How my team redesigned Cause-Cart.com
Cause-Cart is an E-commerce platform that supports sustainability and social responsibility while showcasing independent makers and the amazing products they create.
However, the current site is built on a marketplace builder that isn’t flexible enough to execute Cause-Cart's mission.
Therefore, the purpose of this case study is to present the process of redesigning the Cause-Cart E-commerce platform.
Empathy and Research
The first step in the redesign process was to conduct a competitive analysis to find out how other value-based websites were communicating their causes.
From the competitive analysis, we learned that to better communicate the mission, they had to include that information “above the fold” meaning users don’t have to click or scroll to find it.
In addition, usability testing of the current site revealed that users had difficulty finding important information like product info, the cause being supported, and maker information.
Design and Prototyping
Through an iterative process of designing and prototyping, we each took a section of the website to redesign and mocked up a solution to the opportunities discovered through testing.
The solutions included bringing the cause information to the middle of the homepage, making an "All Makers" page, including icons on product cards to show what cause is being supported, and reorganizing the information on the product description page to make it more scannable.
Testing and Feedback
After testing the mid-fidelity prototype, users still had difficulty finding the information they needed.
Therefore, we decided to conduct further testing to improve the site.
They received feedback from a 33-year-old mother of two, who was aware of the ecological and social impacts of consumerism and preferred to shop on sites that emphasized sustainability.
She used Cause-Cart to shop for a housewarming gift for a friend.
Video Presentation
Interactive Prototype
Conclusion
For Next Time
Now that we have key screens for the desktop site, we would like to make our designs mobile-responsive. The users we spoke with emphasized the importance of having a mobile-responsive e-commerce site, and told us they did certain types of online shopping on their mobile devices.
Additionally, we would like to continue to refine our navigation by adding breadcrumbs throughout, so users can better orient themselves on the site.
To truly emphasize sustainability as an e-commerce platform, we recommend that Cause Cart uses web hosting providers that use renewable energy sources to power their data centers. We also recommend continuing to use design practices that minimize the environmental impact of the website, such as optimizing images, writing efficient code, and using reusable components.
Deliverables
Slide Deck
In conclusion, the redesign process of Cause-Cart E-commerce platform was successful in addressing the issues discovered through usability testing and user feedback.
We were able to improve the site's user experience by bringing the cause information to the middle of the homepage, making an "All Makers" page, including icons on product cards to show what cause is being supported, and reorganizing the information on the product description page to make it more scannable.