This design sprint started with some challenges, but we overcame them to deliver a delightful experience.
Ethel’s Bagels is a small, family-owned, Jewish-style bagel shop located in San Francisco, CA and was founded in 2020.
About the project
2.5 week design sprint
Team: 3 person design team
Role: UX designer-C&C Analysis, sketches and wireframes for user flow, created script for usability testing and presented the final designs to the client
Tools: Pen and paper, Zoom, Figma
What did Ethel’s Bagels want from the redesign?
A cohesive design
The current website is a patchwork of platforms, typefaces and images. Ethel’s Bagels wanted consistency throughout their design.
“A modern aesthetic with a classic, Jewish-deli feel”
Ethel’s Bagels already had a clean, minimalistic aesthetic and wanted to build on that further.
To drive sales to specific areas of the site
Ethel’s Bagels wanted to drive sales to catering and wholesale. They asked to include their company photography to help drive sales by adding visual interest.
What’s the problem?
Problem Statement
Customers shopping on Ethel's Bagels website are having trouble finding out how to order bagels for their specific needs. Ethel’s Bagels would like to drive sales to their wholesale and catering sections. Due to the complicated and externally inconsistent information architecture, Ethel's Bagels and their users are having trouble achieving their goals.
Navigation challenges
The current website is difficult to navigate. The website contains dense text boxes and takes the user away from the main site with no help to return them back to the primary site. The site also has hidden information that isn’t easy for users to access.
Technical challenges
The website is currently hosted across two different platforms (Weebly and Shopify). We had to be aware that some of our design ideas may not work depending on the website Ethel’s chose.
Sketching it out
From home
I wanted to create an easier way to access catering. I imagined creating a carousel with useful information. One option was showing catering on the home page in a prominent location.
More information
I wanted to create an option that allowed customers to send a request and know how the catering process works before contacting Ethel’s Bagels.
Place an order
I wondered if it would be easier for Ethel’s Bagels customers to have a form to fill out. I ideated on having minimal information for the customer yet still provided enough information for Ethel’s staff.
Building the design
It was very important that the design feature Ethel’s Bagels logo, green colors and black and white background. Their unique photography added the flair needed to create visual interest and highlight their special menu.
The image above shows my design of the catering flow
Putting it to the test
Usability testing
6/6 users were able to find the catering form and send a request for catering. Due to some limitations, we were able to test with bagel-enthusiasts who were not yet Ethel'‘s Bagels customers.
General feedback
Users thought the process was easy to find and easy to complete. Users responded very well to the images, with many saying the website “makes me want a bagel”.
Something was missing…
…and that something was the menu! I chose not to include the menu during the first round of usability testing. I wanted to know if users could find the catering option and if they were able to place a request.
Ethel’s Bagels has asked that their catering menu not be fully displayed so customers would know their orders were 100% customizable.
There is value in personalized customer service. As a designer, I would not want to take this away from Ethel’s Bagels.
Iterations and next steps
I had several ideas for what I would improve after this sprint, based on usability testing and feedback from the Ethel’s Bagels team.
What would I change?
What about the menu?
I added a hyperlink to view the catering menu. I would be curious to know if users can find the menu and if it would be helpful for placing an order.
What about the button?
I was curious about the placement of the request catering button in relation to the text. I would likely do an A/B test with users to determine the best placement for this button.
Key takeaways
Ethel’s Bagels values their customers
I gathered from early interviews with. theEthel’s Bagels team that they value the relationships they have with their customers. I understood why they wanted to keep their menu “secret” but could also see that this was detrimental to their business goals. I hoped that by developing the catering section, they could see the benefits of making outreach easier.
Ethel’s Bagels has a strong foundation
From a UX standpoint, the website had a lot of potential. The Ethel’s team was aware of their limitations, but knew what they wanted and trusted a team of designers to make their hopes come alive. We saw the aesthetics that Ethel’s Bagels hoped to achieve and build on that foundation.
Sometimes a challenge just can’t be won
As a designer, it was a unique opportunity to take a business’s photography and foundation for a website. I enjoyed creating a visually appealing website, however I knew that there was a chance that the designs couldn’t be implemented.
Ethel’s Bagels wanted to change to an entirely new website, but the team’s limited size and coding experience were a barrier that cannot be overcome in the near future. It was difficult to see the excitement turn to disappointment but I trust that the team will overcome and will find some value in the research and design work from my team.