Website Usability Testing

@Spier & Mackay

This evaluative research I conducted was part of a larger project for Spier & Mackay (S&M) investigating the low order volumes for their online bespoke. Our team included a project lead, market researcher, marketing strategist, and myself as the UX researcher, focusing on understanding users’ mental model when purchasing custom bespoke and identifying usability issues on the website. Certain details have been modified for confidentiality.

Background and Goals

S&M recently introduced an online custom menswear ordering feature; however, order volumes have fallen short of expectations. This research focuses on identifying user experience issues within the existing features of the ordering webpage that may be hindering order rates, with the goal of providing targeted solutions to enhance the online bespoke purchasing experience.

Evaluative Research Goal

Evaluate whether the website’s existing features and information hierarchy effectively support users in finding desired products and completing the ordering process.

Design Research Goals

Assess whether users require instructions to complete the custom bespoke sizing section and explore their preferred pathways to access the instructions.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the existing text-based sizing instructions.
Test the effectiveness of proposed revisions to the instructions’ text and format.

Methods

Guerilla Testing

All 9 participants underwent the guerrilla testing, with 7 in S&M’s store and 2 in a controlled environment. The testing included completing two order placement tasks, followed by a short interview on their attitudes and experiences with online bespoke purchases.

Heuristic Evaluation

Based on the results of the preliminary testings, I conducted a heuristic evaluation of the S&M website’s ‘CUSTOM’ section, with a focus on the “SIZING” subcategory.

Comparative Usability Testing

I developed two prototypes based on the top two usability factors identified. To assess user experience and preferences, I designed tasks for tree testing and preference testing, which were carried out with 4 new participants to gather data.

Crucial Insights

When ordering made-to-order clothes on the S&M website, users must navigate through three sections (SIZING, FABRIC, and OPTIONS) to complete their selections and reach the final order page. The SIZING section proved particularly challenging for nearly all participants. Our primary persona (men aged 27-40, with an annual income of $60-100k) often lacks detailed knowledge of their body measurements, and the website fails to provide clear and effective sizing information or measurement guidance.

In the custom ordering section, users prefer a direct link to the sizing instructions page within the section itself (most preferred) or a visible, clickable area on the page (second preferred). Currently, the only link is located in the footer of the homepage, which most participants couldn’t find—only two managed to locate it using the browser’s search function.

The current text-based sizing instructions are verbose and repetitive, requiring users to spend time understanding and repeatedly referring to them while guiding others to assist with body measurements. In contrast, video tutorials would offer a more intuitive and time-saving solution, streamlining the measurement process.

Research Impact

Strategic Impact

Offered valuable insights into user concerns and perceptions about online custom bespoke purchases, revealing factors behind low order volumes and guiding adjustments in product positioning and marketing strategies.
Produced an insightful playbook, equipping the organization with actionable frameworks to support future UX research.

Stakeholder Collaboration Impact

Successfully shifted S&M’s owner from a passive stance on research to actively engaging in understanding user needs and collaborating on solution development, highlighting the value of research in driving business decisions.

Product Impact

Based on the research findings, S&M revised the sizing page instructions.
Customer feedback analysis revealed concerns about sizing accuracy for ready-to-wear items. The improved sizing instructions offer clearer guidance for both custom and ready-to-wear purchases, helping to reduce post-purchase issues.

My Learnings

When tackling a broad, undefined problem, the first step in planning a research roadmap is to understand the context and pinpoint areas you can influence.
Guerrilla testing, when thoughtfully planned, can provide valuable insights by focusing on one or two core user objectives and selecting the right participants.
To engage stakeholders unfamiliar with research and its value, visually compelling graphics or presentations can effectively capture their attention and spark interest.