Role - Lead UX Designer
Responsibilities - user research, wireframing, prototyping
Overview
ShoeFinder App will identify the best shoes based on their interests and needs.
Challenge
According to the Annual Outdoor Participation Trends Report, outdoor recreation saw a 4.1% increase in participation in 2023, reaching a record 175.8 million people—57.3% of all Americans aged six and older. Participation grew across various demographics and activities as more casual adventurers took up hiking, biking, camping, running, and fishing.
With this surge in outdoor interest comes an overwhelming array of gear choices, spanning countless brands, models, and features. Navigating these options can be daunting, making it difficult to find the right gear for specific needs. For this app, I will focus solely on footwear, simplifying the decision-making process for outdoor enthusiasts seeking the perfect pair of shoes.
Goal
The app will help you find the perfect outdoor footwear whether for casual walks or rugged terrain by guiding you through a questionnaire to recommend the best options.
User Research: Summary
I conducted primary interviews within my personal network and complemented my findings with secondary research, including testimonials and articles. Many people expressed feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of shoe options available. Additionally, cost emerged as a significant barrier—high-quality shoes are often expensive, making it challenging for budget-conscious individuals to find durable, high-performing options without compromise.
From my research, I developed a user persona, Jamie Yi, to represent key pain points and frustrations that hinder the shoe-buying experience. To further analyze the user’s journey, I created a user journey map that outlines their actions, experiences, and decision-making process, helping to identify opportunities for improvement.
User Pain Points
Problem Statement:
Jamie is an avid hiker seeking a faster, more efficient way to find the right hiking shoes to reduce the risk of injury.
Journey Map
Goal: Search for hiking shoes that fits Jamie’s specific needs.
Goal
Our shoe finder app will let users identify options for hiking shoes efficiently and quickly which will affect hikers by empowering them with tailored choices, saving them time and money. We will measure effectiveness by analyzing purchases and click through rates.
Based on the goal statement, we designed a user flow map outlining the typical journey a user takes in the Shoe Finder app to complete a task. Task completion is achieved when the user successfully finds their desired pair of shoes. The big picture storyboard highlights key pain points in the user journey and the user needs, the context, and why the product will be useful to the user such as the challenges of searching for and deciding on the right pair. It also demonstrates how the app streamlines the process, making it easier for users to navigate and find the perfect shoes effortlessly.
A comprehensive competitive audit was conducted by analyzing several major retailers and brands within the market. Research revealed that while most stores featured well-structured navigation systems, the sheer volume of product options, brands, and specialized categories created an overwhelming experience. This excess of choices often led to decision fatigue, making it challenging to efficiently find and select the products that best suited their needs.
Exploring Solutions
We began the design process by sketching initial paper wireframes, translating our ideas into tangible layouts that prioritized ease of use. Our goal was to create a seamless application that simplifies the often overwhelming task of researching the vast array of outdoor footwear options. These early sketches allowed us to refine the user flow, ensuring minimal setup and a frictionless experience right from the start.
Once we established a strong foundation with paper wireframes, we transitioned to digital prototyping, where we fine-tuned the interface and interactions. The streamlined design allows users to access essential features immediately upon launching the app. Additionally, we incorporated a "Latest News" section, providing users with real-time updates on industry trends and innovations in the broader footwear market. This ensures that users are always informed about new technologies, styles, and advancements in outdoor footwear.
Usability testing revealed…
We found that users preferred a more streamlined and intuitive experience. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by a long list of questions, they wanted to make progress one step at a time, answering a single question at a time helped them feel more in control. Additionally, instead of an app solely focused on showcasing shoes, several users expressed interest in seeing which vendors carry the specific shoes they’re interested in. This would give them the flexibility to choose where to purchase, rather than being directed to a single store.
Using these insights, I created an updated prototype. This iteration gave users room to "breathe" as they moved through the questionnaire at a manageable pace. They also appreciated having multiple purchasing options on the results page, which gave them more autonomy and choice. Building on this feedback, I then developed the final mockup design and high-fidelity prototype in Figma.
