eCommerce Site Redesign: A Case Study

This micro-site shows the redesign decisions made on an eCommerce site. It was transformed from a confusing and cluttered site into a clean site driven by stakeholder goals.

(Navigate the project by clicking the arrows at the edges of your screen.)

Original Site

The problem: The site was old, and over time it had many elements and features added to it that were not part of the original design specifications. The main types of customers were never identified, and consequently the original design did not have ways for their tasks to be easily accomplished.

It was felt that due to the high ticket price of products being sold, the old design did not create a feeling of confidence in potential customers interested in the product selection.

This is the design of the original site. The callouts show the major issues that needed to be addressed.

Overall look is cluttered and disorganized.
Types of customers and tasks not identified.
Multiple fonts and font sizes used.
Inconsistent padding around elements.
No alignment to grid.
Mismatched button styles.
Missing content.

Redesigned Site

The Solution: The new site looked first at the types of users visiting the site. It identified three types: casual shoppers, buyers from churches, and patrons wanting to donate items to churches.

The main tasks of these users were then given priority on the main navigation. The result was a user centered experience with clear ways for tasks to be accomplished.

This is the prototype for the new site. The callouts show the improvements made over the original design.

Clean and uncluttered look.
Clear alignment to grid.
Task oriented navigation.
Common padding around elements.
Consistent user interface elements.
Simplified color theme.
Elimination of all unused features and elements.

Functional Prototype

After the wireframes were settled, the new site prototype was built in HTML5 and CSS3.

Launch finished prototype