PROJECT (2023)
Vinsight
'Vinsight' is a wine review-aggregator extension for Chrome. With the growing popularity of online wine shopping, finding the right bottle can be challenging.
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With Vinsight, users effortlessly find wine experts' reviews on one screen. It's the ideal tool for wine enthusiasts looking to enhance their wine shopping experience and knowledge.
Role
Branding
UX research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability Study
Tools
Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Team
Koeun Lee
Problems
Inconvenience to find wine experts' reviews from individual websites while shopping for wine.
Goal
Design a Chrome extension that allows users to find wine experts' reviews on one screen with just 1-2 clicks.
Understanding The User
01
USER RESEARCH
I conducted a survey to gain insights and secondary research to understand how users choose products while shopping for wine.
The 10 participants in their 20s to 60s had experience buying wine online. The survey consisted of 10 questions categorized into 4 sections, which include demographics, online wine shopping habits, feedback on wine review apps, and a hypothetical scenario about a new wine review app.
6.4%
20.7%
24.3%
24.9%
23.8%
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
Age:
According to Statista Market Insight, the rates of wine purchases by age and income group in 2021 were as follows:
The percentage of wine buyers increases with age, peaking in the 45-54 years old age group. This suggests that older individuals are more likely to purchase wine compared to younger age groups, supporting the assertion that older people tend to buy more wine than young people.
Users By Income
High
42.3%
Medium
35.1%
Low
22.6%
The largest proportion of wine buyers have high incomes, indicating a higher likelihood of wine purchases among high-income individuals.
The survey confirmed that as the age group increases, so does the frequency of wine purchases and the price of wine. There were also variations in these trends based on income. However, it's crucial to note that correlation doesn't imply causation, and other factors such as personal preferences and cultural influences can also affect wine-buying behavior.
Moreover, 8 out of 10 respondents stated that they read reviews when purchasing wine online, and 4 out of 10 mentioned consulting reviews from wine experts. This substantiates that reviews significantly assist in buying wine, underscoring the importance of offering more precise and professional reviews.
02
PAIN POINTS
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ACCESSIBILITY
Users often struggle to find comprehensive and easily accessible good or professional wine reviews on online platforms.
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EFFICIENCY
Checking wine expert reviews is inconvenient when having to search in a new window, and sometimes, no reviews are found in the process.
Competitive Audit
JANCIS ROBINSON
A wine reviews platform
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VIVINO
A wine marketplace with reviews
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CELLAR TRACKER
A wine reviews, tasting notes platform
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GAPS
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The designs and layout look dated and intuitive
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The amount of information and text can seem excessive.
OPPORTUNITIES
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Intuitive design
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Easy and quick to reach the users goal
Design Solutions
With the aim of enabling all users to easily accomplish their goals, we prioritized this aspect and proceeded with the design.
1. A design that doesn't disrupt the user's wine shopping experience
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Show the app as a floating side panel for staying on the website.
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Display review availability buttons beneath products when expert reviews are available.
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Direction labels are shown to the mouse cursor to help the user flow.
2. Provide a simple and easy website for subscription
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A simple single page for viewing all relevant information.
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Provide a how-to-use tutorial video for new users.
Branding
I aimed to create a symbol that was both simple and memorable, aligning with Vinsight's goal of being an efficient and quick wine review finder.
V
+
=
SYMBOL
I incorporated the inverted triangle shape from a bunch of grapes and integrated the letter 'V' from Vinsight, enhancing them with a vibrant wine colour.
LOGO
To distinguish it from traditional wine review websites and blogs with a classic aesthetic, I utilized a modern font. I also highlighted the V with the same wine color to establish a connection with the grape logo's V.
COLOUR
Regarding the color scheme, I opted for a lighter wine color and a light pink shade that complements it. This choice aims to convey a modern and cheerful ambiance while deviating from the classicism commonly found on established wine-related websites.
Starting The Design
USER FLOW
01
I created two user flows based on the taskes that the user would do on the app.
Flow 1: Install browser extension
Flow 2: Find wine reviews
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02
DIGITAL WIRE FRAMES 1/2 - CHROME EXTENTION APP
Refining The Design
MOCKUPS
In the initial design, users had the capability to utilize the 'Vinsight' app for accessing professional reviews.
Nevertheless, I refined and enhanced the app's functionality based on insights gained from usability studies, addressing identified deficiencies.
Added 'Log In with Google' to save time filling in personal information for the Sign-In process.
To improve finding reviews, I added an 'Add Filter' button to the review list page.
To provide users with access to wine-related content beyond reviews, I added 'Blog' on the top menu of the screen.
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What I learned:
When I designed the Vinsight Chrome app, I thought a lot about making it easy for users to achieve their goals. I started with just the basics and gradually added more features based on user feedback. In the end, I realized that making a product too simple can sometimes confuse or inconvenience users.
From this experience, I gleaned the insight that the pursuit of product simplicity should not commence with predetermined goals. Rather, it should be a result of responsive adaptation to user requirements, informed by rigorous user research and usability testing.
