Baking It Real

Baking It Real offers cookie kits that help customers preserve family traditions with added convenience. Each kit includes easy-to-follow instructions and pre-measured dry ingredients, providing a “made from scratch” experience without the mess, hassle, or waste.

Objective

Having achieved local success, Baking It Real seeks to expand their e-commerce business but has identified a need to increase their conversion rate from prospective to actual customers. They also aim to understand how well users comprehend their product and navigate the website.

Our team addressed this challenge through comprehensive research, data synthesis, wireframe creation, and usability testing, refining the wireframes based on user feedback. Tasks and deliverables were managed using a Kanban board, and the project culminated in a video presentation for the client.

Users:

  • Self-purchasers

  • Gift Givers

  • Employee Appreciation Gifts

Tools:

  • diagrams.net

  • Excalidraw

  • Figma

  • Google Workspace

  • Photoshop

  • Zoom

Process & Methodology:

  • Stakeholder Interview

  • Cognitive Walkthrough

  • Fly-on-the-wall Observation

  • Competitive Analysis

  • Directed Storytelling

  • Usability Testing

  • Heuristic Analysis

  • Content Audit

  • Information Architecture Diagramming

  • Affinity Diagramming

  • Personas

  • Scenarios

  • Journey Mapping

  • Touchpoint Strategy Mapping

  • Wireframing

  • A/B Testing

Team: Andrew, Samantha, Jenna, Tad, Colleen

Research

The project began with an interview with one of Baking It Real’s owners, who provided a Holiday Collection Cookie Kit. Our team conducted a cognitive walkthrough and fly-on-the-wall observations while baking the cookies to gain hands-on product insights.

  • Colleen and Jenna conducted a competitive analysis of similar websites.

  • I performed a content audit of the Baking It Real website and created an updated information architecture diagram.

  • Samantha analyzed Baking It Real’s social media presence.

  • Andrew conducted a heuristic analysis of the website.

Additionally, Andrew, Colleen, and I conducted directed storytelling interviews, while Jenna and Samantha led usability testing sessions on the current website.

Current Information Architecture

Synthesis

We synthesized our findings using an affinity diagram, which highlighted areas for improvement in the website’s structure. Using these insights, I created a simplified information architecture diagram. Jenna and Andrew developed user personas, scenarios, and journey maps to illustrate a typical customer’s experience on the Baking It Real website.

Proposed Information Architecture

Personas

Journey Maps

Design

Samantha and Colleen translated the research findings into rapid wireframes using Excalidraw. These prototypes were reviewed, and feedback was incorporated into high-fidelity wireframes in Figma.

Andrew and I conducted A/B testing comparing the existing website to the high-fidelity wireframes, while Jenna created a touchpoint strategy map detailing a customer’s journey with Baking It Real after implementing our recommendations.

The A/B testing results indicated an average 26% increase in meeting customer expectations, purchase satisfaction, and product understanding. Additionally, our designs achieved an 87% success rate in guiding customers from the homepage through the checkout process.

Client Presentation

The presentation (mp4) storyboard was created to outline key insights and recommendations, followed by a slide deck featuring assets and high-fidelity wireframes. The team collaboratively developed the script, and I ensured design consistency across the presentation.

In Conclusion

We recommend that once Baking It Real implements the proposed website changes, they explore additional touchpoint strategies, such as partnering with family-focused bloggers, creating a testimonials page, and including physical promo codes in their cookie kits.

Furthermore, we suggest that Baking It Real continuously monitor website analytics to confirm that these changes are effectively increasing customer conversion rates.