Staples
This is one of several designs I did to help Staples site visitors to determine
their needs in a digital camera, and to guide them to models that meet their needs.
Most often a questionnaire is the first step in this process. Questionnaires are
not engaging, however: to a potential buyer, answering a series of questions
looks like a big investment of time, or boring, or difficult.
My challenge was to make it look engaging and easy.
![]() First stage of interaction: A series of questions about what features the user would like in a digital camera. In the existing design, questions and answers were very explicit, and therefore rather lengthy. I proposed that they be kept very short, so all the questions are visible without scrolling, and to "mix up" the way the choices are presented -- radio buttons, checkboxes, pick lists -- to stave off boredom. Additional "UI sugar" is supplied -- buttons for "yes to all," "explain this more," -- to maximize the number of users who complete the questions. |
![]() After the user clicks to get recommendations, the top three most suitable cameras are shown. The user can revise his answers at any time and see revised recommendations, see more detailed information about one of the cameras, or add the camera to his shopping cart. |
Kiosk design needs to be signficantly simpler as the kiosks do not have
a keyboard or mouse.
This was one of several designs I provided, creating both the information design --
the organization and labeling of controls -- and the visual design.
![]() Another two-stage interaction. This time the questions have been made even more lively with thumbnail photos and brief profiles denoting broad categories of camera users. Only brand and price, both optional, are presented as straightforward multiple-choice lists. |
![]() The recommended cameras are shown in ranked order. The user can get more info, add to shopping cart, or see a detailed feature-by-feature comparison chart. |
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![]() A design for a feature-by-feature comparison chart. This design keeps it interesting at the top of the page, with large photos and large labels. If the user is interested in deeper detail, it's on the same page, only a vertical scroll away, using smaller type to get all the relevant info on the page without requiring horizontal scrolling, which is confusing to many users. |
![]() An extremely simplified design for a survey, usable for kiosks. |
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