E-Commerce Website

UX Case Study

IndiaMart

Project Overview

IndiaMart, India’s largest B2B marketplace, faced usability challenges like complex navigation and inconsistent design. The project focused on evaluating and redesigning the website to enhance usability and streamline the user experience for SMEs.

Problem:

The IndiaMart website suffers from navigation issues, overwhelming information layout, and inconsistent design elements, making it challenging for users, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to effectively leverage the platform.

My role:

UX designer leading the evaluation and redesign of IndiaMart's website.

Individual Project

Goal:

To conduct a heuristic evaluation of the IndiaMart website and redesign it to enhance usability, improve accessibility, and provide a more seamless and enjoyable user experience for buyers and suppliers.

Responsibilities:

Performed heuristic evaluation to assess existing usability.
Conducted user research to identify pain points and needs.
Developed personas and user journey maps to guide design decisions.

What is Heuristic Evaluation?

Heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where I review a product or interface based on established design principles, or "heuristics." It helps identify potential usability issues early in the design process, allowing for improvements before the product is released to users.

Visibility of System Status

1 The "Visibility of System Status" principle ensures that users are always informed about what’s happening within the system. It’s especially important in interactive environments, like chat interfaces, where providing clear, real-time feedback keeps users aware of the system's actions and progress.

Pain Points

Inadequate Category Display:

IndiaMart’s product categories are not clearly displayed, leading to confusion and difficulty in finding relevant items.

Mismatch Between Account Setup and Retail Shopping Features:

The account setup process does not align with the shopping experience, creating a disconnect for users when navigating between different sections of the website.

This is for setting up a business account.

This is for shopping retail products.

No appropriate category is displayed after clicking on it.

Match between System and Real world

2 The "Match Between System and the Real World" principle focuses on using familiar language, concepts, and symbols in the interface. This alignment with users’ real-world experiences makes the system easier to understand and navigate, improving overall interaction.

Pain Points

Ineffective Logo Design:

IndiaMart's logo design does not effectively represent the brand, leading to confusion and a lack of visual identity.

Misaligned Use of Offer Symbol for Shopping Context:

The offer symbol used in the shopping context is unclear and misaligned, making it difficult for users to recognize discounts or promotions easily.

The logo should be relevant and relatable to shopping.

They've used an offer symbol that doesn't effectively relate to shopping.

User control and freedom

3 "User Control and Freedom" means giving users the ability to easily undo or redo actions. It ensures clear navigation, allowing users to feel in control and quickly recover from mistakes.

Pain Points

Lack of Effective Product Filtering:

IndiaMart’s product filtering options are limited, making it difficult for users to narrow down results and find relevant products easily.

Users don't have the flexibility to filter products effectively.

Consistency and Standards

4 "Consistency and Standards" means using familiar patterns and conventions across the interface, so users can predict actions and outcomes based on what they already know.

Pain Points

Inconsistent Navigation Placement:

IndiaMart's navigation is placed inconsistently across the site, causing confusion and making it harder for users to find their way around.

The placement of navigation lacks consistency throughout the site.

Error Prevention

5 "Error Prevention" focuses on reducing user mistakes by anticipating potential errors and providing guidance, such as clear instructions, confirmation prompts, and disabling irrelevant options to ensure tasks are completed smoothly.

Pain Points

Lack of Confirmation During Sign-Out:

IndiaMart does not provide clear confirmation when users sign out, leaving them unsure whether the action was completed successfully.

Inaccurate Status Display During Sign-Out:

The status displayed during sign-out is misleading, causing confusion about whether the user has truly logged out.

There is no proper notification or confirmation when signing out.

Even after signing out, the website still displays the signed-in status.

Recognition rather than recall

6 "Recognition Rather Than Recall" means providing users with visible options and cues, making it easier for them to recognize information instead of having to remember details from previous interactions.

Pain Points

Absence of Order History:

IndiaMart lacks an order history feature, making it difficult for users to track past purchases and manage their transactions efficiently.

The shopping website does not provide a record of previous orders.

Flexibility and ease of use

7 "Flexibility and Efficiency of Use" means designing the system so users can customize their interactions based on their preferences and skill level, allowing both beginners and experienced users to perform tasks effectively.

Pain Points

Lack of Flexibility:

IndiaMart’s websites lack flexibility, making it hard for users to customize their experience according to their preferences.

Poorly Structured Navigation:

The navigation across both websites is poorly structured, leading to confusion and difficulty in finding relevant information quickly.

There is no flexibility between the two websites, and the navigation on both is not properly structured.

Aesthetics and Minimalistic design

8 "Aesthetic and Minimalist Design" focuses on showing only essential information and elements, avoiding clutter to improve usability and visual clarity.

Pain Points

Aesthetic inconsistency:

The two IndiaMart websites lack visual consistency, leading to a disconnected and unprofessional user experience.

The aesthetics of the two websites do not match.

Help user recognized, diagnose and recover from user

9 Help users handle errors by providing clear messages and actionable feedback, so they understand the issue and know how to fix it for a smoother experience.

Pain Points

Customer support access:

The absence of a 'Chat with Us' feature on the homepage makes it difficult for users to get quick support when needed.

The homepage lacks a "Chat with Us" feature.

Help and Documentation

1

0 Help and documentation offer resources like FAQs and guides to assist users in understanding features and resolving issues, improving their overall experience.

Pain Points

Help documentation:

The shopping website lacks proper help documentation, making it hard for users to understand features and troubleshoot issues.

Chat support:

The absence of chat support leaves users without quick assistance for resolving their queries.

The shopping website does not provide help documentation or a "Chat Us" feature, restricting user access to support and guidance.

The shopping website does not offer a navigation system for features like wishlist or order history, limiting users' ability to manage their preferences and past transactions.

Protocol

Engage users by asking relevant questions and recording their feedback throughout the session to gain valuable insights.

Hi, I’m Riddhi. Thanks for your time! I’m working on a redesign project for a course and would love your help.

Today, I’ll ask you to complete a small task on India Mart’s website. As you explore, please "think aloud," meaning share your thoughts while navigating, not just describing your actions.

Before we begin, may I record this for research purposes? Thanks!

Now, imagine you’re looking to buy a heating bag online for period cramps, and someone recommended India Mart for the best prices. Please visit the website, choose a heating bag, and add it to your cart while thinking aloud.

Once you finish, I’ll ask you a few questions:

How was your experience navigating the website?

Were you familiar with the process?

Did you face any issues?

Any feedback or insights from your experience?

Thanks again for your valuable input!

User Testing

User testing is observing real users interact with a product to identify issues and improve design based on their feedback.

User 1

User 2

User Insights

User insights are the key findings from observing or gathering feedback from users. These insights highlight pain points, preferences, and behaviors that help in improving design and user experience.

Identification Issues

Users struggle to identify the retail website (IndiaMART Shopping).

Brand Confusion

Confusion exists between IndiaMART and IndiaMART Shopping.

Feature Gaps

Key features like the profile section, Wishlist, and "My Orders" are missing.

Navigation

Navigation throughout the website is challenging.

Violation of Established Rules:

IndiaMart's website violates established UX principles by lacking consistency in navigation, using unclear icons, and failing to provide necessary user feedback. These issues hinder usability and may confuse users, making the platform harder to navigate and use effectively.

IndiaMart Wholesale Landing Page

Framing:

Problem: Information is poorly organized, confusing users.

Violation: Violates the framing principle, making it hard for users to make informed decisions.

Fitt’s Law:

Problem: The shopping icon is too small to interact with easily.

Violation: Violates Fitt’s Law by making it difficult for users to engage with the icon.

Banner Blindness:

Problem: The shopping icon resembles the offer logo, leading to neglect.

Violation: Violates banner blindness, causing users to ignore important features.

Goal-Gradient Effect:

Problem: Users are unaware of the IndiaMART Shopping site, limiting engagement.

Violation: Violates the goal-gradient effect by not motivating users to explore further.

Parkinson’s Law:

Problem: The process is unclear and time-consuming for users.

Violation: Violates Parkinson’s Law by making tasks take longer than necessary.

IndiaMart Retail Landing Page

Jacob’s Law:

Problem: Missing common features like Wishlist and profile sections.

Violation: Violates Jacob’s Law by not meeting user expectations from similar websites.

Familiarity Bias:

Problem: Lack of familiar elements like "My Orders."

Violation: Violates familiarity bias, making navigation difficult.

Framing:

Problem: Product information is disorganized.

Violation: Violates framing by hindering decision-making.

Parkinson’s Law:

Problem: The process is unnecessarily complex and time-consuming.

Violation: Violates Parkinson’s Law by wasting user time.

Recommendations for Enhancing IndiaMart's User Experience

To enhance the user experience on IndiaMart, the following key recommendations focus on improving navigation, search, account setup, and support features while ensuring consistent design across platforms.

Navigation:

Standardize navigation with clear labels, icons, and a fixed menu. Add breadcrumbs and test with users for improvement.

Filtering & Search:

Implement advanced filtering (category, price, brand, ratings) and a search bar with autocomplete. Allow saving filters.

Business Account Setup:

Simplify the account setup and clearly differentiate it from retail shopping to avoid confusion.

Sign-Out Process:

Add clear notifications and visual cues with confirmation messages when logging out.

Order History:

Include order history with details and an easy reorder option via user profiles, for the retail website

Category Display:

Improve category display with clear labels and organization.

Logo & Icons:

Redesign logo and icons to align with the shopping experience and brand identity.

Unified Design:

Ensure consistent design (colors, fonts, imagery) across platforms, with regular reviews and user feedback.

Live Chat:

Add a visible "Chat with Us" feature with chatbots for off-hours and trained staff for real-time inquiries.

Outcomes

A heuristic evaluation of the IndiaMART website revealed key usability challenges that affected navigation, search functionality, and the purchase process. By addressing these issues, we developed a more user-friendly design with improved categorization, intuitive filtering, and enhanced features like order history and a personalized profile section. These changes resulted in a smoother, more confident user experience.

Takeaways

Impacts

Users found the improved categorization and filtering options significantly helpful in locating products more efficiently. Added features like a streamlined profile section and accessible order history simplified the overall experience and increased user satisfaction.

Next steps

Users struggle to identify the retail website (IndiaMART Shopping).

What I learned

Simplifying the interface and integrating familiar, user-centric features greatly enhances usability. Addressing pain points early ensures a more effective and satisfying design process.

Identify and refine additional areas for improvement, like Wishlist or personalized features.

By focusing on these next steps, IndiaMART can continue to evolve into a seamless and accessible platform for all users