Goal: To reimagine the website and improve the checkout experience
Problem: The current website is busy and confusing
Solution: Focus on what the Amoeba shopper is most interested in: the experience of discovery
Research
I began my research by taking a visit to the Amoeba store in Hollywood. It turned out to be very informative.
There were people buying lots of vinyl
There were tons of 45's (45's?)
There were books
There were miles and miles of vinyl
Most people were not there to buy new releases
Posters and Collectibles
I interviewed the store manager and asked him two questions:
- What do you think keeps shoppers coming back?
- Who would you say is your typical shopper?
“Vast array of product beyond what they can get anywhere else”
“People looking for one specific thing”
“It’s a unique experience”
“People coming in for the thrill of the hunt”
I also interviewed shoppers and asked the following:
- Why do you shop here as opposed to any other record store?
- Have you ever used the Amoeba website and what was your experience?
“In my mind, there’s no other place to buy records”
“I have been on the Amoeba website but they don’t have the bargains the store has”
“I like the thrill of seeing what I can find that day”
“The only site I use to buy records is Amazon”
When I got back I began to think about the competition
Competitive and Comparative Analysis
I found there were many things that Amoeba could do better. At the same time, in looking at the existing site, there were many unique features that nobody else offered but they either weren't explained well or they were hidden so they were hard to find.
- What's In My Bag is an award winning web series that features a wide variety of both stars and regular shoppers sharing what they found while shopping at Amoeba
- Vinyl Vault is their boutique, curated collection of one of a kind recordings that Amoeba has digitized and made available for download
- Home Grown is a feature that supports the local music community by spotlighting the music of unsigned artists
Takeaways
- Existing website is cluttered and confusing
- Customers who shop in the store aren't really shopping on the website
- There are some extraordinary features that Amoeba offers that are not well explained or so hidden that people can't find them
- Amoeba shoppers are interested in the experience of "discovery"
I began to wireframe my ideas with all this in mind
FInal Prototype comparison with Original Amoeba Site
Before and After
Conclusions
- There are many sites to search for and purchase music
- What differentiates Amoeba is the surprise of discovering something new or unusual
- In other words, "Keep It Weird Man"
Tools: Pencil and Paper, Post Its, Whiteboard, My Balsamiq, Omnigraffle