Rethinking slow ecommerce in a medium made for speed

B2C & B2B rug ecommerce

CLIENT

Soline Imera

devices

Responsive web

Role

UX/UI designer

Category

Ecommerce

B2B

B2C

CHALLENGE

Soline Imera is a recently founded rug brand built on ethically handmade pieces. It had no online space where the company could be seen, understood and the rugs bought. The business has a lot of added value such as ethical sourcing, provenance and design knowledge, needed to be showcased.

The website had to serve two really different audiences with different purchase methods and experiences. Interior designers and architects that commission bespoke rugs and private clients that could buy directly from the shop. A slow specific process versus a faster and more emotional one. While maintaining cohesion on the whole website and maintaining users’ expectations.

research

In order to meet user expectations (especially professional users) a benchmark study was conducted. Adopting trade vocabulary and the UX patterns professionals expect. While also seeing where some competitors failed (specifically in the filters section) by failing accessibility requirements.

The audit also exposed competitors did value the knowledge of the craft however it was generic and hidden in specific pages. Furthermore most experiences were focused on quick shopping experiences, while Soline Imera is more focused on a slow elevated experience that highlights the craftsmanship and people. So in order to really differentiate Soline Imera the information was strategically mixed throughout the whole experience and also specific and more deep knowledge was given to the user.

KEy goals

Highlight craftmanship and provenance

Create an experience that interwines craftmanship, provenance and rug knowledge into the whole experience.

Recognasible to experts, but no expert barrier

Use trade vocabulary in a clear way and with explanations that are no barrier for non-professional users.

Slow elevated experience

Meeting user expectations while redefining rug ecommerce experience to a slow-high end one.

results

Reel and grid rug navigation

In order to elevate the shopping experience a reel view of the rugs was designed. In the reel view rugs are displayed full on screen with the name of the rug and of its designer as if it was an art gallery. Creating this slow elevated experience Soline Imera needed. However professionals still need to browse quickly so the grid view was maintained to meet the set expectations of professionals.

Knowledge woven through the experience

Each rug detail page has their own section dedicated to the designer or the designated craftsman. Materials and techniques aren’t flat labels, each one links to a detail page showcasing all the trade knowledge. Furthermore, a home page with a snippet of the knowledge where the user can then click and deep more. None of it sits in a quarantined.

Accesible professional filters with no barriers

Filters based on trade vocabulary however hover states explain each filter visually, so a first-time buyer can use them without already knowing it. The colour similarity sorting is now accessible and more useful. It was based on a previous design idea by the client which really wanted it, however it had some UX problems that needed to be resolved. Instead of it being in the colour section (that led to misunderstandings), it was moved to sort by so the user understood it doesn't filter, only order. Also a text input for the filter was added to make the control accessible where the original failed on drag alone, also making it faster for a designer who already has the hex.

Conclusion

Soline Imera now has an online presence that truly embodies what Soline Imera is. Both audiences have their expectations and needs met while not creating barriers for the inexperienced ones. Professionals keep the speed and vocabulary they rely on while no expertise is needed.

Ecommerce is normally built for speed. That is not how Soline Imera operates, nor how rugs are made. Instead of compressing the experience, the site weaves provenance and material knowledge into the path to purchase making the value behind a rug always visible. Creating an ecommerce experience that rewards attention and curiosity. Making users feel like a part of the rug’s journey.