-friendly and visually appealing website. My responsibilities included conducting user research, designing wireframes and prototypes, and implementing feedback from stakeholders to create an optimal user experience. Through close collaboration and communication with all team members, we were able to successfully complete the project and create a website that met the needs and expectations of both the client and users.
Overview
The design for Big Lots' website catered to budget-conscious families seeking affordable home furnishings. It prominently featured discounted furniture options and optimized navigation for easy access to relevant information, including sales and clearance events. The updates attracted casual spending from families looking to update their homes without overspending, making Big Lots a popular destination for affordable and quality furniture.
The Challenge
While buyers find their site experience cohesive and straightforward, I have provided a creative and compelling approach that is appealing to a wider audience. The updated design improvements provide visitors with a modern and up to date day experience, as well as enhancements to selections tool that required attention.
The Process
First we had to recognize the needs of the user. By conducting user tests usability studies, surveys and obtaining personas we found out that the main focus of the user was accommodation. Users wanted to see the fengshui of a room and the visual presentation to compare it being inside their own homes before a purchase was made.
The Solution
Listening and documenting the wants an needs of the user was mandatory. the most useful recommendation was to display a living area that allows users to modify their furniture to envision how their living room would look with their selected furniture in it.
The Results
The stakeholders were highly satisfied with the final presentation, as the HP updates and implementation of Big Lots' Best display and virtual augmented tool were all approved. Users found the enhancements to be well received and highly useful, resulting in a successful project outcome.
Comps/Wires
After creating over 20+ comps and wires, our team tested them to determine the most effective design. By sharing our findings with the team and iterating multiple
times, we were able to focus on delivering a purpose-driven user experience. The process was extensive, but through it, we gained valuable insights into our users' shopping needs.
Test and results​
Positive Findings (GREEN)
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A. Based on user feedback, it has been determined that displaying the furniture image description at the top of the page is essential for providing a quick view and meeting user expectations.
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B. Users take great pride in safeguarding their soon-to-be acquired possessions and prioritize their protection above all else. This is precisely why it is imperative to include Allstate protection insurance to their purchase before proceeding to checkout.
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C. The quick-link selection area has consistently proven to be highly advantageous and universally recognized as the go-to destination for users seeking quick access to frequently visited links on the website.
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D. The search bar remains intact, positioned conveniently at the top of the page, ensuring effortless and efficient browsing for users.
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E. Customer reviews play a vital role in ensuring customer satisfaction and identifying areas where improvements can be made. They serve as a valuable source of feedback for businesses to enhance their products and services.
Room For Improvement (RED)
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A. Excessive clutter often hinders users from focusing on the most important aspect, which in this case is the furniture itself. To prioritize user experience and provide optimal comfort, it is essential to group the price and the "add for pick up" button together, avoiding excessive jargon that may confuse customers.
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B. The scrolling experience not only fails to impress users but also lacks the ability to provide an immersive preview of the product they are about to purchase.
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C. Blank spaces can be effectively utilized to provide detailed information about the product, offering more value and benefits to users compared to leaving them empty and devoid of any content.
D. Although the top bar serves as a convenient area for showcasing deals, its color scheme was not inviting and lacked visual coherence, thus diminishing its overall appeal.
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E. Frequent deals and last-minute selections are areas that require significant improvement, as users express the need for a greater variety of UI alterations to enhance their browsing experience.
Feedback from the User
"Effortless browsing with an impressive furniture selection"
participant #7
"The website has been improved and better than what it used to be."
participant #3
Crafting A Useful Dashboard
By creating a family-friendly browsing dashboard, it focuses on a cohesive design experience that is user-friendly and accessible. Ensuring intuitive navigation, clear categorization, and visually appealing icons for easy content discovery. Maintaining consistency in colors, fonts, and layout for a visually harmonious dashboard that caters to all family living.
Custom modifications
By actively listening and learning from users, valuable insights were gathered to determine the most useful modifications for the home page. The addition of the Virtual Augmented tool, personalized tool(s), and the Big Lots Best custom select feature has proven to be highly beneficial. These user-friendly widgets offer an innovative and seamless browsing experience, while maintaining the integrity of the Big Lots brand.
1.) Virtual Augmented tool
This interactive tool selection provides a truly exceptional experience. With the "See it in Your Place" showroom feature, users can add selected furniture to a virtual room, allowing them to visualize how it will look before making a purchase. This innovative functionality creates an immersive experience for all users, enhancing their confidence and satisfaction in their
furniture choices.
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2.) BIG LOTS BEST custom select
Discover Big Lots' biggest deals presented in an inviting in-home setting. Experience the visually appealing display and enjoy the creative radio button functionality that allows users to make their selections. This combination of aesthetics and interactive features offers a unique and engaging browsing experience for users.​
3.) Personalized features
Simplicity is the key to improvement, and it can be achieved by incorporating features that enhance the user experience. By providing the option to select furniture fabric colors, users can personalize their choices. Additionally, including a play button to view items in a video format adds an interactive element, further enriching the browsing experience.
Overall display Improvements
• To align with the desired aesthetic, the color has been switched from purple to orange. This change enhances the overall visual appeal and creates a cohesive and harmonious design experience throughout the website.
• Added Play button to view video of furniture in a showcase atmoshphere
• We have incorporated a color fabric selection feature on our website, allowing users to personalize their furniture choices. This addition enhances the browsing experience by offering a wide range of color options, empowering users to find the perfect match for their preferences and style.
• See in you place a new added innovative feature to view furniture in a personal showcase.
• in-home choice radio buttons allow user to select our best deal bargains for a new added experience.
BOTTOM page
• Users greatly appreciate features such as "You may also like" and "Pair with..." selections that enhance convenience without disrupting browsing.
• To cater to users' preferences, our browser includes a "recently viewed" section at the bottom of the webpage for easy access to sought-after items and to accommodate those last-minute thoughts. This thoughtful addition ensures a seamless browsing experience and allows users to quickly revisit products of interest.
User Flow Diagram
The Solution
The user flow diagram for Big Lots furniture presents a seamless solution that is remarkably easy to use. With a user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation, users can effortlessly explore the furniture selection, compare options, and find their desired items. Adding furniture to the cart for shipping is a breeze, with a simple click allowing users to securely finalize their purchase.
Findings & Results
Big Lots furniture is designed to be user-friendly and straightforward, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience. Here's a description of the flow:
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Users enter the Big Lots website or visit a retail store, greeted with a visually appealing and intuitive interface.
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Users easily navigate through the well-organized furniture categories, allowing them to quickly find their desired items.
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Users can browse through product listings with clear images, detailed descriptions, and pricing information, providing all the necessary details at a glance.
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With a simple click, users can add selected items to their virtual shopping cart, which can be easily managed and edited.
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When ready to make a purchase, users can proceed to the secure and user-friendly checkout process, where they enter their shipping and contact information.
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Users have the convenience of choosing their preferred shipping method, such as home delivery or store pickup, with clear instructions provided.
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Finally, Users Can click on add to shipping button and proceed to checkout item(s)
OLD SITE
NEW SITE
Sprint Objectives
By implementing our modifications and making necessary changes, we anticipate a rise in engagement and online revenue among users of Big Lots. Additionally, our focus is on providing easy navigation and enhancing the overall customer experience for all users.
The Challenge
Over time, we have worked towards creating a cohesive experience for our users. While it hasn't been our top priority until now, we have introduced significant technological enhancements to ensure an engaging and positive shopping experience for our users.
The Process and Objective
Through conducting an in-depth competitive analysis of multiple furniture brands and utilizing findings from interviews, our objective is to determine the accommodations that provide the greatest benefit to customers. By doing so, we anticipate an upsurge in engagement and online revenue specifically for users of Big Lots. Furthermore, this analysis will aid in enhancing modifications and improving the overall customer experience.
Cellular Phone
• The display has been condensed and formatted to fit the smaller screens of cellphones, ensuring optimal user experience. It has also been organized to facilitate easy "add to shipping" functionality for users.
• The items remain intact to provide a seamless user experience, allowing users to evaluate and decide on the most beneficial protection coverage. The item overview descriptions are also available to assist users in making informed
purchasing decisions.
• The optimized compact size of the platform enables users to effortlessly navigate through Big Lots' Best Deals section and explore a diverse selection of special offers on great furniture.
• By maintaining the same format as the web browser, we have successfully incorporated features such as "You May Also like," "Pair With...," and "Recently Viewed" seamlessly into the mobile experience. This enables users to navigate through these sections with a fluid left-to-right gesture flow, making it convenient to add items to
their cart.
• In efforts to finalize the mobile experience, we have implemented changes to the format of the final deals and footer details, ensuring they are presented in a smaller, more mobile-friendly format. These modifications are aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction and improving the overall user experience on mobile devices.
Feedback from the User
"The navigate and the virtual room visualization is a game-changer. Great experience!"
participant #18
"Being able to visualize furniture in my own space before purchasing is simply fantastic."
participant #21
The Added Value
Big Lots' commitment to future improvements has been instrumental in boosting its annual earnings. These enhancements have positively impacted a significant number of consumers, and the dedicated team has invested extensive hours of work to facilitate this progress.