01 Overview In 2018, Masterbuilt Mfg. merged with Kamado Joe, and I, as the in-house UX Designer, took on the task of redesigning Kamado Joe's website. The existing eCommerce-focused site had conversion issues and usability challenges. With a tight timeline due to the upcoming grill series launch, I conducted accelerated research to uncover issues and understand user needs.
02 Research and Discovery To address the problem, I started with clear communication among the team members, including front-end developers, project manager, and product owner. Recognizing the importance of research, I delved into market analysis, and brand exploration. The generative research uncovered flow issues, an unfocused site goal, and navigation challenges.
Understanding Users Stakeholder interviews and user interviews revealed that users struggled to find relevant content and that the site lacked organization for effective user guidance. Additional consumer research data further clarified user priorities and purchase decision influencers.
03 Design Strategy With insights in hand, I focused on optimizing content discovery through navigation. Researching navigation patterns, I proposed a new menu approach for both mobile and desktop platforms. For mobile, a full-screen menu panel simplified tasks, while desktop emphasized product categories with dropdowns for series organization.
04 Design Process With a limited timeframe, I adopted a content mapping approach to outline page concepts. This allowed for quick feedback and iteration. Moving to mockups, I explored a new visual style based on existing brand elements. Positive feedback from stakeholders, including the CMO, validated the direction. I built out styles for global components and detailed component states.
05 Feedback and Results While I couldn't oversee the full implementation, the design prototype received positive feedback. Users appreciated curated content, simplified navigation, and optimized mobile layouts. Stakeholders were excited about product organization and updated visuals.
06 Metrics and Evaluation Though unable to witness the project's completion, the success metrics – decreased bounce rates, user engagement on key pages, and increased conversions – would determine the effectiveness of the solution. Evaluation of these outcomes would provide insights into the impact of the redesigned website.
