Eataly: Improving E-Commerce Experience

Project Overview

2weeks, User research, Usability Test, card sorting, competitive/comparative research, heuristic analysis, site map, task flow, user flow, personas, Wireframes, Interactive Prototype.

Introduction

Eataly is the largest Italian marketplace in the world, comprising a variety of restaurants, food and beverage counters, bakery, retail items, and a cooking school. Eataly’s business values include: Creating food lover community, Eat, Shop, and lear, Authentic high-quality products.

Initial Assumption

Eataly being a largest Italian marketplace in the world, they want to not only sell products but also provide community and learning experiences to their customers.

How might we create more enjoyable online shopping experiences for customers with different level of knowledge in Italian food?

Contextual Inquiry and User Interview

Goals: Learn about customer demographics, shopping behaviors, perception about Eataly.

Findings:

1. Most of the customers shop with their family and friends. Also, there were a clear division of locals and tourist.
2. Customers enjoy spending their time comparing items, and looking around the store.
3. Customers ask employees about items, and menu suggestions.
4. A lot of customers considered Whole Foods as Eataly’s competitor.

Open Card Sorting (5 Users)

Goal: To validate the website’s product navigation.

Findings:

Users categorized items similar to the product navigation of current website.

Usability testing (3 Users)

Goals: To find out problems that users encounter while shopping online and to learn about users’ behaviors when navigating current website.

Findings:

1. Users who are not familiar with Italian food had difficulty navigating and selecting items.

2. All users scrolled down the homepage before searching for products.

Competitor Metrics and Analysis

Insight: Eataly’s strength is in the authenticity of the product, and community experiences.

Refined Problem Statement

Eataly’s strengths are in their product’s authenticity and pleasure of discovery process of items inside the store.

How might we provide enjoyable and effective online shopping experience while empowering Eataly’s brand values of community creation and learning experiences?

Personas

Painpoints and New Features

Task Flow Comparison

User Task

Live Prototype

Click here to view the project `Eataly`

Wireframes

Usability Testing

Next Steps

1. Create 2nd iteration of high-fidelity wireframe
2. Create a community space within the website
3. Restaurant and product recommendation for users