Who are Elements?
Elements is a Norwich-based independent store with an online shop focused on minimalist fashion.
What's not working?
What to improve?
Aim is to create a more intuitive, efficient, and engaging journey for customers, from browsing products to completing a purchase.
Research & Testing
Through heuristic analysis and moderated user tests, I confirmed that usability—not just visual design—was the core issue. Users struggled to complete tasks and frequently abandoned the site. The most common feedback was that the site felt “too much hassle.”
No Filters or Search
Users struggled to find specific items or narrow down choices.
Participant 2
''There’s no way to filter anything.''
Participant 5
''It feels like I have to scroll through everything just to find one thing.''
Product Page Confusion
Key info like size, variants, and return policy was hidden or unclear.
Participant 4
''I'm not even sure if there are other sizes available.''
Participant 1
''Where’s the return info? I wouldn’t buy without seeing that.''
Broken Checkout Flow
The cart button didn’t work consistently and lacked feedback.
Participant 5
''Added to basket… but nothing happened, did it even work?''
Participant 3
''I had to hunt for the cart icon. It should just show up automatically.''
User flow optimization
I mapped key user flows and focused on streamlining the red routes—particularly browsing and adding items to the cart. A major improvement was made in the product browsing experience: originally, users had to click on a product to view available sizes and colors. In the new flow, this information is displayed upfront, allowing users to assess options at a glance and significantly speeding up product selection.
User flow optimization
I mapped key user flows and focused on streamlining the red routes, especially browsing and adding items to the cart. The goal was to make core shopping tasks faster, more intuitive, and less error-prone without disrupting the site's structure.
Visual Before/After
Side-by-side visuals highlighted the transformation across the homepage, product listings, product pages, and checkout. Each redesign choice was grounded in user insights and usability goals.
Results
User testing after the redesign showed a 50% improvement in search success rate. 80% of participants reported a smoother, more intuitive shopping experience. All users completed their shopping tasks on average quicker and with significantly less frustration.
Clearer Experience
Most users described the new flow as “easy” and “straightforward,” especially when moving from product discovery to checkout.
Frustration Dramatically Reduced
All testers completed key tasks without backtracking or abandoning the flow, a clear sign of improved usability and confidence.
Interactions Now Intuitive
Fixing the basket icon and adding feedback after “Add to cart” made the process feel responsive and predictable.
Reflection
This project reinforced the value of prioritizing core user flows over surface-level aesthetics. While time constraints limited deeper exploration, the impact of focused UX changes was clear. Future iterations would build on this by improving the mobile experience and integrating product reviews.