Research
Competitive Analysis
I conducted a competitive research analysis for my UX redesign of Cool Beans to gain insights into industry standards, identify strengths and weaknesses in existing designs, and uncover opportunities for innovation. By analyzing competitors’ websites and apps, I aimed to understand user expectations, enhance usability, and create a more engaging, seamless experience tailored to coffee shop patrons.
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Each brand showcased strong, consistent branding with clear color palettes and unique visual elements. Dunkin’ and Caribou Coffee particularly stood out for their personalized typefaces and branded imagery, enhancing their unique identities. Starbucks and Bizarre Coffee kept their designs minimalistic but effective, reflecting simplicity and modernity. Establishing a consistent and personalized brand identity is essential to ensure user recognition and trust
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Navigation structures varied, but simplicity and clarity were crucial. Starbucks and Caribou Coffee demonstrated strong information architecture with straightforward navigation bars and responsive designs. Conversely, Tinto’s Coffee House lacked key navigational elements, such as a clear “Order Now” or “Menu” option, which hinders user flow and limits ordering capabilities. Effective navigation improves user satisfaction by streamlining decision-making and providing easy access to primary features.
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Most websites emphasized CTAs within their hero sections. Starbucks and Caribou Coffee effectively prioritized their CTAs, with clear prompts for ordering or joining rewards programs. In contrast, Dunkin’ Donuts presented conflicting priorities with unclear placement of important actions like “Order Now.” Proper content prioritization ensures users immediately understand what actions are available and encourages desired user behaviors.
Usability Test Key Finds
I conducted a small usability study around the current website layout and gathered metrics on its overall performance. It was concluded that the current website lacked structure and had no business goal in mind. Multiple users stated that the homepage lacked an “order now” section, and information about the business.
“I would like to add a order now option on the first page to make it easier on customers.”
Usability Tester
“I would pay attention to more color and how that affects imagery”
Usability Tester
“No filters to help categorize my options. There's also so many different options to choose from that I didn’t know which whole beans bag to choose.”
Usability Tester
Visual Score
Key Metric
When asked about the visual strengths of the current layout, users averaged a 3.3/10, hindering the website’s potential to drive consumers into interacting with their website.
Mood Board
I then moved to creating a mood board. This was not only fun, but also valuable to me in deciding on the branding and tone of the new website redesign for Cool Beans.
*At this stage, I decided to update the branding to a more refreshed, modern, clean look to it as the logo had already done so.