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Boozy Bombs

A unique beverage experience

Background

Boozy Bombs is a fictitious online based company that creates unique beverage experiences through bubbly flavors. The product, Boozy Bombs, is essentially a bath bomb for your beverage. During my graduate program at UW-Madison, I utilized a variety of UX research methods to identify the areas of opportunity and essential functionality for the creation of the Boozy Bombs site. Each component of research broken out below was compiled into a holistic design brief to provide background, insight, and proposed next steps going into the design-build-test phase of the design process.  The completed design brief is available to download on the button below.

Download Design Brief
Photo of a Boozy Bomb Product

Project Vision & User Research Plan

Objective & Goal

The objective of developing the website is to showcase the Boozy Bomb product, facilitate discovery and education of the product, create a special and memorable experience, and act as the main point of sale. Also, since Boozy Bomb is unlike any current product on the market, we will need to make the online experience as unique and exciting as this product is.

The goals of the development of the Boozy Bombs site is to create on online platform that is unique, intuitive, accessible, and fun. It should allow for customers to seamlessly learn about the product, create their own personal portfolio, customize product, and act as the main point of sale. This website should also allow seamless collaboration with outside social media platforms. In addition, the website will adhere to WCAG 2.0 standards and utilize accessibility best practices to ensure everyone can have the opportunity to experience what Boozy Bombs has to offer.

Need & Scope

In the growing demand and dependency of online shopping, the Boozy Bomb launch will utilize the expanding online markets to drive sales without the overhead of a storefront or stocking fees. Since there is no platform or point of sale currently for Boozy Bombs, the development of the website is essential for product launch. The specific technical needs for the target demographic will be covered in the Customer Value and Journey section of this design brief.

The scope of this project is the basic functionality of an online  marketplace connected to social media. It should also allow for customizable product selection. Out of scope for this project would include specific plugins directly linked to customer service personnel as the Boozy Bomb company does not yet have the funding or capacity to have a full time customer service agent monitoring the site at all times.

 

Target Demographic

  • Primarily females age 21-40
  • Dispensable income
  • Experience driven
  • Enjoys “fun” shopping at Target
  • Hops on social media trends to show that they have
    had a shared experience
  • Primarily online shoppers for their niche and
    lifestyle products
  • Plans custom events through apps like Pinterest

Project Vision & User Research Plan

User Interviews

Since the Boozy Bomb website has not yet been created user interviews were focused on the insights derived from direct and indirect competition. Additionally, the users discussed their personal online shopping habits and preferences. Common themes that were identified include: 

  • Link the website to social media platforms, allow users to create their profile from these platforms too
  • Product reviews or testimonials are essential and need to be associated on each product page
  • Less is more; keep it simple
  • Put the “why” in the foreground
  • Top 1/3 of the page is the most vital
  • Breadcrumbs must be clear and easy to follow
  • Make the website personal
  • Offer incentives to get information
  • Plant ideas with your category groupings

Competitive Analysis

Tabooze

Tabooze website screenshot

Pros:

  • Recipe tab that promotes creativity
  • Directly informs customers of what the product is/used for
  • Colorful with lots of imagery

Cons:

  • Website is not updated
  • Video links not embedded
  • Gaudy photos that are not organized, overall layout caused confusion in navigation
  • Banner takes up too much space
  • Cannot purchase from site
  • Does not appear to be a brand; noticeably just a product

Key Takeaways:

  • Update the website at least seasonally or include plug ins from outside sources that allow new or updated pieces
  • Promote creativity by showing new or different ways to use the product which will then inspire potential customers to purchase
  • Use colorful imagery strategically. The website should showcase the product, not takeaway from it
  • Keep it simple and clean
  • Build a brand, not just a product

Lush

Pros:

  • Clean and functional layout
  • Adapted most accessibility practices
  • Clear product description, ingredient list, label icons
  • Products organized in a thoughtful manner, category grouping conducive to shopping and purchase by product and price
  • Product reviews and testimonials directly on product page provide customers with assurance of quality product
  • Updated regularly with new holiday products
  • Product imagery clear and shows product as it arrives and in use

Cons:

  • Shipping page was disconnected from the rest of the website
  • Individual product names contained font that is hard to read

Key Takeaways:

  • Keep the layout simple, clean, and organized
  • Adhere to best accessibility practices in all functions of the website
  • Allow for real time updated customer reviews that ensure quality products,
  • There can also be testimonials that are submitted and updated through social media
  • Be upfront with ingredient labeling as it displays honesty to the customer

Survey

The Boozy Bomb survey was conducted on the Qualtrics platform and was limited to nine questions. These questions focused on habits of online shopping, what entices or deters making an online purchase, and their openness to purchasing food items online. These areas of questioning were determined by the user interviews and competitive analysis. In addition, Boozy Bomb plans to launch solely online making the habits of online shopping of the target customer vital knowledge moving forward.  From the survey results, four groups of users were clearly identified by how often they impulse buy online.  

Impulse purchasing 3+ times a week:

  • Only one respondent said that they impulse buy this often
  • Facebook and Amazon were the main platforms that dove the impulse purchasing
  • Product reviews were marked in two areas as important
  • Already buying edible products online

Impulse purchasing 1-2 time in one week:

  • Majority of respondents fell into this impulse buy
  • Instagram and Amazon are the biggest platforms that drive the impulse purchasing
  • A mix of social media advertisements and social media influencers are the two biggest influencers to why the buy a product
  • Long shipping times, poorly organized site, and not having payment information saved within the site were the biggest deterrents to online shopping or cause of an abandoned cart
  • All are open to or already purchase food products online
  • Majority only sometimes view the ingredient list for food they are purchasing online
  • Amazon is the biggest platform that food products are purchased from, followed by Instacart and ImperfectFoods

Impulse purchasing every other week:

  • Second highest majority of respondents fell into this group
  • Instagram was the consistent response for platforms that entice to purchase
  • Purchases were also mainly influenced by friend recommendations
  • The biggest deterrent for online purchasing is not having product or customer reviews
  • Most respondents were open to purchasing food online or already doing so
  • Majority bought their food online from Amazon, then Instacart and HelloFresh

Impulse purchasing once a month:

  • Only one respondent said they would impulse buy once a month
  • Facebook and social media advertisements were the main influencers to purchasing
  • They were not sure about purchasing food online but were open to it depending on the product
  • They do not read the ingredient list on the website but would buy from HelloFresh or ImperfectFoods

Persona

A Day in the Life of Meghan

The phone alarm sounds for another typical Friday morning. Meghan rolls out of bed to her cozy yet seemingly shrinking New York apartment. She goes to the kitchen to brew some pour over coffee from the latest
BeanBox subscription. As she waits for the first of many cups of caffeine to be ready, she scrolls through her Instagram; half due to boredom, half to see what her friends and favorite celebrities are up to.

After a long and seemingly endless day of meetings, emails, and coding, Meghan finally is able to log off from her work account and retire to her couch. An afternoon of Netflix paired with a glass or two of wine is her new happy hour. She scrolls through her Instagram, reminiscing about the amazing speakeasys she uncovered, late night taco trucks stumbled across, and other shenanigans that Friday night New York City had to offer. Maybe one day she can recreate a fancy meals or drink she had from one of those nights; but tonight, she was not in the mood for that
kind of effort.

Life Goals

Meghan wants to be:

  • A social butterfly
  • An interesting presence on social media
  • An influence for new and fun things for her friends and family
  • Looked to for advice on all things experience
  • A unique millennial with a trendy job, trendy friends, and trendy lifestyle

Experience Goals

Meghan wants to feel:

  • Engaged with the culture of the city and people around her
  • Excited by new experiences and new opportunities
  • Connected with friends and family
  • Enchanted mentally and physically by something new
  • A sense of normalcy, especially in her social life
  • Empowered to create her own experiences
  • Cool, interesting, and unique

End Goals

Meghan wants to:

  • Stay safe during the pandemic
  • Experience creative New York City bar and restaurant offerings in her own home, but without the work
  • Reconnect with friends, family, and co-workers
  • Make all purchases online
  • Live a life worth writing books about

User Experience Journey Map

Accessibility Requirements

Boozy Bomb was designed to be an inclusive and fun experience for all; from first click to last sip. A key component in ensuring that experience can be had by all, Boozy Bomb must adhere to the best accessibility practices as noted below: 

  • WCAG 2.0 standards
  • Link language
  • Alternative text
  • Zooming ability with same customer experience realized (200%)
  • Maximize coloring, text size, and font to adhere to usability best practices so the site is easily readable

Boozy Bomb Proposed Customer Value

From the identified opportunities uncovered in the research, the Boozy Bomb website will provide its new and potential customers unique value by: 

  • Allowing customers to create their own product and experience through customization of the product
  • Inspiring new product use ideas through the seasonally updated recipes and inspiration page
  • Establishing trust by allowing customer reviews and ratings directly on each product
  • Establishing trust by including clear and honest labeling of the product ingredients
  • Driving connection through the online collective that is connected by that sharing of a unique experience
  • Ensuring an accessible experience for all customers