SCOOPS
Website Modernization
DELIVERABLES
Discovery and Research
Information Architecture
Brand Development
Prototype
UX/UI DESIGNER
Wendy Gilbert
TOOLS
Figma
Illustrator
Photoshop
Overview
Selling the EXPERIENCE, not just the product!
I revamped this catering website with a fresh, modern design and a focus on enhancing the user experience. The site brings everything the user needs into one seamless platform! Clients can discover how SCOOPS will elevate their events through memorable catering experiences, followed by a clear overview of the products offered. They can easily request pricing, submit inquiries, and explore services and offerings—all with ease.
Discovery and Research
Problem Statement
Too many products, but where’s the EXPERIENCE?
The current SCOOPS website, launched in 2011, has become cluttered over time, leading to confusion for clients. With an overwhelming amount of content and heavy text, users often didn’t know where to navigate. The goal was to redesign the homepage for a cleaner, more modern look that simplifies the experience. This redesign aims to enhance overall usability and make it easier for clients to engage with the site.
Target Audience
The majority of SCOOPS’ revenue is generated from large corporate events.
- Commercial Property Management: Includes property managers, concierges, or executive assistants from the commercial sector.
- Residential Property Management: Involves management teams from leasing offices.
- General Business: Requests typically come from administrative assistants or specific departments within businesses.
- Individual Groups: Includes HOA representatives and similar organizations.
Competitive Analysis
Here are examples of three different catering companies:
- Saint Germain: A catering restaurant serving the Virginia, Maryland, and DC areas.
- Ben & Jerry's: A nationwide brand specializing in ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet.
- Rita's: A popular restaurant chain known for its Italian ice, frozen custard, and specialty creations.
Saint Germain
• The use of colors, fonts and photos shows that Saint Germain has more of a formal theme.
• Their call to action buttons are clear with the use of the bright orange.
•They use a grid structure that is nicely organized and easy for users to follow.
• While there are a lot of nice photos, there is also a lot of text that user may not read all the way through.
Ben & Jerry's
• Ben & Jerry's is popular ice cream brand that showcases their fun culture and uses fun colors, fonts and themes in their website.
• They use a grid structure that is nicely laid out, organized and easy for the users to follow along.
•They highlight their catering experiences first followed by their types of products.
• Ben & Jerry's site was designed with the users in mind. I liked that for each "Get Quote" button, their is a unique form that pops up which would ultimately hep not only the clients but the Ben and Jerry's sales team as well.
Rita's
• The site's use of colors and fonts fit well with the aesthetics of the company.
• The colors used breaks up each of the sections nicely so that users can easily know where they currently are on the site
• Rita's goes straight to selling their Party Packs right from the beginning which nice for the individual consumers.
• I would move the "Let's Get Your Party Started" section above the Party Packs as that would highlight the different types of services they offer first.
Personas
Next, I focused on building user personas. Based on my understanding of the target audience, I created profiles that best represent the individuals most likely to engage with SCOOPS.
Through my research, I've identified several opportunities to enhance the overall user experience:
- Request a Quote Button: This is prominently displayed in the header, header image, homepage body, and footer, making it easy for users to find without having to scroll or search.
- General Contact Form: Instead of redirecting users to an email address, I implemented a simple contact form. This reduces steps for users, allowing them to submit inquiries directly without needing to open a separate email client.
- SCOOPS Catering Experiences & Specialties: These are clearly highlighted on the homepage to inspire users and help them plan their events with ease.
Biography
Mandy is studying business and communications in college. She’s passionate about helping others, always ready to listen and offer suggestions. Mandy enjoys event planning because it’s one of the few opportunities to bring everyone together for a fun break away from their desks. No matter the task, she completes it efficiently and on time. With confidence, she handles challenges and ensures everything stays under control. Mandy works as an Executive Assistant at a large tech firm. Her boss has tasked her with organizing a company-wide appreciation event featuring ice cream, and she has just one week to plan and confirm all the details.
Goals
- Be resourceful and take charge of solving any issues that come up.
- Organize events that are enjoyable and leave a lasting impression on the company.
- Maintain control over all tasks while remaining flexible to accommodate Rob's needs and the requests of employees from other departments.
Pain Points
- While Mandy excels under pressure, she dislikes when people procrastinate or wait until the last minute for tasks.
- Poor communication: When tasks need to be completed, but team members are not aligned, it often leads to things being overlooked or not done.
Biography
Michelle is a natural people person. With a background in marketing, she’s always coming up with creative ways to engage and connect with those around her. Michelle has an upbeat personality, is highly motivated, and loves bringing people together. She regularly checks in with her tenants, knowing that building rapport is key. As a property manager for a large office building, she’s preparing for an upcoming Tenant Appreciation event and wants to find thoughtful ways to express her gratitude. Michelle is open to exploring various options to ensure the service and products cater to everyone’s needs.
Goals
- Prioritizing the satisfaction and well-being of her tenants.
- Staying on top of daily operations, including resolving maintenance tickets promptly.
- Keeping tenants informed about building events and ongoing projects.
- Handling general accounting tasks, ensuring bills are paid and the company meets its monthly revenue goals.
Pain Points
- Poor communication, such as changes made by the board without informing her.
- Vendors canceling appointments at the last minute, causing project delays and frustrating tenants.
- Occasionally feeling burned out when others don't match her level of energy and commitment on a daily basis.
Information Architecture
Journey Maps
Mandy chooses SCOOPS because they were available and responsive. She submits her request through the website, and a Sales Manager promptly follows up to help finalize the event details. On the day of the event, everything is set up perfectly, the event kicks off smoothly, and everyone is satisfied. Overall, Mandy had a great experience. She appreciated having multiple options to choose from and was pleased that SCOOPS delivered on their promises effortlessly.
Michelle attends a company-wide meeting each month to discuss business matters. With Tenant Appreciation just around the corner, she decides to research catering options. She’s looking for a catering company that can accommodate her tenants' diverse needs and offers a range of options. SCOOPS catches her attention with their selection of assorted baked goods, perfect for a thank-you breakfast or dessert. She submits her request form and collaborates with the Sales Manager to finalize the details. On the day of the event, SCOOPS handles the setup, service, and cleanup, and everything goes smoothly. Michelle has a positive experience with the booking process and is pleased with SCOOPS' overall service.
Original Site Map
I redesigned SCOOPS’ old site map, and as you can see, it was quite cluttered. It’s no surprise users found it confusing. The header alone contained too much information, and overall, there was an overwhelming amount of content. Multiple pages led back to a single page, creating unnecessary complexity. The focus was heavily on products, while the concept of the experience itself got lost in the mix.
Card Sorting
Eight participants took part in my card sorting activity on Optimal Workshop, providing valuable insights into how the new page should be organized. Participants successfully grouped many of the products and services into categories that made the most sense to them. From the data in Groups 5 and 6, several cards were clustered together under labels like "business services" and "event opportunities."
The results showed that end users are more focused on the events, highlighting the importance of emphasizing event-related content on the page. This reinforced the need to prioritize what users are truly seeking.
New Site Map
This is the updated site map for SCOOPS. It’s more streamlined, making it easier for users to find the information they need without having to navigate back and forth. Catering experiences and specialties are prominently displayed on the homepage, and users can simply click on the corresponding images to learn more. For general inquiries, users can now submit a contact form, a feature that was previously missing on the old site. Additionally, users can easily submit a request for a quote directly from the site.
User Flow
This user flow outlines the step-by-step process of submitting a Request a Quote form. However, I quickly realized that the flow for requesting a quote isn’t always linear.
- Users may not complete all the fields before submitting the form.
- The event date selected might not be the finalized date.
- Users may abandon the form halfway through and opt to call instead if they have additional questions that need immediate answers.
Sketching It Out
Solution Sketches
Initial Wireframes
From the sketches, I then turned to Figma and digitized the wireframes and made them clickable.
User Interviews
I interviewed three people about their catering experiences, both in their work and personal lives. Here are a few key quotes that stood out to me. I found their responses about how dessert catering made them feel to be particularly insightful. As adults, life becomes so busy that we often forget to pause, relax, and appreciate the simple joys. When enjoying ice cream or any dessert, it evokes a sense of nostalgia, allowing you to feel carefree, just like you did as a child. It’s a reminder of the importance of taking a moment to rest your mind and enjoy life.
User Testing
I tested my interactive prototype of the newly designed website with three users.
- Users found it easy to navigate through the homepage, which was a significant improvement over the original site, where navigation was unclear.
- The previous site lacked a clear direction, but the new design offers a more intuitive experience.
- Testers were able to quickly find the "Request a Quote" button, which they appreciated.
- One tester noted that the design works well for two types of users: those who already know what they're looking for and want to submit a request quickly, and those who prefer to explore and learn more. The website was redesigned to accommodate both types of audiences.
Wireframe Iterations
After gathering feedback from users and having them test the initial wireframes, I made several iterations. Here are the key changes I implemented:
Three iterations of the homepage:
- Version 1: This version featured an edge-to-edge design, with the "Request a Quote" button appearing only in the banner image and after scrolling down the page.
- Version 2: From an accessibility perspective, I added margins to better define the start and end of content, making it easier for users’ eyes to navigate the page. I also placed "Request a Quote" buttons in both the header and footer so users wouldn't need to scroll to the top or bottom to submit a request. Additionally, I cleaned up the email input area and added a general avatar to the testimonial section. To give these low-fidelity wireframes more context, I replaced the placeholder text with actual content, helping testers feel like they were interacting with a real website.
- Version 3: I added three clear service types directly beneath the banner, each represented by simple icons for easy identification.
Prototype
Test the clickable prototype by clicking on the image below.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, it’s all about the experience! The key is to give customers a reason to choose SCOOPS, starting with a simplified website. Focus on highlighting the experiences first, and the products second.
Challenges:
- Conducting research through in-person interviews and testing proved difficult, so we adapted by using video calls.
- Simplifying SCOOPS' wide range of services and products, which had accumulated over the years, required scheduling time with the client to determine what content should be kept or removed.
Takeaways:
The focus should be on simplicity—a streamlined site that provides all the essential information potential clients might need without making them dig through the content. Too much information can overwhelm users and drive them away, leading them to seek out competitors with a more straightforward approach.
If you made it this far, then you're probably wondering "Hey! So what does the new site look like?" The site is now LIVE! Please check out www.scoops2u.com!
Case study created in 2021
Wendy Gilbert