Transforming grocery shopping for dietary needs: A tech-driven, user-friendly solution
Objectives
Tools
Figma, Miro
Role
UX Researcher (Secondary Research, Contextual Inquiry, Observations, Affinity Diagramming)
UX Designer (Wireframing, Visual Design)
Team
Team of 4 - Eswarya Kotha, Jagriti Sachan, Pramika Kamana and Prithvi Manjunatha
with feedback from classmates and mentors
Duration
2.5 weeks
Grocery shopping is a common part of our routine. Families often shop for food and other items several times a week. However, many grocery stores haven't embraced new technology, sticking to traditional layouts that aim to expose shoppers to more products. This poses a challenge for users with dietary restrictions, making it frustrating to find products that meet their needs. Our goal is to improve the grocery shopping experience for users with dietary restrictions by making it easier for them to navigate and find products that align with their specific dietary needs.
How Shoppers Currently Search the Store
Shoppers often use traditional methods like aisle signs and labels to check dietary info on products. If they can't find something, they might look for alternatives using mobile apps or in-store kiosks for recommendations. Some ask store staff for help. Despite efforts to make navigation easy, store layouts can be confusing. This can benefit the store by keeping customers browsing, but it doesn't create a positive experience for shoppers.
The Different Types of Shoppers
From secondary research (interviews as well as contextual inquiry), we were able to pinpoint certain shopping behaviors.
Some shoppers meticulously examine product labels, searching for keywords or allergen information. Whether they follow a gluten-free, vegan, or keto diet, they rely on the detailed nutritional information provided on packaging to ensure the product meets their dietary requirements.
Other types of shoppers are aisle experts who have mastered the store layout. They navigate the aisles with confidence, knowing exactly where to find their preferred diet-specific products.
Third type of shoppers are inquisitive seekers who are proactive in seeking assistance from store staff.
Last type are the flexible and impulsive shoppers who when faced with challenges in finding a specific product, are quick to adapt. They are open to exploring alternative brands or similar items that meet their dietary criteria. They may be enticed by new labels or promotions that align with their dietary preferences.
The Different Types of Diets people follow
From our research, we were able to list major diets that people follow and look for while buying products.
We studied how people shop by observing and asking questions in grocery stores. Our goal was to understand their frustrations, movements, and patterns when searching for diet-specific products. This helped us learn about their thought process and how it influences their navigation in the store. We created affinity diagrams to help us narrow down our findings:
Our key findings from our observations and interviews were:
1. Common methods to find items within the store include
2. Major areas of frustration
These insights paired with our research findings allowed us to determine that the most prominent issue is finding the desired diet specific items in the store without spending time on reading ingredients, so that is the problem we chose to tackle.
From the feedback gathered during the interviews, we crafted a persona to illustrate the challenges faced by customers during grocery shopping.
An observation at our local grocery store revealed that labels were confusing and inaccurate for customers. They appeared lost and focused only on the labels for pricing rather than product information. The lack of updates to the labels, coupled with a complex store layout, makes it even more overwhelming for shoppers with specific dietary requirements.
The above picture shows a multitude of icons displayed on a label, which hardly convey any understanding. The icons, when viewed in actual size at the store, are small and often go unnoticed.
The aisle marked in green is an indicator that the products on the shelf are vegan. However, the labels and the products suggest otherwise.
Here, we can see the grocery store marking the aisle with an apology note for the unavailability of their product. While this is a good practice by the store, it also highlights how infrequently labels are being updated in the store.
From our preliminary observations, interviews, and research, we were able to gather a few key points regarding the problem space and how we could approach it in a way that would allow us to address the problems of customer frustrations as well as enable a more embodied experience within the grocery stores as well.
Recognizing the growing prevalence of diverse dietary preferences, our research pinpointed the challenge of navigating stores for suitable food products. Targeting users with dietary restrictions, our goal was to simplify the shopping experience, addressing the frustration of finding specific products. By developing a user-friendly platform, we aimed to empower individuals to effortlessly discover and purchase items aligning with their dietary needs.
“How can we reduce customer frustrations about navigating the store and finding diet specific products that they need?”
The second concern focused on unclear aisle labels, especially for dietary information like gluten-free options, reflecting the increasing demand for transparency in food labeling. Recognizing the lack of clarity and specificity in existing aisle labels, our mission was to address this informational gap and enhance the shopping experience for those with specific dietary needs. We aimed to ensure that individuals seeking products aligned with their dietary requirements could navigate aisles more easily.
"How can we improve the designs of product labels so that users can easily see the allergens that the product contains?"
After conducting contextual inquiries through interviews and observations, we decided to create a task flow illustrating how the user would navigate through the store to find products that meet their needs. Following multiple iterations in ideation, this was the finalized approach we proceeded with.
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We created physical prototypes based on the initial ideas that were generated. It is worth noting that each prototype and idea had their own limitations that were considered while making the sketches.
How can we solve the problem of stacking carts with tablets attached?
To address the challenge of stacking shopping carts while incorporating our smart tablet solution, we've designed detachable tablets. These tablets serve a dual purpose, aiding those with specific dietary restrictions without disrupting cart stacking. Only users requiring dietary information attach the tablet, streamlining the shopping experience. Importantly, the design preserves the traditional stacking of shopping carts, ensuring efficiency for store personnel. Our seamless integration eliminates storage concerns, offering a smooth transition to a more informed and accessible shopping experience without logistical challenges for the store.
How will users know if they’ve reached the product?
By strategically placing sensors on both the shopping cart and the aisle labels, we've created a dynamic system that enhances user guidance. As shoppers approach a particular aisle containing diet-specific products, the sensors trigger a visual notification on the attached smart tablet. This notification provides users with real-time information about the proximity of the desired products, eliminating the need for time-consuming searches and potential frustration. This innovative approach not only streamlines the shopping journey for individuals with specific dietary needs but also enhances overall convenience by offering precise location assistance within the store.
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Based on the results of concept testing the idea and usuability testing of the interface, the following viewpoints have been gathered:
1. Users would find it more convenient to compare different products available, rather than viewing a single item at a time
2. Users would like to have a help option to call for assistance in case they aren't able to get the information that the tablet provides
3. The equipped carts may have security issues with regards to people taking it away for their personal use. These carts need to be protected in a way that they do not exit the store
