About the Project

Rainwater, a Vancouver Island-based business, specializes in locally crafted products. Their website features handmade soaps, body care items, candles, and gifts, aiming to reflect the island's unique culture. I helped Rainwater shape their brand and user experience.

My Role

Conducted user research, prototyping, and UI design
Built and maintained a design system
Led art direction and brand design

Results

Increased web MAUs and retention rate
Reduced design-to-development handoff time
Improved Rainwater.com’s conversion rate

Problems

While 80% of website sales come from bulk customers across Canada, Rainwater needs to increase the percentage of retail consumers, currently at only 9%. Bulk customers, typically owners of home goods shops, are familiar with the website's structure. However, new and retail users encounter challenges due to functional issues, affecting their experience. The site lacks visual hierarchy, personalization, and intuitive categories, causing complexity for users searching for products. Additionally, insufficient product information leads to uncertainty about the brand's quality and reliability, complicating decision-making.

User Insights

To redefine the architecture and design of the website, we asked our users to identify the most important factors they consider when shopping online for home goods such as candles and body care products. Those were shortlisted to top 4:

Ease of Navigation
Visual Presentation
Trustworthy Reviews and Ratings
Detailed Product Information

Solutions

1. Implement clear navigation and a visible menu structure to guide users seamlessly through the website.

2. Optimize the website with a comprehensive hierarchy, personalized features, and intuitive navigation to enhance user experience.

3. Provide detailed product information, high-quality images, and customer reviews to empower users with the information needed to make confident decisions..