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What Was Holding
Users Back?
Rick Owens' e-commerce site was hard to navigate, with accessibility and usability issues dragging down user satisfaction. We compared the experience against major competitors like Gucci, Zara, and Supreme to find the gaps—and then set out to fix them.
My role in the fix
As a part of university project, I teamed up with 3 others for the research phase, but when it came to redesigning and testing the new experience, I took the lead solo. The goal? To take everything we learned and turn it into a smoother, more user-friendly site.
Project breakdown
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Overall: 8 weeks
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Research & analysis: 4 weeks
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Redesign & testing: 4 weeks
For best experience view desktop version
The project started with analysing the website for usability and accessibility issues with aspects like top tasks, accessibility, performance, satisfaction, psychology & UI, biometrics and heuristics
Identifying top tasks
-tasks that matter the most to the users
Accessibility evaluation
#Problem 1
Very small text
Issue: Wave (WebAIM, 2020) Analysis identified instances of very small text, compromising Perceivable Design.
Impact: Small text reduces readability, causing eye strain and frustration, leading to poor user experience and potential site abandonment. It also limits accessibility for visually impaired users.
#Problem 2
Missing form labels
Issue: Wave (2020) Analysis identified that several form fields lack descriptive labels, compromising the clarity and understandability of the design.
Impact: Missing form labels confuse users and hinder navigation, making it difficult for users, especially those with disabilities, to complete forms accurately. This can lead to errors and decreased usability.
Satisfaction evaluation
Evaluating satisfaction is crucial for building consumer trust and loyalty. We conducted both qualitative and quantitative testing, using task-based think-aloud protocols and SUS surveys.
In comparison with its competitors, Rick Owens underperforms across multiple factors, including ease of use, need for support, and confidence in usage. Users also found Rick Owens' website more cumbersome and inconsistent, which reflects lower satisfaction in comparison to Gucci.
Psychology and UI evaluation
#Problem 3
Lack of dual coding
Issue: Analysis revealed a lack of dual coding (e.g., color and text labels) on key elements, affecting Understandable Design.
Impact: Without dual coding, users relying on assistive tools or those with color blindness may struggle to interpret information, leading to confusion, missed content, and decreased usability.
#Problem 4
Lack of common region for products and filters
Issue: Analysis identified a lack of a clearly defined common region for products and filters, impacting Operable Design.
Impact: The lack of a unified area for products and filters causes confusion, increasing task time and user frustration, which can lead to shopping abandonment.
Biometrics evaluation
#Problem 5
Poor visual hierarchy
Issue: Heatmaps revealed that crucial areas of the website received very low user attention, indicating a poor visual hierarchy.
Impact: Low attention on key areas hinders users from finding desired information, contributing to low satisfaction and increased task difficulty.
Heuristics evaluation
Redesign
#Problem 6
Poor visibility of error messages
Issue: Error messages were not clearly distinguishable from the rest of the page, making them easy to miss.
Impact: Users may not notice or understand errors, leading to failed tasks and decreased satisfaction. Highlighting errors in red improves visibility and aids quick resolution.
#Problem 7
Complicated filter system
Issue: The filter list was not intuitive, causing users to struggle with narrowing down their search effectively.
Impact: A poorly designed filter system adds unnecessary friction to the product search process, reducing the overall efficiency and enjoyment of the browsing experience.
Product search page
Impact
A/B testing
Product details page
Home page
Shopping bag page
The statistics clearly show that the redesigned website performed better than the original site.
Performance evaluation
Biometrics evaluation
Eye tracking analysis shows that the redesign grabs user attentions towards key information on all pages
Both the qualitative and quantitative test shows that the
redesigned site (SUS score - 72) is 53%more satisfying to use than the original Rick Owens (SUS score - 42.
Key takeaways
Satisfaction evaluation
#1
User Research Uncovers Hidden Pain Points
Observing real users helped identify navigation issues and accessibility gaps that weren’t obvious at first glance.
#2
Aesthetic vs. Function: Striking the Right Balance
A visually bold design should not come at the cost of usability—refining the experience while maintaining brand essence was key.
#3
Small Changes, Big Impact
Streamlining navigation, improving readability, and optimizing checkout can significantly enhance user satisfaction and conversions.