Bagbot - A grocery shopping assistant app

Overview

Bagbot is a mobile application designed to simplify and streamline the grocery shopping experience. The app's main objective was to make grocery shopping more convenient and efficient for users. Bagbot provides a personalized shopping experience, guiding users through their grocery list and offering suggestions to make their shopping trip quicker and more manageable. With its intuitive design and powerful functionality,

Timeline

The project was spread over 6 months equally divided time was allocated for User research and designing UI.

Role

This was a sole project and I was responisble for Product Strategy, User Research, Interaction, Visual design, Prototyping & Testing, Pitching

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Knowing the background

My experience of online grocery in Australia to date just hasn't lived up to my experience in the UK” Emma Gillingham (QPMR accredited insights professional). | Click to view reference |.

The Australian grocery market has seen significant growth with large brands establishing their presence in the country. Despite this growth, grocery shoppers have experienced a growing number of frustrations with their shopping experiences at supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths. These issues are due to the fast-paced economy which has not been able to focus on improving the customer experience.

As a result, I participated in a UX design challenge where I was tasked with analyzing and identifying the best product solution to improve the customer experience for grocery shoppers in Australia. I proposed a grocery shopping app that would provide a quick and seamless shopping experience, with a focus on enhancing customer interaction with the store.

The design solution was presented at the University of South Australia in Adelaide as part of the design challenge exhibition. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and I was thrilled to see the hard work and dedication I put into the project reflected in the end result.

Identifying the Problem

The customer experience at Big W, Woolworths, and Telstra in Australia has been deemed subpar based on a survey conducted by Forrester Research. As the Australian culture continues to grow at a fast pace, these supermarket giants are seeking ways to improve the shopping experience for their customers.

View supporting article

THe goal

The goal of this project is to enhance the shopping experience for customers in supermarkets by introducing a quick and effortless process, while also making the experience more engaging and appealing for customers shopping at traditional brick and mortar stores.

Understanding the User

User Research

To gain a deeper understanding of the problem and the target audience, I conducted observation studies at three different supermarkets: Coles, Woolworths, and Big W. Through observing customers, I was able to identify the target audience for my research. I then carried out surveys and interviews to further delve into the issue, and gather both qualitative and quantitative data.Based on my findings, I was able to categorize users and pinpoint their specific pain points while grocery shopping at these large supermarkets. My research also revealed common user behaviours. Let’s examine each of these findings in detail.

Pain points

01

Finding products

Finding what you need in the store is a tedious and overwhelming task, especially for those who are shopping for the first time such as students, immigrants, the elderly, and busy professionals.

02

Poor readability

The small label and tag size is an issue, particularly for older and visually impaired customers, hindering accessibility and creating a subpar experience.

03

Lack of Customer Support

Filing a complaint or seeking help is a lengthy and inconvenient process, with long wait times and in-person visits to a customer service desk.

04

Long wait at Checkouts

Checkout lines are time-consuming for customers, with both traditional and self-service options often resulting in wait times.

I interviewed 5 people of age range between 18-58 to and conducted surveys with 57 responses to evaluate the need for the system. Here is the breakdown of fidings:

25%

of the users follow a list

23%

are watching their budget.

22%

have a hard time locating the products. Even when they buy at the same store.

18%

of the users wants to know exactly what they eat is important.

12%

Want to try new products such as cook specific recipes and would love suggestions of new ones.

Personas

Surveys conducted to build persona and user journey.

Challenges faced by customers during grocery shopping include time-consuming product searches, inaccessible product details, missed in-store offers, lengthy feedback processes, difficulty in finding customer representatives, and long checkout lines. These difficulties are exacerbated for first-time buyers, students and migrants, busy professionals, and the elderly.

persona #1

Wei Lee

22   |    BA in Business Management   |    Shanghai, China   |    Single   |    Part time work

About

Challenges faced by customers during grocery shopping include time-consuming product searches, inaccessible product details, missed in-store offers, lengthy feedback processes, difficulty in finding customer representatives, and long checkout lines. These difficulties are exacerbated for first-time buyers, students and migrants, busy professionals, and the elderly.

Goals

  • To excel in his studies and obtain a degree from a reputable university
  • Explore the culture and lifestyle of Australia
  • Save money and maintain a budget-friendly lifestyle

Frustrations

  • Language barriers while communicating with locals and store employees
  • Lack of knowledge about local stores and products
  • Expensive prices of groceries compared to his home country
  • Difficulty navigating unfamiliar stores and finding desired products

“As a foreign student, I am excited to be studying in Australia, but finding my way around the stores and navigating the culture is a challenge.”

persona #2

Alicia

36  |    BA in Marketing   |    Perth, Australia   |    Lives with her son   |    Marketing Manager

About

Alicia is a dedicated marketing manager and single mother to her 10-year-old son. She wants to provide quality food to her son, but balancing work makes it challenging to find the time to find healthy options at supermarkets. She desperately wants to find a way to work this out.

Goals

  • To maintain a healthy work-life balance
  • Provide the best life for his son
  • Find time to pursue hobbies and interests

Frustrations

  • Stress of balancing work and parenting responsibilities
  • Difficulty finding quality time for himself Inconvenient grocery shopping experiences

“As a single parent, it's hard to find the time to prepare healthy meals for my family while balancing work. ”

Problem Statement

Wei Lee is a 22-year-old international student with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management who faces language barriers and unfamiliarity with local stores and products. He needs an easier and more affordable grocery shopping experience because he wants to excel in his studies, explore the culture, save money, and maintain a budget-friendly lifestyle.

Sarah is a single parent and marketing manager
who needs [user need] affordable and healthy meal options for her family because balancing work and taking care of her son makes it challenging to find the time to prepare meals and cater to her son's food allergies.

Journey Mapping

Designing the experience

Design & Prototype

Solution

The solution to improve the shopping experience for grocery supermarket customers was to develop a mobile app that seamlessly integrates online and in-store shopping. Based on research findings, it was discovered that a majority of customers still preferred in-store shopping despite facing challenges.To address this challenge, the mobile app was designed to tackle the main issues and any other potential user experience hurdles. The following solutions were proposed:

01

Real-time navigation

The development of a real-time product navigation system that displays the exact location of the product through a tracker connected to the product code. Customers can easily track the product location by connecting to the store's Bluetooth.

02

Access product Info

By using the product scanner, users can easily access crucial information about the product, including ingredients, weight, and any allergy warnings. This allows them to compare prices and check for discounts, all from the convenience of the app. To make the experience even better, the app will also include accessibility features to ensure everyone can use it.

03

Get Customer Support

Addressing user inquiries is the top priority, with the app offering automated responses to frequent questions. Customers also have the option to connect with a representative online or provide feedback and raise concerns.

04

Checkout online

Merging the online and in-store shopping experience by integrating e-commerce with in-store capabilities. Customers can create a checkout cart on the app by scanning products in-store. After paying through the app, they can scan their receipt at the exit for verification.

User Flow

Sketches on Paper

Digital Wireframes

Branding & UI Design

Logo exploration

Design System

Final UI

the next steps

Usability Testing

The prototype was tested in-person with 12 participants ranging in age from 21 to 56. I provided a brief introduction to the testing process and obtained their consent for recording. During the test, I observed users' behavior, actions, and emotional states while interacting with the app. After the test, participants were given the option to provide feedback on their experience using a sticky note. This approach provided a way to obtain honest feedback from users who may not feel comfortable expressing their thoughts in person.

Overall, the usability testing provided valuable insights and feedback that helped improve the product. Here are some of the key findings from the testing:

  • Users enjoyed the UI design and overall experience.
  • Users were able to complete tasks with little difficulty.
  • The dashboard needs improvement and should include current discount offers.
  • The product search process was complicated, and steps should be minimized by eliminating the store selection screen and adding a store selection button on the product page.
  • The chat messaging and feedback features should be separated into two different buttons to improve user experience. Users don't want to go through a chat bot only to find that their answers were not answered and they need to send an email instead.

Affinity Mapping

Impact

“I would love to have this during my grocery runs. When will this be available? ”

“I love to see this in action. May I know though, how the gps navigation and the tracking works? ”

“Will my partner need to have this app install if I want to share the grocery list? ”

“It’s a beautifully designed app.”

Takeaways

I learned the value of research and identifying user pain points while working on this project. Keeping the user in mind throughout the design process and considering their needs and goals is crucial for creating a successful product.

Effective communication played a significant role in the success of this initiative. It was essential to gather feedback from users and ensure that I was on the right track.

Another important lesson I learned from this project was the significance of setting and meeting deadlines. To deliver the project on time, I had to break it down into smaller tasks and set specific deadlines for each one.

Overall, this project taught me the importance of user-centered design, clear communication, and effective project management skills. I am grateful for this valuable learning opportunity and look forward to applying these skills to future UX design projects.