Soluto Oy's webshop, Yritysten Verkkokauppa (Web Shop for business) needed a more consistent look, aligned with the rest of the company's websites. In addition, the UX and UI needed improvements as well.
Soluto Oy offered IT solutions and hardware for businesses and this platform worked as a portal for clients to buy computers, peripherals and software. I worked on this project as a lead designer in collaboration with Soluto's sales force, CEO and the webshop provider.
Our mission was clear: elevate Soluto Oy's B2B e-commerce platform to new heights of usability and visual coherence. Tasked with enhancing the user experience and aligning the interface with Soluto's brand identity, our team embarked on a journey of research, collaboration, and iterative design.
Soluto Oy's webshop, Yritysten Verkkokauppa (Web Shop for business) needed a more consistent look, aligned with the rest of the company's websites. In addition, the UX and UI needed improvements as well.
Soluto Oy offered IT solutions and hardware for businesses and this platform worked as a portal for clients to buy computers, peripherals and software. I worked on this project as a lead designer in collaboration with Soluto's sales force, CEO and the webshop provider.
Our mission was clear: elevate Soluto Oy's B2B e-commerce platform to new heights of usability and visual coherence. Tasked with enhancing the user experience and aligning the interface with Soluto's brand identity, our team embarked on a journey of research, collaboration, and iterative design.
I participated in design workshops with Soluto's sales force about what the new webshop should look like and, more importantly, what it should provide for the customers. In addition to contributing to UX development, my responsibilities included designing the UI, creating layouts for page templates, crafting wireframes, and instructing the webshop provider's programmers accordingly.
Following my contributions, the subsequent development of the store utilized my original designs and ideas under a different name: Frendy. This transition marks the culmination of our efforts, as the redesigned platform continues to serve users seamlessly and effectively.
Our initial research uncovered invaluable insights into the behaviors and motivations of Soluto's B2B clientele.
Through analytics, syrveys, and sales force insights, we identified pain points and opportunities for improvement, crafting user personas that served as beacons for our design direction. Mapping out the user journey shed light on critical touch points and friction points, empowering us to tailor the interface and user experience to meet the diverse needs of our audience segments.
Among the identified pain points, the most critical factors for improvement included:
Every design element within the webshop was meticulously crafted with the user experience at its core.
From the intuitive navigation structure to the vibrant color palette, each decision was grounded in empirical data and user feedback. By prioritizing clarity and simplicity, we ensured that visitors could effortlessly navigate the platform and find the products they sought. Interactive elements were thoughtfully integrated to enhance engagement and foster a sense of connection between the user and the brand.
Creating a better system configurator was paramount to improving the user experience on Yritysten Verkkokauppa. Our analysis revealed that users often found the existing configurator cumbersome and overwhelming, leading to frustration and abandonment of the purchasing process. To address this issue, we focused on two key aspects: accessibility and simplicity.
Firstly, I ensured that the configurator was easily accessible from any product that could be configured, such as laptops with additional memory or storage. This meant integrating the configurator seamlessly into the product pages, making it intuitive for users to find and use.
Secondly, I redesigned the configurator to mimic the user-friendly interface of Apple's configurator tool. Drawing inspiration from this well-known and beloved design, I implemented a slide-based system that guided users through each step of the configuration process. By breaking down the configuration options into manageable chunks and presenting them in a clear and visually appealing manner, I aimed to streamline the user experience and reduce cognitive load.
Additionally, I worked closely with the store managing team to ensure that the configurator was itself configured to prevent users from selecting excessive or incompatible features. This involved implementing validation checks and constraints to guide users towards valid configurations, thereby reducing the likelihood of errors and ensuring a smoother purchasing process.
Improving navigation responsiveness and personalization on the homepage was essential to better serving the diverse needs of Soluto's clients. While the existing navigation was functional, it lacked the level of personalization and relevance that modern users expect. Our solution focused on two main areas: personalized content and enhanced product recommendations.
Firstly, I customized the homepage to display personalized content and offers based on the user's profile and browsing history. By implementing custom features in the store back end, it was now possible for store managers to tailor the homepage experience to each individual user, providing them with relevant information and promotions that resonated with their interests and preferences.
Secondly, the new store introduced customizable recommended products fields for store managers, empowering them to curate and promote products that were most relevant to their target audience. This feature not only enhanced the relevance of product recommendations but also allowed store managers to highlight specific promotions or offerings based on seasonal trends or customer preferences.
Together, these enhancements transformed the homepage into a dynamic and personalized hub that welcomed users with tailored content and guided them towards relevant products and promotions, ultimately improving engagement and conversion rates.
Replacing the review system with a Q&A section was a strategic move aimed at streamlining customer service and providing more relevant and actionable information to business owners. While the existing review system served its purpose to some extent, it lacked the specificity and relevance that business owners required when making purchasing decisions.
By implementing a Q&A section, I aimed to address this gap by enabling customers to ask specific questions about products and receive prompt and accurate answers from the sales department. This not only provided users with valuable information that was tailored to their needs but also fostered a sense of trust and transparency between the brand and its customers.
Furthermore, by centralizing customer inquiries and responses within the platform, we were able to streamline the customer service process and reduce the need for users to seek information from external sources. This not only improved the overall user experience but also allowed the sales department to better understand and address customer needs and concerns, ultimately leading to higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty.
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