Restructuring McBride Sisters Wine & Co’s Site for better visibility during the pandemic.

UX Research + Strategy

This case study describes the teams’ process and design that would help McBride Sisters Wine & Co connect to new customers during the pandemic.

Brief: McBrides Sisters Winery is the largest Black-owned winery in the US operating out of Oakland, CA. They would like to gain customers during the pandemic by putting on virtual events and directing them to their website.

How can McBride Sisters connect to new customers seeking new wines, while also continuing to leverage the current business model of in-person winery brewery experiences as well as the online eCommerce model?

Problem: How might we bring the wine-tasting experience to the comfort of users’ homes?

Solution: 1. Create programming around virtual wine tastings with an expert sommelier to help users explore new wines while connecting with the brand, and add a dedicated events page on the company website to showcase a variety of options.

2. Reorganize McBride Sisters’ Shop page with new categories and filter options to allow for a more intuitive shopping experience.

Deliverables:

Process: Double Diamond (Discover, Define, Design, Deliver)

Discover: Usability Testing of McBride’s Site

McBride Sisters' current site

We evaluated the current site and did a Systems Usability Scale (SUS) survey. The score was 22.5 which told us that the site needed improvement.

We conducted contextual inquiries with 5 wine drinkers. We asked them to sign-up for an event on the current site.

100% of users failed to complete the tasks.

Competetive + Comparative Analysis:

Left- Spirits & Spice (competitive):

We looked at Spirits & Spice as a direct competitor for ideas on how to set up an events page.

Right- The Wooden Wick (comparative):

We got an idea of different drop-down options for group sizing, event type (private or public), and activity.

Next we conducted a survey to better understand wine-drinkers priorities when buying wine.

Descriptors and price were important factors for wine drinkers to choose a new wine based on their liking.

Define- What is the Problem?

Who are we solving the problem for?

Meet Winona:

28, Social Butterfly

Winona misses her friends during the Pandemic! She needs a simple way to schedule a private virtual wine tasting with friends so she can refine her wine knowledge, connect with friends near and far, and support a Black-owned business.

Winona’s current journey:

Winona is left frustrated and without a virtual event to connect with her friends over.

Due to McBride Wine’s current layout, Winona isn’t able to find and sign up for a virtual event.

How might we bring the wine-tasting experience to the comfort of users’ homes?

1. Create programming around virtual wine tastings with an expert sommelier to help users explore new wines while connecting with the brand, and add a dedicated events page on the company website to showcase a variety of options.
2. Reorganize McBride Sisters’ Shop page with new categories and filter options to allow for a more intuitive shopping experience.

Redesigning the navigation Bar with the help of a card sort.

The new site map includes an events tab that is easy to access.

• 15 users completed a hybrid unmoderated card sort based on McBride’s sites existing categories.
• We utilized Optimal Workshops’ analysis and Google sheets to compile the data.
• We created a separate section for “Events” for shoppers to find them more quickly.

Phoenix’s happy Path:

Step 1: She’s upset that she can’t see her friends during the pandemic.

Step 2: She signs up for a virtual wine tasting.

Step 3: She receives her box of wines to try.

Step 4: She has a great time with her friends virtually!

Design:

Greyscale wireframes

1. The event is featured on the homepage.
2. A clickable calendar to sign up for an event.
3. A redesign of the shop with a new option to filter wines by type.

Check out the Prototype below!