Arrow Bicycle
Website Redesign
The Scope
Arrow Bicycle is a local bicycle shop in Hyattsville, Maryland. Their audience ranges from kids to adults, and from casual to athelete-level bikers.
The Challenge
The owner of Arrow Bicycle, Chris M., feels that their own website is outdated, and does not explain who they are nor what they do in the community. He would like it to be “more organic … not just have bike parts.” They do a lot of community outreach and have great customer service, and want to be able to show that on their website. He would also like to be able to utilize the website to bring in more foot traffic.
Type
Website Redesign
Role
Research
Information Architecture
UI + UX Design
Usability Tests
Iteration
Timeline
2 weeks
Problem:
According to user research, the current website for Arrow Bicycle had the following specific issues at the very outset:
Antiquated, "the 90's" appearance
Too much information which makes it hard for users to know what to focus on
Unorganized and clunky features
Confusing as to know what kind of business operation it is
My solution would need to address these issues, as well as go further to make the experience as delightful and easy as it could be.
Before Redesign
After Redesign
My Process
Research
Research Goals:
Finding answers to these questions:
What do people look for in an online/physical bike store? What do they expect to see?
How could we increase more foot-traffic into the physical store through the website?
What are some inconveniences when it comes to using a bike shop website?
Which features would they like to see on the current website or in an online bike shop?
Research Methodologies:
Secondary Research / Competitive Analysis – to see industry standards, trends, inspiration
Interviews – to empathize and gain personal usability understanding
Contextual Inquiries – to be able to observe user interaction with website first hand
Secondary Research Summary (Landscape of Online bike Shops)
Competitive Analysis (Local Direct Competitors)
Empathize
User Research: Interviews & Contextual Inquiries
Participants:
Individuals who go to bike shops regularly
Individuals who have shopped for or gone online to shop for bikes or bike parts
Research Findings:
Wants:
Modern, attractive website
Convenience in terms of location and access
More organized community rides
Needs:
Affordable prices
Parts that fit their specific bike models
Pain Points:
Unclear and unorganized websites
"Shop people who don’t know what they are doing"
High prices
Waiting for shipping
Define
Persona
business and User Goals
Sitemap
User Task Flow
Ideate
With the user pain points in mind, I focused mainly on designing the following:
Homepage with more modern, attractive and cleaner UI
Up-to-date community page with events and rides
Catalog and product pages that feature in-stock products with detailed specs and parts information
Appointment booking system to increase foot traffic into store and to remind users of shop visit*
Design
Wireframes
Brand Style Tile
Test
Affinity Map
Final Redesign
Reflection
From this project, I learned the importance of designing for all users - for example, it was helpful to test with casual bikers and athlete-level bikers. There were different user task flows for each, and therefore different levels of understanding when it came to buying bikes and bike parts, and even scheduling for appointments. It is a good reminder for me to know that my job is to empathize with our users in my design, not just make the site more organized or beautiful in appearance.