Sweet Cakes is a local bakery that provides an online cake ordering service. The primary design goal was to create a seamless, convenient, enjoyable, and user-friendly experience for customers ordering cakes online.
UX/UI designer leading the app and responsive mobile app and website design from conception to delivery. Conduct interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conduct usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs, determining information architecture and responsive design.
I conducted user interviews and transformed the insights into empathy maps to gain a deeper understanding of the target users and their needs. I found that many users prioritize accountability, a straightforward checkout process, and confirmation that their order is being processed. However, numerous online cake ordering websites are often overwhelming and difficult to navigate, turning what should be an enjoyable experience into a frustrating one.
Based on the insights gathered during my research, I developed two distinct user personas. Each persona represents specific needs when placing orders, including factors related to time, distance, and alternative options for key ingredients.
A competitive audit was completed to identified gaps and opportunities to enhance the overall design. By examining competitors’ approaches, I gained valuable insights into industry best practices and innovative features that resonate with users. This information will help refine the design to better meet customer needs, enhance user experience, and capitalize on market opportunities.
Competitive Audit
After ideating and creating paper wireframes, I developed the initial design for the Sweet Cakes responsive website. These designs prioritize providing a user-friendly experience and a seamless process for ordering cakes. Starting with the initial site map, I decided to take a different approach and map out the competitors websites and discover what their site maps look like, which in turn made it creating a site map with ease knowing what I was up against.
To prepare for usability testing, I created a low-fidelity prototype that connected the user flow for the cake ordering process. You can view the prototype via the link below.
Sweet Cakes Low-Fidelity Prototype
The primary findings from the usability study indicate that users wish to easily locate the nearest Sweet Cake Bakery locations. Additionally, during the checkout process, they would like a streamlined method for entering shipping information, with the option to automatically transfer this data to the billing section when applicable.
The high-fidelity prototype followed the same user flow as the low-fidelity prototype, including design changes made after the usability study. You can view the prototype via the link below.
Sweet Cakes High-Fidelity Prototype
While designing the Cinepop Theaters mobile snack app, I found that the initial concepts were merely the foundation of the development process. The early ideas provided a starting point, but it was through iterative design and refinement that the app truly evolved. Usability studies, which involved real users interacting with the app, and peer feedback, which offered valuable perspectives from colleagues, were instrumental in guiding these iterations. Each round of testing and feedback highlighted areas for improvement, allowing me to make informed adjustments to enhance the app’s functionality and user experience. This iterative approach ensured that the final design effectively met user needs and preferences, ultimately leading to a more refined and user-centric product.
If you like what you see and want to work together, get in touch!
rebecca@rshankardesign.com