Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Experience design is a primary component in creating successful, high-performance Web sites.  We've come to learn this over the last few years mainly because of the plethora of Web sites available that are not optimized for the user.  But is this a new problem?  I don't believe so.  Since the beginning of design, there's been bad design and in many ways we need bad design to appreciate good design.  The lack of well-crafted experiences on the Web seems like a new problem because bad designs of the past didn't make it to the consumer.  Organizations were motivated by the high cost of producing stores, workspaces, brochures, reports and advertisements to make sure that they produced something of value to their audience.

I recently took a trip to IKEA, a worldwide home furnishings store, and instead of carrying a shopping bag I put on my UXD binoculars and made a few observations. 

Consistency

The first thing I noticed was a line of shopping carts and bags at the entrance.  The sign read something like "borrow one now if you like, but we'll have them right where you need them when you do."  This reminded me of providing a consistent set of controls on each page allowing users to search or contact a real person whenever they need to.

Call to action

In the showroom the aisles were marked with large blue arrows to remind you of which way you were heading.  This funnels shoppers through a guided tour of different household rooms showcasing IKEA products.  This is like having a clear call to action on each page.  It lets the user know exactly what to do next. 

A clearly labeled alternative

This semi-guided tour was long and prohibitive to running in and looking at only one part of the show room.  The folks at IKEA addressed this problem by providing shortcuts to other sections of the store, but not without proper warning.  Signs stated exactly what parts of the showroom you would miss seeing if you took the shortcut.  This is much like providing users with more than one choice on a page enabling them to explore and experience information instead of pushing it upon them. 

On the other hand, IKEA wants you to experience the entire showroom, so these shortcuts were a bit difficult to find.  Nevertheless it illustrates the need for good labeling and sufficient explanations to help users realize the results of selecting an option before they decide to click.

Contextual grouping

Pricing in the showroom was also clear; anything which was displayed in a group had an accompanying sign that told the total price of all items in the display.  This keeps users from having to figure things out on their own, because the information is readily available and contextually placed.

The right tool, right when you need it

There wasn't a lack of tools to help you make decisions.  Several racks were placed throughout the store with measuring tapes, pencils and notepads.  This touch resonated with me quite well.  It reminded me of configuration tools and wish lists in an online shopping site.  They're readily available and easy to use should you need them. 

Navigation just the way I like it

I must admit that this was my first IKEA trip, and I was feeling a little disappointed that the store was set up as a showroom.  I prefer to look at products by type instead of context.  I was hoping to see racks full of categorized products that I could choose from.  This was when they surprised me.  At the end of the showroom tour the helpful blue arrows pointed me to the "self-service area" full of categorized products, but not without a prominent warning on the floor that I might need a cart going forward.  This is not to say that everyone prefers items a type-based organization, but that it's helpful to see the products both contextually and categorically, and allow the visitor to choose one or both.

 

The dedication to a shopping experience is one of the things that makes an IKEA store unique and I think they have the right to call it "a major retail experience" as stated on their Web site.  So the next time you have a shopping experience, put on your UX binoculars and take note of the carefully crafted design, or lack thereof.

Thanks to Geoff our UXD Intern for making the trip with me on foot after a long day of traveling.  Expect to hear more of out insights this week as we attend Adaptive Path's UXIntensive in Minneapolis.