SOLCO.BLACK
The SO(U)L BOX is a one-of-a-kind, tailored subscription box that is carefully curated with products from a diverse range of Black-owned businesses.
Sol Co is deeply committed to the idea that a strong and empowered Black-owned economy can bring about positive change in the world. During her visit to Seattle, the company's Founder and I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with Black-owned businesses in the area. Our objective was to understand the needs and challenges of these businesses, and to explore ways in which SolCo's subscription model could be used to connect them with their local communities. We spent time bonding with minority-owned business-owners, sharing ideas, and workshopping ways to achieve their goal of economic empowerment for Black-owned businesses. SolCo remain’s committed to this goal and will continue to work towards it through meaningful engagement and collaboration.
Mostly I was able to hear Kny’s story in her own words to create her brand’s voice.
The Challenge
The old website was created out of necessity and had poor branding, unclear calls to action, and limited design.
How might we educate people on the history of the systemic injustices of black entrepreneurship while offering an economic solution?
Measurement of success:
Number of box subscriptions: This metric indicates the level of interest in the economic solution being offered. Tracking the number of box subscriptions over time can provide insight into how successful the website is at engaging visitors and encouraging them to take action.
Number of vendor signups: This metric indicates the level of engagement from black entrepreneurs and small business owners. Tracking the number of vendor signups over time can provide insight into how well the website is reaching its target audience and providing valuable resources for them.
Number of visitors to the site: This metric indicates the overall reach and popularity of the website. Tracking the number of visitors over time can provide insight into how well the website is performing in terms of visibility and engagement.
Subscriber rate: Measures the percentage of visitors who subscribe to the newsletter or follow the website on social media. This can indicate the level of engagement and interest in the content, and the potential for future engagement.
Conversion rate: Measures the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as buying a subscription box, or signing up as a vendor. This can indicate how well the website is achieving its goals and providing a clear path to engagement.
Sol Co does the tedious research to provide Black entrepreneurs with accurate knowledge and access to resources that will help grow their businesses. The focus is making the site useful, valuable, accessible and usable.
Rebranding
Tone and Voice
A brand's voice should be reviewed throughout rebranding to ensure that it still fits with its visual identity. The company's conviction that an empowered Black-owned economy will alter the globe needed to be expressed clearly. Afrofuturism had to be incorporated into the design rebrand. Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, a historical and scientific ideology that examines how African diaspora culture and science and technology interact.
Brand consistency: Consistency in visual elements, such as artwork, is crucial for building a recognizable and trustworthy brand. By using artwork that is on brand, a website can create a cohesive visual identity that is easily recognizable by visitors.
Visually appealing: Using artwork that is on brand can make a website more visually appealing. Visitors are more likely to engage with a website that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
Brand messaging: Artwork can be used to communicate brand messaging and values. By using artwork that aligns with the brand's messaging, a website can effectively communicate the brand's values and mission to visitors.
Enhancing User Experience: Using artwork that is on brand can improve the overall user experience. This can be achieved by creating a visually engaging and cohesive design, which can help visitors navigate the site more easily, and stay longer on the website.
Brand Identity: Brand identity is built through the consistent use of certain elements such as typography, color schemes, and imagery. By using artwork that is on brand, a website can help to establish and maintain a strong brand identity.
We carefully selected a font that is bold, clean, and sophisticated in order to enhance the readability and hierarchy of the design. The font plays a crucial role in creating a visual hierarchy and guiding the viewer's eye through the design. By using a font that is bold and clean, we were able to create a clear and easy-to-read design that is easy for users to navigate. The sophisticated aspect of the font adds a level of elegance to the design, which helps to establish trust and credibility with users. Overall, the font and typography were chosen with the intention of creating a visually pleasing and user-friendly design that is easy to read and navigate.
Imagery
Font Pairings
Synthesize Research
Card sorting + User Interviews
I used card sorting to understand how users categorized and organized information. It helped me to create a more intuitive and user-friendly information architecture by aligning it with the users' mental models. It also facilitated better navigation and allowed me to gather feedback from users at an early stage in the design process. I utilized card sorting to reveal hidden user requirements and repositioned the curating quiz during the checkout process, resulting in a more efficient and user-centered design.
We conducted qualitative research by interviewing Black-Owned businesses in the Seattle area to gather information about their behaviors, attitudes, needs, challenges, and aspirations.
User interviews were conducted to gather information about user needs and preferences in relation to the information architecture of a new site. The process involved defining the research goal, recruiting participants, preparing an interview guide, conducting the interviews, analyzing the data and using the insights to inform the design process. The goal of the interviews was to identify patterns and themes in user behavior and use this information to create a user-centered information architecture for the new site.
Previous Navigation
Card Sorting Results
Checkout now includes curating quiz
Insight #1
>80% of users were confused by the quiz
During the research process, it was discovered that users stumbled upon the quiz before they were prepared to subscribe and as a result, they left the quiz prematurely, without fully understanding the mission. As a result, the quiz to curate the user’s subscription settings was repositioned to the checkout flow. This solution is beneficial for the user because it addresses the problem of users leaving the quiz prematurely before fully understanding the mission. By repositioning the quiz to the checkout flow, the user is presented with the quiz at a more appropriate time when they have already decided to subscribe. This allows the user to fully understand the mission and make informed choices about their subscription settings, resulting in a more personalized and satisfactory experience. Additionally, this change will increase the chances of user engagement with the quiz and in turn, increase the chances of the user making an informed decision about the subscription settings that match their preference.
Insight #2
Users prefer subscriptions
A subscription ecommerce model allows businesses to establish a recurring revenue stream, providing a more predictable and stable source of income. Additionally, by offering personalized subscriptions, businesses can better cater to the individual needs and preferences of their customers, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Overall, a subscription ecommerce model can provide a sustainable solution for Black-Owned businesses by addressing their specific challenges and needs.
Key Insights + Application
Information Architecture
Wireframes + Design
The principle of the Aesthetic-Usability Effect, which states that an aesthetically pleasing design can lead to increased user satisfaction and perceived ease of use, was applied to the homepage during the design process.
It states that an aesthetically pleasing design can lead to increased user satisfaction and perceived ease of use. The idea behind the Aesthetic-Usability Effect is that people's brains respond positively to visually pleasing designs, which in turn leads them to believe that the design is more functional and user-friendly. Research has shown that an attractive design can create a positive emotional response in users, leading them to perceive the design as more usable and efficient. This is particularly important in e-commerce, where users may be more likely to make a purchase if they find the website visually appealing. In addition, a well-designed website can also help to establish trust and credibility with users, which is critical for online businesses.
Incorporating artwork created by Black artists into the website design was also important as it helped to build trust with the target users and establish credibility for the online business. This not only added a sense of cultural representation but also helped to create a positive emotional response and further strengthen the user-centered design.
Break the product to make sure it works
User testing + Quality Assurance
Our team underwent the Quality Assurance (QA) process to test our newly designed eCommerce website on both web and mobile platforms after completing the first round of iterations. We carefully examined the site for bugs and usability issues, ensuring that the product worked as intended and was user-friendly for our target audience. We also solicited feedback from users to make additional improvements to the design and user experience.
Correction #1
Guide the user's focus toward the call to action, remove unnecessary distractions.
Correction #2
By repositioning the quiz to the checkout flow, the user is presented with the quiz at a more appropriate time when they have already decided to subscribe.
By repositioning the quiz to the checkout flow, users are able to fully engage with the mission and understand what the subscription box offers before making a commitment. This allows them to make more informed choices about their subscription settings, resulting in a more personalized and satisfactory experience. Additionally, this solution addresses the issue of users leaving the quiz prematurely, as they are only presented with the quiz after they have made the decision to subscribe. This ensures that users are fully engaged and invested in the process, leading to a higher level of satisfaction with their subscription choices.
Issue: A clear call to action was still missing from the first iteration. In the first iteration of the design, it was found that it was too cluttered and not effectively directing the user's attention. The design was lacking a clear message, so the team decided to simplify the layout and prominently feature a primary button leading users to sign up for a subscription box. This change aimed to improve the user's experience and increase conversion rates.
The Results
eCommerce Platform for Subscription-Based Purchases.
The extensive redesign and rebranding of the eCommerce site, Solco.Black resulted in several positive outcomes. First and foremost, the new design and branding helped to improve the overall user experience. The new layout was clean, modern and easy to navigate, which made it easier for users to find the products they were looking for. The new branding also helped to establish a more recognizable and memorable image for the company, which helped to increase brand awareness and loyalty.
The new design and layout helped to guide users through the purchase process, which made it more likely that they would complete a purchase. The rebranding also helped to create a more professional and trustworthy image for the company, which increased users' confidence in making a purchase.
Another important outcome of the redesign and rebranding was an improvement in the site's search engine optimization (SEO). The new design and layout helped to make the site more search engine friendly, which helped to increase its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This, in turn, helped to drive more organic traffic to the site, which helped to increase sales.
Finally, the redesign and rebranding also helped to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. The new design and branding helped to create a more memorable and satisfying user experience, which helped to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. This, in turn, has increased repeat customers and customer lifetime value.
Overall, the redesign and rebranding of the eCommerce site was a successful endeavor that helped to improve the site's design, branding, conversion rate, SEO, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.
Ideas Looking to the future:
Integrating AI-powered personalization and recommendations
Adding more interactive and immersive features such as virtual try-on or augmented reality
Implementing a loyalty program for repeat customers
Offering subscriptions for different intervals (monthly, quarterly, etc.)
Expanding the product offerings to include more niche or specialty items
Introducing a gift-giving feature for subscribers to share their subscriptions with friends and family
Allowing for more customization options for subscribers to tailor their subscription preferences
Incorporating social media integration to enable seamless sharing and referral options
Building a community aspect to the platform by connecting subscribers and allowing them to share and discover new products and recommendations.
SOLCO.BLACK
