DesignLab Provided Responsive Web Design
Project Type
Duration
1 month
Research
UX Research Wireframes
Prototype Testing
Role
Simbe delivers market-leading product availability & price integrity, so you can improve store performance and labor efficiency.
Simbe Robotics is a company that leverages robotics and AI to enhance retail operations and inventory management. Their primary product, Tally, is an autonomous robot that scans store shelves to help retailers detect problems such as out-of-stock items, pricing errors, and misplaced products.
Background
Problem
Not everyone understands how autonomous robots work, and some may fear job losses or be unsure how to interact with the robot. The website does not clearly explain how this robot helps grocery stores succeed, which can be frustrating for users unfamiliar with autonomous technology.
Include a tabbed interface for each store that uses Tally, providing information about the store, its status before and after incorporating Tally, and how employees are affected. Add pictures of people interacting with the robot.
Solution
Design Process
Research
I was curious to see how competitors present information about their robotic products, given that it's a subject many people aren't knowledgeable about and tends to have more negative than positive opinions. I explored three different competitor sites: Badger Technologies, Zippedi and Brain Corp.
Competitive Analysis
I interviewed five users with the research objectives of assessing their ability to understand the product through self-exploration of the website, the time it takes them to grasp the concept, and their general opinions about robots in grocery stores.
User Interview
Semi-Positive View The overall average opinion about robots was somewhat positive, rated 6 out of 10.
Insights
Job Security Concerns
Some users expressed concerns about robots potentially taking over jobs in the future, fearing either losing their own jobs or that their employees might lose theirs.
Need for Demonstrated Impact
Users didn't recognize any of the East Coast stores that utilize Simbe’s Tally. They expressed a desire to see concrete examples of how Tally helps stores improve profits.
Desire for Comprehensive Understanding
As users explored, their curiosity grew, and they sought a deeper understanding of how the robot works, though it took time to fully grasp its functions.
Homepage Navigation Patterns
During the user interviews, I observed that people primarily explored the homepage vertically to learn about the robots and their capabilities.
Limited Direct Encounters
Few users had seen autonomous robots in person before, and some expressed nervousness about approaching one.
Define
Semi-Positive View
Job Security Concerns
Lack of Brand Recognition
Limited Direct Encounters
Homepage Navigation Patterns
Desire for Comprehensive Understanding
Key Points
Understanding my users' needs, I created my POV and HMW statements to guide the development of design solutions. These statements were chosen to address users concerns.
Pov and Hmw
Pov
I want to help people better understand how Tally benefits companies without compromising worker needs, as they are concerned about the impact of robots on their jobs.
How might we show more efficiently that Tally wouldn’t sacrifice the need of people, who are concerned about impact of using a robots at their job?
How might we show more efficiently how Tally benefit companies?
Hmw
Personas
Persona 1
Persona 2
To ensure the design solution best fits our users' needs, I created a survey and tested it out with 5 participants to evaluate the top 4 design solutions and determine which one users preferred the most.
Creative Thinking
Implement a tabbed interface with image carousel on the homepage, allowing users to click on grocery store logos to view a brief summary, including store locations, Tally's positive impact on workers and customers, and photos of Tally in action, such as taking selfies with people.
Chosen Solution
Why? Research showed that users prefer quick insights on companies using Tally's improvements, directly on the homepage. Interviews revealed strong interest in Tally’s interactions with people. A tabbed interface on the homepage helps, as users frequently scroll there to learn about Tally's impact on workers and company success, providing key info where they expect it.
Based on users' needs and goals, I developed and prioritized key features for the tabbed interface implementation.
Features & Prioritization
Video Overview Users can visually see Tally in action at specific grocery stores, providing a clear understanding of its role. Video content helps users grasp Tally’s functionality quickly.
Must Haves
Store Needs & Tally’s Abilities The image carousel will highlight the store’s needs before Tally’s introduction and how Tally can address those challenges.
Employee Responsibilities Explain how store employees’ roles have evolved post-Tally, demonstrating that workers remain essential despite Tally’s presence.
About the Store Provide a brief summary of each grocery store for users unfamiliar with them, allowing them to understand the store’s background.
Tally’s Impact Display measurable outcomes that Tally has contributed to, such as store performance improvements and effects on employee roles.
Tally & People Photos Showcase images of Tally interacting with employees and customers to ease concerns about autonomous robots and make them feel more relatable.
Task Flow
Key
Find a short description of BJ’s (Retail Store).
This reflects users who are unfamiliar with these retail stores and want to also learn Tally’s impact.
Task Flow
Design
I began sketching different designs and chose design number 4 (mobile number 2). I asked 3 people for their opinions, and they liked how the information was framed. There is also a similar iPad design on Simbe’s site that could help maintain consistency.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
By understanding our users' needs, I began creating high-fidelity designs for the tabbed interface. I later conducted several user tests and made multiple iterations based on the feedback. Below are screens of the high-fidelity tabbed interface.
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Testing
To ensure the tabbed interface met user needs and provided relevant information, I conducted user testing with 9 participants. Four sessions were done via video chat, where I observed actions and thought processes, while the other five were tested through "Maze."
High-Fidelity User Testing
Task Flow: Find a short description of BJ’s (Retail Store).
Results
Users wanted to see the total number of slides in the tabbed navigation.
Recommended shortening or breaking up text for better readability.
Blue icons and text should be more prominent for better visibility.
Suggested adding hints to indicate that store logos are clickable.
The user flow scored 7/10 for ease of use.
Users found the layout intuitive and easy to follow.
Iterations
I wanted to further explore my design to find even better ways to present the information in a user-friendly manner. Since I had a good understanding of what users preferred, I created several new designs based on the previous high-fidelity wireframes to look for improvements.
High-Fidelity Survey
Results
Wireframes 1 and 2 were the two favorites.
Users liked the iPad layout for its clear focal point.
Users preferred having one paragraph per image in the carousel.
I decided to combine the designs, knowing that less text on the screen helps with focus. This also gave me the opportunity to create more white space on each slide.
Iterations
Final Prototype
Final Thoughts
This was a unique project that taught me a lot about the subject matter. With more UX design experience, I enjoyed practicing different design process steps and honing my skills.
Reflection & Next Steps
Insight
I appreciated incorporating A/B testing into this project. By adding surveys to the design process, I created a solution that better catered to user needs.
Challenges
The main challenge was learning a subject I wasn’t familiar with. However, I found the deep dive into user research engaging and fulfilling. I now feel like quite the robotics expert.
I would have tested mobile prototypes on users' phones from the start instead of on computers. Testing on phones provides a more accurate representation of how the screens will be used, allowing for earlier adjustments.
Things I Could Have Done Differently
Next Steps
Moving forward, I would test the design with a new set of users unfamiliar with robotics. Although I tried various users, testing with those with no prior knowledge would offer fresh insights into the design’s functionality.