UI/UX Case Study: Improving IKEA Indonesia Apps User Experience on Product Page

Introduction

Hi! I’m Awan, I’m on journey to shifting career to become a UI/UX Designer. In the last few months, I am currently taking part in a boot camp for UI/UX design courses organized by Dibimbing.id. This UI/UX case study is my final project for the boot camp. I hope you get some insight from this so let’s begin the case study.

Overview

IKEA is a Swedish home furnishing and furniture retailer. Because I live in Indonesia, I did research about IKEA Indonesia. IKEA Indonesia has several methods, that consist of catalog system that can be seen through Store Outlets, Website and Mobile App, so I did research to focus on the IKEA’s mobile apps on the Play store and App store for Indonesia region.

Why IKEA Indonesia App ?

Because purchases can be made online via smartphone for some people with high mobility, digital products such as mobile applications (apps) are considered the most specific to obtain goals faster than other digital products such as websites. The IKEA Indonesia application impacts on customers experience in shopping furniture using a smartphone.

Role : UX researcher & UI designer

Scope : Research, Analysis, User Flow, Information Architecture, Wireframe, Mockup, Prototyping, Usability Testing

Timeline : April — June

Tools : Figma, Google Sheet, Google Slides, Zoom

Problem

When buying furniture products online, many users may feel hesitant . This could be due to several reasons, such as :

• Uncertainty about quality : When buying furniture online, users cannot directly check the quality and durability of the product. They only rely on descriptions, photos, and reviews from sellers. This can cause doubts as it is difficult to judge the authenticity of the materials, the strength of the construction, or the finish quality of the product.
• Incompetence to see and try-on : Seeing and trying furniture products in person is a common way for users to evaluate comfort, design, and fit. When shopping online, users cannot see if the product fits their space before buying it. This may cause concern as to whether the product will suit the user’s preferences and needs.

Goal

I want to investigate the problems for UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) on the IKEA Indonesia application to get a solution based on the data that I have collected from the participants.

Research Plan

Objective

There are several objectives of this research, including ;

• Understanding user behavior when searching for the products they want using the IKEA Indonesia app
• Looking for users pain points when searching for the products they want using IKEA Indonesia app
• Understand user expectations for the IKEA Indonesia app able to provide a better online shopping experience.

Methodology

I used 2 methods, quantitative (Online Survey) with the purpose of selecting respondents who fit for this case study and qualitative (In-depth Interview) in hopes of getting more insights from respondents to complete the objectives.

Respondent Criteria

• User IKEA Indonesia Apps
• Nationwide (Indonesia)
• Age 25–40 Years
• Male/Female

Key Information Areas

Key information areas are those that will be explored later through questions to gain valuable information and insights when conducting research. Here are the main information areas.

1. User profile.
2. Users needs and pain point while using IKEA Indonesia existing app.
3. User behavior when looking for products they want to buy at IKEA Indonesia.

Respondent Profiling

I have to sort by sending questions using google form to participants to get respondents who match this case study, I sent it to 15 participants and I found 5 who fit the respondent criteria for the next phase. The next phase is collecting information from respondents using in-depth interview method through the zoom application. These are the 5 respondents who participated for my case study :

Interview Guideline

Moving into the in-depth interview phase, I created a list of questions as a reference and reminder so that the interview process would not deviate from the objectives set earlier. The following is the list of questions:

1. How was your experience while using the IKEA Indonesia App ?
2. Are there any problems while using the IKEA Indonesia App?
3. Do the product details on the product page still make you hesitate?

Affinity Diagram

After conducting in-depth interviews, all the insights gained from users using affinity diagrams can help me to analyze data into the information and ideas that I need in this research.

User Persona

Solution

Propose Solution

Based on the insights that have been collected through in-depth interviews with respondents. I came up with some possible solutions that could potentially solve the user’s problems such as :

1. Adding 360 View feature to be able to see the product in more detail.
2. Adding AR features to eliminate users doubts when they want to see the details of the product better as if they were looking at it in person.
3. Adding Checkout feature directly on the product page you want to buy to shorten time and easy accessibility
4. Sign up/Sign in can be easily integrated with social media accounts or google accounts.

Eisenhower Decision Matrix

After I found the solutions, I prioritized them by using the Eisenhower Decision Matrix to be able to decide which solutions were more important.

Choosen Solution

1. Adding 360 product views features for :

• Better visualization: users want to have a better view of the products appearance and proportions. With the 360 View Product feature, users can view the product from different angles, including front, back, side, top, and bottom views. This helps them understand the design, proportions and details of the product better as if they were looking at it in person.
• Interactive experience: provides an interactive experience to users. They can virtually rotate the product, shift the viewing angle, or select specific parts to display. This provides a more interesting and engaging experience in browsing and exploring products online.
• Belief and confidence: users feel more belief and have more confident in the products they choose. They can see the product thoroughly and make a better judgment about the quality, design and fit of the product to their needs. This helps reduce any doubts or concerns that often arise when buying furniture online.

2. Adding augmanted reality features for :

• Visualization of products in real scale and proportion: in choosing furniture, users want to make sure that the product fits the size and proportion of their room. The AR feature allows users to view the furniture in a scale that is completely accurate to their physical environment. By pointing the camera of a smartphone or tablet at the room, they can visualize the furniture in the appropriate size, helping them to make an informed decision on the choice of furniture.
• Adjustment of color and design: AR technology can allow users to change the color or style of furniture directly in the AR visualization. Users can test different furniture color or design options to see which one best matches their decorating style or room color scheme. This helps in making more informed decisions regarding the furniture they want to buy.
• Reduce doubt and hesitations: The AR feature helps reduce the doubt and hesitations that users may feel when purchasing furniture online. By viewing virtual furniture in the context of their own space, users can get a clearer picture of how the product will look and fit into the style and size of their room. This provides a greater sense of confidence in making a purchase decision.

User Flow

Because the solution I chose is to add 360 product view and augmented reality features, I created a user flow when on the product page of the IKEA Indonesia app. Details of the user flow can be seen in the image below

Information Architecture

Information architecture is a method used to divide the content that will be displayed on a page. The following is the information architecture that will be displayed in the IKEA Indonesia application.

Prototype

Wireframe

Wireframe is a simple and structural visual representation of a designed user interface or web page. It is the first step in the design process to illustrate the layout of key elements, the structure of information, and the acceleration of the design process.

Design System

Design System is a structured and documented framework with a consistent set of rules, guidelines, components, and design principles, which are used to develop and maintain a consistent appearance and behavior in a product or service. Design System aims to unify the appearance and interaction of user interfaces within an organization or product as a whole.

Mockup

Mockup is a visual representation or prototype used to illustrate the look, structure, and interaction of a user interface (UI) before the final product is developed. Mockups provide a more concrete picture of how the user interface design will look and function.

Prototype

Prototype is an early version or trial model of a product created to test and evaluate ideas, functions, and designs before entering a more advanced production stage. Prototypes are usually created with the aim of getting feedback from users or stakeholders, identifying weaknesses or problems, and iterating and improving before the final product is developed.

Prototype link

Usability Testing

Usability Testing is a research method used to measure the extent to which a product or user interface can be used effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily by users. The main purpose of usability testing is to identify problems and obstacles that users face when using the product and to provide feedback that can be used to improve the user experience.

Objective

• find 4 participants
• participants can complete all the tasks given
• Search for design issues that participants encounter when using the app
• Collect the information based on the participants experience when completing the task

Participant criteria

• IKEA Indonesia app users
• Have been using the IKEA Indonesia app for more than 3 months
• Have you ever shopped on the IKEA Indonesia app
• Male/Female
• Age 20–40 years

Metric

Task

• Users can identify the 360 product view and AR feature
• Users can use the 360 product view and AR features smoothly.

Scenario & result behavior

scenario 1

Do you find any differences on the product page at IKEA Indonesia app?

behavior :

• 3 out of 4 participants don’t really care about the icon for the 360 product view and AR feature, they just see the product page as usual.
• 1 participant asked about the icon for the 360 product view and AR features because he didn’t know the function.

scenario 2

You are looking for furniture and want to see it in detail, what will you do?

behavior :

All participants understand the function of the 360 product view feature

scenario 3

After you’ve looked at it in detail but you’re still unsure if it’s fits on your room, what will you do?

behavior :

All participants understand and comprehend the function of augmented reality features

Summary Insight

I can conclude that the UT process that was carried out went smoothly because all participants were able to complete the task well, but there were some design errors for icons that they were not familiar with Therefore I conducted a brief interview with the participants after the UT and I got some suggestions, namely adding tooltips for the 360 product view and AR icon features so that users understand the use of these buttons.

Lesson Learned

I realized after doing this project that it is not an easy thing, but I’m really glad I did this because I got a lot of insights.
I know I still have a lot of mistakes and have to learn to be better, so I would be very happy if you provide feedback and input.