case study

IKEA mobile app feature design (Unsolicited)

Simplifying shopping experience in the self-serve area using navigation feature

My role:

UX Researcher, UX Designer, UI Designer

The team:

Sole Product Designer, Researcher

IKEA in-store navigation proposed solution 12

Results:

Increased Loyalty

of existing IKEA customers

Improved Accessibility

would attract more clients

Increased Revenue

as a result of enhanced shopping experience

overview

Is There a way to make IKEA in-store shopping more pleasant without affecting existing sources of income?

The sequence of shopping at the IKEA store involves going through the furniture showrooms and making notes of selected items. The customer then collects a shopping cart and proceeds to an open-shelf "Market Hall" warehouse for smaller items, then visits the self-serve area to collect previously noted showroom products in flat-pack form.

IKEA stores have labyrinth-like showrooms with shortcuts, and in-store clients sometimes get confused or even get lost while navigating inside them.

The proposed feature concept of enhancing the in-store shopping experience would increase the loyalty of existing customers and attract more shoppers, generating more revenue by making in-store navigation more accessible without disrupting the existing business model.

IKEA mobile app screen mockups

challenges

IKEA has an established business model that brings income and should not be disrupted

Giant labyrinths

Labyrinth-like store displays (300,000 sq. ft) with only physical signs

Existing business model

A possible solution must not negatively affect the existing business model of the labyrinth-like display. While customers are navigating through it, they get to see more things they might decide to purchase.

A solution shouldn't compete with additional sources of income like delivery, assembly services etc.

Possible technical constraints

The solution should be feasible and adaptable to the existing IKEA mobile application

IKEA store map example

Example of IKEA store map

opportunities

Enhanced in-store customer experience will attract more customers and increase loyalty of existing clients

Navigation in-store

Users won't get lost if they would have access to the interactive map that would reflect their physical location inside

Simplify self-collection process in the self-serve area

Checked-out items in the cart would be located on the map so that the users could navigate easily among the isles

IKEA mobile app screens examples

Original IKEA mobile app screens

Solution

Complementary feature to the IKEA mobile application

Having experience working in IKEA as a construction PM, I remembered that some in-store customers were frustrated by their journey, especially when they got lost. I came up with the idea that it would be nice if the IKEA mobile app had a navigation feature so that the users would never get lost inside a giant store.

My assumptions

Before starting to develop my idea further, several assumptions had to be tested to discover whether the customers need this feature:

  • People go shopping in-store whenever they make large or expensive purchases to see what they are buying
  • IKEA customers are active users of the IKEA mobile app and would use it more if the navigation feature would be available
  • The navigation feature would increase clients' loyalty and attract new users

Surveying IKEA customers

To test my assumptions I decided to create a user survey, during 1 day I received responses from 20 participants.

Survey results:

  • Most of the participants prefer to shop in store because they can check out the quality of merchandise and see actual dimensions
  • Users would use the IKEA app more frequent if the process of collecting items in a self-serve area would be less stressful
  • Adding an in-store navigation feature to the app would most likely attract more users
Question: When you are buying furniture and/or home goods you are... 20 responses: 75% Going to the store to see samples, 10% Purchasing online, 15% Are doing both
Question: do you use IKEA app to shop online? 20 responses: 80% No, 20% Yes
Question: If the IKEA app would have an easy to use in-store and warehouse navigation would that be helpful? 20 Responses, 70% yes, 25% maybe, 5% no
Question: If you don't use IKEA app would you start using it if you could scan labels of needed items that will be automatically placed into the bag, and items would be located on the warehouse map on your phone? 20 responses: 75% Yes, 25% Maybe
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Survey results slides (press an image to enlarge)

For whom am I designing?

  • Customers who spend time in IKEA stores shopping
  • Customers who have to buy a few items in a hurry
  • Customers who shop in-store for a variety of products
  • Customers with children
  • Elderly customers
  • Anyone who struggles to navigate using physical signs and maps
IKEA provisional personas: family person, student, single person, senior person

IKEA provisional personas (press an image to enlarge)

Alternative solutions to the navigation feature

I had to ask myself whether there are alternative solutions to the navigation feature and what advantages/disadvantages they have:

  • Redesign physical signage in stores (Disadvantage: Does not improve the self-collect process)
  • Merge the online shopping feature with self-checkout in-store (Disadvantage: Not solving the in-store navigation problem)

Brainstorming

At first, I documented an existing user flow of interaction with the IKEA mobile app to see where the navigation feature could be integrated.

After defining possible points of integration, I updated the user flow and I sketched screens of the in-store navigation.

Users should have access to the in-store navigation right from the start of the app use. That's why I decided to create a shortcut button for the main screen (2 image, sketch #2)

Additionally to basic navigation, I thought of reflecting checked out items on an interactive map so that users could plan their self-collect route.

IKEA mobile app user flow with in-store navigation feature integrated
IKEA navigation feature integration design sketches 2
IKEA navigation feature integration design sketches 2
IKEA navigation feature integration design sketches 3
IKEA navigation feature integration design wireframes
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UX Deliverables slides (press an image to enlarge)

Prototype testing

For testing the proposed solution, I decided to try a moderated in-person method. I've assembled Steve Krug's mobile testing kit inspired by reading his book "Don't make me think"

Steve Krug's mobile testing kit on the table

Steve Krug's testing kit

Steve Krug's mobile testing kit

Steve Krug's testing kit side view

Steve Krug's mobile testing kit video record screenshot

Working test kit snapshot

8 out of 10 invited participants could participate: the major participants' criteria were familiarity with IKEA products and in-store shopping experience. The youngest participant was 25 years, and the eldest participant's age was 53.

Testing showed that all participants were confused by redesigned checkout screen, where users had to press on the order to proceed to a navigation feature. Also, some touch targets were smaller than 40x40 px, and participants struggled to tap them.

IKEA navigation feature testing prototype

IKEA testing prototype new and redesigned screens (press an image to enlarge)

Iterating on the prototype, I added a secondary button to the checkout screen to make navigation to the order more prominent. Also, the secondary isn't competing with a primary "Continue shopping" button, so users can continue shopping without distractions.

IKEA navigation feature iterated prototype

Iterated IKEA mobile app with navigation  prototype (press an image to enlarge)

High-fidelity prototype

outcome

The impact and possible next steps

This case study has shown that the in-store navigation and order location feature can resolve IKEA clients' pain points, which will result in a growing number of IKEA customers. However, there are a lot of details that have to be thought through and delivered. Currently, the navigation prototype to self-collect the order is built only for 1 order that consists of 1 item. The customers can have more than one order that usually includes many goods.

The problem of technical implementation of store navigation can be solved by the use of beacons, augmented reality, or robotics like Sam's Club, Walmart, Lowe's, or Target.

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