Shoe Finder Feature Design for Brooks Running
Last week, I embarked on a challenge to redesign a significant e-commerce feature for Brooks Running—a brand dedicated to crafting exceptional footwear for athletes. This project focused on the "Shoe Finder" feature, which leverages guided selling to enhance user experience by helping customers find the perfect shoe based on personalized prompts.
Why Guided Selling?
Guided selling helps customers identify and purchase products that best meet their needs through interactive, personalized prompts. This approach has proven effective in enhancing user experience, increasing satisfaction, and boosting conversion rates. Brooks Running, known for its commitment to support and comfort, uses this feature to guide customers through a selection process based on usage, frequency, injuries, and other preferences.
The Importance of Process
Despite nearly a decade in design, the temptation to skip the process and dive straight into creation remains strong. However, maintaining a disciplined approach has consistently yielded the best outcomes. This project was no exception.
My Design Process:
Competitor Analysis:
I began with a thorough analysis of how competitors implement similar features, focusing on aspects such as ease of access, first impressions, visual design, layout, accessibility, recommendation steps, and mobile compatibility.User Persona Development:
Understanding the user is crucial. For Brooks Running, the target persona is a middle-aged, experienced runner who regularly participates in races. This insight guided the design decisions to cater specifically to their needs.Experience Mapping:
Mapping out the user journey allowed me to streamline the experience. The original Shoe Finder involved around 12 steps, which, while thorough, could be overwhelming. My redesign aimed to simplify these steps without sacrificing the depth of user engagement.Wireframing and Prototyping:
Simplifying the user interface and reducing the number of steps were my main focus areas. I proposed combining multiple questions per screen and using dropdown components for easier navigation, particularly on mobile devices.Physical Interaction Consideration:
A notable feature involved users performing physical exercises to determine their walking style and balance. Recognizing that not all users can perform these exercises at any given moment, I integrated an option to bypass this step, reducing potential frustration and abandonment.
Reflections and Invitations for Feedback:
Completing this redesign in one week was a rigorous but rewarding process. I'm eager to hear from others who use guided selling features. If you have thoughts, questions, or suggestions about my redesign, I would love to hear them.
