SVETLANA SILKINA
Product Manager & Designer
From Unaware to Empowered: Bridging the 50% Awareness Gap in In-Store Navigation
Summary
This case study tackles a familiar challenge that impacts both customer experience and operational efficiency: finding items in-store.
Research uncovered that a surprising half of Home Depot customers remain unaware of existing digital lookup tools. Even for those who try, frustrating issues like confusing aisle numbers create unnecessary friction.
This study outlines a clear, data-driven solution to bridge these gaps, streamline in-store navigation, and ultimately transform everyday frustrations into moments of efficiency and satisfaction for both customers and staff!
Deliverables:
Ready to Print Store Poster
Role:
UX Designer & Graphic Designer
Dates:
May 3, 2024 - June 4,2024
Tools:
Figma, Attention Insight AI Testing, Adobe InDesign
Discovery & Research
Home Depot Associates:
What percentage of customer questions are related to finding an item?
75%
50%
25%
Customers:
Did you know you can look up the store location of an item on our website and app?
Goals & Objectives
Goal 1
Understand the Scope of In-Store Item Location Challenges
Metric
Quantify the frequency of associate assistance requests and customer awareness of existing digital tools.
Goal 2
Identify Key Pain Points in Current Item Discovery Processes
Metric
Collect qualitative feedback on frustrations from both associates and customers regarding existing solutions and manual searches.
Research Activities
Associate Interviews/Surveys
Conducted structured interviews with 9 store associates across various departments to understand their daily routines, frequency of item location questions, and current methods for assisting customers.
Customer Surveys/Intercepts
Deployed brief surveys to 20 in-store customers to gauge their awareness of digital lookup tools, their experience with finding items, and common frustrations.
Observational Studies
Spent several weeks observing customer behavior in different store sections and how associates handled item location inquiries to identify real-world pain points and common navigational pitfalls.
NO
yes, and
experienced no problems
yes, but no aisle location was given since it was an online only item
yes, but couldn’t find the aisle it listed
Key Findings & Insights
Missed Sales Opportunities
The inability to easily find items leads to customer frustration, abandonment of purchases, and missed opportunities for impulse buys, directly impacting sales.
Low Digital Tool Awareness
5 out of 10 (50%) customers are completely unaware of the existing digital tools available to look up item locations on the store's website or app.
Usability Barriers for Engaged Users
Even for the customers who do attempt to use digital lookup tools, frustrating issues such as confusing or inconsistent aisle numbering and unclear navigation instructions create significant friction and deter self-service.
Ideate
From Insights to Solutions
Low Digital Tool Awareness
To directly address this awareness gap and unlock sales potential, I focused on making digital lookup tools impossible to miss at key in-store touch points.
Usability Barriers for Engaged Users
To eliminate this friction, I focused on making aisle information intuitive and accessible. This involved creating an aisle key directly on in-store posters, making it much clearer for customers to understand aisle numbering and quickly locate their items.
Original Signage Draft
Design Iteration & Testing
.jpg)
v.1 Baseline
Insight
-
Primary CTA is split
-
The QR code receives low focus
Adjustment
-
Connected primary CTA
-
Move the QR code where it will receive high focus
v.2 Boost Primary CTA
Insight
-
Increase in Primary CTA attention
-
Focus score drops from 94 to 66
Adjustment
-
Decrease size of Welcome section
-
Increase contrast and sizing of Primary CTA to stand out more
v.3 Boost Focus
Insight
-
Decrease 1 point in Focus Score
-
Welcome message is located in the middle of the poster, instead of the beginning
Adjustment
-
Welcome message moved to be above the QR code
-
Increased the size of the Welcome Banner to “funnel” the user’s eyes downward
-
Decreased Primary CTA text for better typographic hierarchy
-
Decreased QR code border so it would create a visual hierarchy
v.4 Focus Score Achieved
Insight
-
Focus score increase from 65 to 94
-
Attention on final step is low
Future Adjustment
-
Increase contrast of secondary CTA to boost attention
Evaluation
Validated UX Improvement
Through 4 rounds of Attention Insight AI testing, the digital tool discoverability and navigation clarity was significantly improved.
Highlights:
- QR code attention increased from 4.7% to 48.3%
-
Poster Focus score increased from 66 to 94, indicating the poster is easy to comprehend and interpret
Projected Business Impact
By empowering customers to find items effortlessly, I anticipate direct boosts in sales and satisfaction.
Highlights:
- Addressing 50% customer unawareness of digital tools will drive higher adoption, leading to fewer abandoned carts and increased purchases.
-
A seamless in-store experience fosters greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, translating to business growth.
Future Steps & Potential
Post-Launch Data Collection
Track live digital tool usage (QR scans, app lookups), time spent on search, and conversion rates for users engaging with the new features.
Qualitative Feedback
Conduct follow-up customer interviews and surveys to gather qualitative insights on the real-world impact of the improved experience.
Strategic Expansion
Based on confirmed success, explore opportunities to extend this solution to other store departments, introduce personalized item recommendations, or integrate with loyalty programs for an even deeper impact on customer engagement and lifetime value.