Enhancing the Target Shopping Experience
Target Embodied shopping
Enhancing the Target Shopping Experience
Today's supermarket shopping can often feel monotonous. With the convenience of online shopping, basic purchasing needs are easily satisfied. Therefore, physical supermarkets need to focus on enhancing the shopping experience and making it more engaging and enjoyable. This project aims to optimize the in-store experience at Target by incorporating fun and functional interactive designs.
Background
Role
Primary research, Secondary research, Survey, Interview, Field observation, Data synthesis, Brainstorm & Ideation, Wireframe
Collaborators
Esther Wang, Keerty Pavani
Method and Tool
Method: Competitive analysis, Observation, Interview, Survey, Wireframing, Prototyping, Card sorting, User testing
Tool: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Miro, Sketch
The in-store shopping experience at Target has several shortcomings. This project aims to address these primary pain points in a fun and engaging way to enhance the user experience. The main issues include:
Congestion in smaller Target stores
Difficulty in locating needed products
Boredom while waiting in line
Core design principles to follow:
Gamification, incentivization, simplicity without adding customer burden, and increasing future customer retention.
Target App and Shopping Cart
To make the design activities simple for customers, all our designs and enhancements will be integrated into the Target store's app. The shopping carts will be equipped with holders specifically designed to hold smartphones.
00.
01.
Addressing the problem of road congestion in smaller Target stores
The cost of obtaining coupons is minimal, which encourages customers to participate in the treasure hunt. Once customers join the treasure hunt, they will be directed to less crowded areas
When congestion is detected ahead, the app will automatically display a treasure hunt page. Users have 15 seconds to accept the invitation; if no action is taken, the page will disappear.
Automatic Treasure Hunt Activation
Guided Routes to Less Crowded Areas
If the user quickly accepts the treasure hunt, they can follow a simple route provided by the app to reach a less crowded area.
Rewards for Participation
Upon reaching the designated location, the customer will receive a small shopping coupon worth $1 to $2 as a reward.
02.
Difficulty Finding Desired Products
We have added a feature that generates a shopping route based on the customer’s shopping list. This feature guides customers to their desired products based on their current location.
After customers upload their shopping list, the system automatically generates the list.
01.
Smart Generation
The generated routes help customers maximize shopping efficiency and avoid the anxiety of not finding products. If customers have difficulty locating a desired item, they can refer to location markers.
The system remembers frequently purchased items and provides recommendations.
02.
Personalized Recommendations
Routes are generated based on the items in the customer's shopping list.
03.
In-Store Navigation
04.
Product Alerts
When customers approach an item on their list, they receive an alert with the approximate location of the product.
Difficulty Finding Desired Products
03.
To enhance the waiting experience, a mini-game is embedded in the Target app for users to play while queuing. When customers enter the queue area, they can activate the AR system in the app to scan nearby shelves and find the Target Bullseye dog. Users have 5 seconds to tap and collect the dog, ensuring it doesn't cause additional congestion.
Bullseye puppies have 40 designs. With the popular trend of NFT collectibles, users can randomly scan for a Bullseye puppy each time they queue, and collecting all Bullseye NFTs earns coupons or points.
Forgot Your Phone?
Bullseye Will Remind You!
04.
We are concerned that users might forget their phones in the shopping cart holder. To address this, if the system detects that a customer has left their phone in the cart after checking out, Bullseye will emit a barking sound to remind the user to take their phone with them.
Then, How did we get there?
Here's the process
Discovery
Problem - Enhancing the User Shopping Experience
Refine the Problem: Break down into specific issues to identify pain points.
Competitive Analysis: Study how other supermarkets shape the shopping experience.
Secondary Research: Identify common user pain points through secondary research.
Definition
Ethnographic Research and Data Analysis
Quantitative Research: Conduct surveys to gather quantitative data.
Qualitative Research: Perform user interviews to gather qualitative insights.
In-Store Observation: Analyze user behavior through in-store observations to understand their needs.
Problem Solving
Design and Solve Problems
Design Process:
Create and optimize the user journey.
Use group brainstorming and card sorting to generate design ideas.
Develop wireframes.
Usability Testing
Iterate and Improve
Final Output
Design Details and Usability Testing
Design Style: Align with the existing app style for prototypes.
Usability Testing: Conduct further user testing and gather feedback.
Iterative Improvement: Continuously improve design based on user feedback and data analysis.
Experience issues are significant.
What are the inconveniences of shopping at Target?
We are using the Target store in Lafayette, Indiana, as the prototype and data source for our experience design improvements.
Interview
We interviewed 3 shoppers in their 20s who have a habit of shopping weekly.
Summarized user needs:
Users want clear and convenient information, reduced queue times, and more diverse and enjoyable shopping experiences, including service optimization, atmosphere improvement, and fun activities.
Survey research
We distributed 40 questionnaires and interviewed 3 habitual shoppers, leading to these key conclusions:
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89% of users encountered congestion issues in the supermarket.
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The acceptable waiting time for most people is 3-5 minutes.
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76% prefer shopping alone and using a shopping cart.
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98% use their phones while shopping, primarily to look up product information and compare prices.
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63% use a shopping list while shopping and prefer to record it on their phone.
89% experienced congestion problems
62% use their phones to record shopping lists
Observation
We observed our prototype Target store over two afternoons and one evening. Our simple floor plan sketch revealed that the layout influences shoppers' routes, causing congestion and difficulty in finding products.
However, making significant layout changes is challenging.
Afternoon
Evening
What is the current status of supermarket shopping experience based on data analysis?
1. Crowded Aisles: The produce and fresh food sections are packed all day.
2. Using Phones: Shoppers use phones to search for products, interrupting their shopping.
3. Wandering: Shoppers often wander around looking for items.
4. Shopping Lists: Some shoppers have their own lists.
5. Finding Items: Customers move around searching for items, often backtracking to check labels.
Then! We got some result...
We categorized the issues customers face into three types of "inconveniences."
1. Informational Inconvenience:
Customers lack product information and location guidance and feel confused by the cluttered in-store information.
2. Navigational Inconvenience:
Customers frequently encounter congestion and have to wait in line to check out.
3. Service Inconvenience:
Customers miss out on engaging experiences and atmosphere, and there is a lack of in-store guidance and activities.
We have identified the following four types of user pain points:
1. Confusion - Product Information
Customers find it hard to locate products and are often confused by store information, requiring frequent searches or wandering.
2. Slow - Checkout
Customers experience long wait times at checkout, sometimes exceeding 10 minutes during peak hours.
3. Crowded / Aisles
Customers often encounter crowded aisles while searching for products, leading to delays and further congestion.
4. Boring / Experience
The shopping experience is dull and lacks excitement for customers.
Then, what cause these pain points?
In order to come up with more reasonable solutions, I have reflected on the connections between the above-mentioned issues and their underlying logic, leading to the following conclusions.
1. Congestion Unawareness:
Small supermarket size leads to common congestion, blocking more people with no awareness or avoidance.
2. Waiting Time:
Customers have nothing to do during long waiting periods.
3. Information Difficulty:
Poor product categorization makes finding information tedious and challenging for users.
Through data and pain point analysis, we brainstormed and compared the pros and cons of different solutions. We ultimately chose the final design plan.
Enhancing Overall Enjoyment
Process Optimization
Overcrowded
Too long waiting time
After selecting the feasible solution, we proceeded with the design work. We focused on certain details in the design:
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Emphasized the presence of Bullseye as the main guiding NPC.
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Minimized the amount of text and actions required from users to make it a convenient shopping aid.
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Aligned the UI design style with the original app’s design and standards.
Introduce the Bullseye mascot as the guiding NPC when users enter the app. Using Bullseye, a well-known and brand-representative mascot, makes the guidance system more engaging and fun, while enhancing brand recognition.
Follow Target's original app design style:
1. Use red (#BA2821) as the main color, with black and white as secondary colors. Maintain existing spacing, fonts, and rounded corners.
2. Display content with simple, minimalist designs. Avoid unrelated elements on main pages.
3. Use richer UI designs for NFT collection pages to boost engagement.
Simplify text and reduce actions to make the app easy to use while shopping, ensuring quick understanding and minimal screen interaction.
We've try our design following the user journey.
01.
Open the Target app on the phone.
03.
Place the phone on the shopping cart to start shopping.
02.
Access the homepage and receive a welcome message.
04.
Shop using user's shopping list and follow the recommended route.
05.
Bullseye guides user through shopping, with pop-up pages for better product search.
06.
As user approach needed items, a pop-up page indicates their general direction.
07.
When nearing congested areas, the "Treasure Hunt" game appears. Customers can play to avoid congestion.
08.
The Treasure Hunt is timed and must be completed within 2 minutes.
09.
Receive a reward coupon upon completing the Treasure Hunt.
10.
While waiting in line, click the game button for a quick 10-30 second mini-game.
11.
Use the coupons earned from the Treasure Hunt at checkout or on your next shopping trip.
12.
After shopping, if your phone is still on the cart, Bullseye will alert you.
We conducted usability tests with 3 Purdue University students aged 18-26. The tests were carried out in a Target store or in their apartments.
Task 1:
When you approach the milk you often buy, a pop-up page appears. Please interact with this feature and share your thoughts.
Task 2:
On your way to the fruit section, a Treasure Hunt page pops up. Please interact with it and tell us how you feel.
Task 3:
While waiting in line, a game page pops up. Please interact with it and share your experience.
User 1: Don't like Fruit Ninja game
"I quite like the reminder feature that tells me where things are. It saves me from searching while shopping. But I probably won't play the Fruit Ninja game while waiting in line... I can play my own downloaded games, and Fruit Ninja is really boring."
User 2: Like barking dog! But Don't like the little game part... I have my own game !
"I love the dog barking feature; it's so cute. But I hope it's not too sensitive. If it barks even when I haven't forgotten my phone, that would be embarrassing.
Regarding the games, it would be better if Fruit Ninja could be replaced with other games. AR also drains a lot of battery, and I don't want to play games that I can download and play myself."
From this feedback, it’s clear that the queuing games are the least favored part. Customers do want to pass the time while waiting in line, but they don't enjoy playing mini-games like Fruit Ninja.
Based on this, we redesigned the time-passing feature for queuing to make the AR functionality more enjoyable. After much research and brainstorming, we decided to replace the games with a feature where users can collect Bullseye mascots.
Branding
Bullseye, as Target's brand mascot, enhances Target's brand image and serves as a strong brand representative.
NFT Model
We designed Bullseye in various outfits and styles, creating a series of trendy art collectible models. Ultimately, we based the "Collect Bullseyes" feature on the recent trend of NFT collections and AR collection games.
AR
While waiting in line, customers can open the AR feature and search for Bullseyes on the shelves. Once found, customers can tap on the Bullseye to collect it, and it will automatically be added to their Bullseye collection book. By shopping at Target and checking out multiple times, customers can gradually complete the Bullseye set. Upon collecting the full set, customers can unlock Target coupons or receive gifts.
1. When upgrading an existing product or designing new features, it's important to research the stakeholders' brand, history, current technology, and future direction. This greatly aids in design and product positioning.
2. Providing tangible benefits to users, such as coupons and gifts, can encourage more interaction with the product. However, it is also worth considering other interesting ways to attract users.
3. Observation is an effective user research method. When there is a clear target user group, observing user behavior allows designers to quickly, effectively, and cost-efficiently gather basic information and user needs.
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