Walmart
Case Study, Redesign
This case study explores how Walmart could offer a solution by providing personalized, healthier ingredient lists through a subscription service, allowing customers to purchase the ingredients they need and receive tailored suggestions based on their preferences and health goals.
Project Type
Academic Project
Industry
Ecommerce, Healthy Lifestyle
Duration
June 2024
2 Months
The Team
3 UX Designer,
1 UI Designer,
My Role
Conducting User Interviews, Desk Research, Competitive Analysis, Storyboarding, Conceptualization, Design System
Tools Used
// Index
The Problem.
Walmart shoppers often struggle to find personalized ingredient options that align with their dietary needs and health goals, making meal planning time-consuming and inconvenient, which can lead to inconsistent eating habits and unnecessary food waste.
// PAIN-POINT #1
Difficulty Finding Personalized Ingredient
// How DID I Address this?
Netwise helps you confidently prepare for events by offering tailored conversation starters before recommending attendees to connect with. Based on your profile and event type, it suggests people who share your interests and goals. You can log connections with key details, and gamification keeps you motivated to network effectively.
// THE IMPACT
// STORYBOARDING
I created storyboarding after creating the persona to visually map out Emily’s journey, identify pain points, and ensure the design flow addressed her specific needs.
// User Journey Mapping
The User Journey Map helped visualize Emily’s networking experience and identify pain points, building on the insights from Crazy8 to guide our design solutions.
From Data to Design : Let’s Create!
// LOW FIDELITY DESIGN
We started with low-fidelity designs to quickly explore and validate ideas, allowing for rapid iteration and feedback before committing to high-fidelity details.
// MID FIDELITY DESIGN
We moved to mid-fidelity designs next to refine the layout and user flow, adding more detail to test usability and gather more specific feedback while still allowing for flexibility in adjustments.
Does it work? Let’s Find Out!
// USABILITY TESTING
We tested the mid-fidelity designs using heuristics and think-aloud sessions in 5 testing sessions to identify usability issues, gather user insights, and ensure the design met established usability principles before moving to high-fidelity designs.
// HEURISTICS EVALUATIONS
// Think ALOUD
// KEY FINDINGS
Navigation Confusion
During think-aloud testing, users struggled to find the primary navigation menu, indicating that the current layout was not intuitive, leading to frustration and longer task completion times.
Inconsistent Button States
Heuristic evaluation revealed that button states (hover, active, disabled) were inconsistent across the interface, making it difficult for users to determine interactable elements.
Form Field Validation Errors
Participants expressed frustration with the lack of clear error messages when submitting forms, leading to confusion about what needed to be corrected before submission.
Color Contrast Issues
Think-aloud participants pointed out that some text elements lacked sufficient contrast against their background, making them hard to read, especially in low-light environments.
// THE DESIGN GUIDE
// NEXT STEPS
What I’d Tackle with More Time
Revenue Model.
To ensure financial sustainability, we set subscription prices based on costs plus a 40% markup.
Educational institutions pay between $1,000 and $20,000 annually, depending on customization and enrollment.
Individual users can subscribe for $14.99 per month or $9.99 per month with annual billing.
The minimum price calculation is as follows:
Minimum Price = Total Monthly Costs to Cover + 40% Markup = $8.4
Designed for Everyone.
// USER'S THOUGHTS ABOUT NETWISE
My Learnings.
Builds Early Networking Skills & Confidence
NetWise helps students develop essential networking abilities from the start of their academic journey, setting them up for future career success.
Enhances Engagement Through Metahuman AI
Learning to network by interacting with a lifelike Metahuman AI is far more engaging and effective than passive video tutorials, providing real-time feedback and immersive practice.
Simulations Increases Confidence in Conversations
AI-driven simulations and guided practice reduce anxiety, making it easier for students to initiate and sustain professional interactions.
Personalized Paths to Networking
Tailored recommendations and structured learning paths ensure students improve their networking skills at their own pace.
// WHAT ARE THE KEY PAIN-POINTS?
Difficulty Finding Personalized Ingredient
Walmart shoppers struggle to find ingredients that meet their dietary preferences and health goals.
Time-Consuming Meal Planning and Ingredient Selection
The lack of an organized meal planning system makes the process inefficient and overwhelming.
The above details are based on User Interviews, Survey Information, SUS Evaluation, Heuristic Evaluation and Think Aloud Sessions
// Frustration with Health-Conscious Shopping on Walmart
"I don’t have time to plan meals every week, and I often end up buying ingredients I don’t use, which just gets wasted."
Health-Conscious Millennial
"Shopping for the right ingredients is frustrating, especially when I’m trying to stick to a specific diet."
Fitness Enthusiast
"I spend too much time trying to figure out what to cook, and half the time, I end up buying things I don’t need."
Single Parent with a Busy Schedule
"I wish I could just get the exact ingredients I need without wasting time on things I won’t use."
Young Professional
But wait… how did we get here?
// INTERVIEWS
We conducted 27 interviews—13 with Walmart shoppers and 14 with individuals focused on health and wellness—to gather a wide range of insights for the project, out of which I conducted 9 interviews.
// RECURRING THEMES FROM OUR INTERVIEWS
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// SURVEYS
We conducted surveys to gather valuable quantifiable data and engage a broader user base, receiving 40 responses as of June 11, 2024. My role included designing the survey, crafting relevant questions, and analyzing the data to extract actionable insights.
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Meet James
James Carter, 36, a busy software engineer, struggles to find quick, healthy ingredients on the Walmart app for his high-protein, low-carb diet. He seeks AI-driven recommendations and automated meal planning to save time and stay on track with his fitness goals.
// CURRENT FLOWCHART
// WHAT ARE JAMES'S NEEDS?
1. Personalized Ingredient Recommendations
Must have:
James needs the platform to provide personalized ingredient suggestions that align with his dietary preferences and health goals.
Must Avoid:
The platform should avoid generic or irrelevant ingredient suggestions that do not fit his specific dietary restrictions or preferences.
2. Easy Meal Planning and Recipe Suggestions
Must have:
James requires a simple, intuitive system for meal planning, with curated recipe suggestions based on his goals and preferences.
Must Avoid:
The platform should avoid overwhelming him with complex recipe instructions or a cluttered interface that makes meal planning difficult.
3. Efficient Ingredient Shopping and Delivery
Must have:
James needs a seamless process to purchase ingredients for his meal plan directly through Walmart, with timely and convenient delivery options.
Must Avoid:
The platform should avoid any delays or confusion in the purchasing and delivery process that disrupt his meal planning or cause inconvenience.
The above details are based on user research and identified in collaboration with the Product Manager.
// THE RESULT
// How did I solve this?
