Case study: UX usability in the Zara app

Have you ever thought about the people who design the apps you use on your mobile and how they work to make it look and function correctly? Well, the term usability has a lot to say and teach. In a nutshell, usability refers to the speed and ease with which people accomplish their tasks through a product of interest. It can also state that usability implies focusing on users.

We can say that usability rests on two main pillars:

Don't forget: it's the users who determine whether a product is easy to use or not. Designers and developers only do their job of interpretation and implementation.

ZARA app and its usability level

An expert in UX design and usability, Guillermo NG, had a wonderful idea: to carry out a necessary social experiment together with a group of Zara store assistants and the addition of samples of people classified as frequent customers of the Spanish brand. The main idea was to detect current failures within the visual and functional panel of the mobile application and then establish a series of graphic modifications that would reveal effective solutions to solve these issues.

Final number of testers for the experiment: seven.

The zero level of this work consisted of research and online data collection in order to create a buyer persona for the Zara app. Detailed data such as age, occupation and socioeconomic level made up the current identikit: professionals between 20 and 30 years old with a medium-high income level. Likewise, studying the environment in which these people move during their interaction with the app was another essential point. Whether the person wants to be constantly fashionable or simply wants to look for online items sold in physical stores, all kinds of arguments are valid to understand what their motivations and expected results are.

Testing and testing

Once the proto persona and their behavior was defined, the next step was to go back to those seven testers to do the field work. Here the attendees were to imagine certain contexts and act accordingly: "it's been cold lately and you are looking for a winter coat. what do you do?"; you see a coat you might like, can you explain to me how I would decide if this is a coat for you; "you have added the coat to your cart, but you realize that the size is wrong. How do you fix that?".

A review of the data obtained was conducted and then the affinity mapping technique was used to classify the weaknesses to be resolved into categories. Shopping cart, search and filter, "save for later," image carousel, unavailable items, and drop-down menu were the most "challenging" items for this researcher, setting up the most visible pain points.

Assuming that the app's most important goal is to increase mobile revenue, it was decided that editing cart items was an issue that called for urgent usability redesign urgency for both Zara and users.

Challenging to the eye

When trying to edit an item in the cart:

When it was time to bring creativity and intelligence to the table, Guillermo started the creation of design prototypes, performing a preliminary validation from sketches with some online shoppers. Thanks to this, the researcher obtained more information, managing to incorporate solutions to the final design.

As a colorful fact for our readers in relation to this first step, from Lab9, we worked for Innos -a mobile application ready to provide solutions in the health area- conducting a previous study focused on the stakeholders of the brand to know what their needs, preferences and behavior patterns were. Here we can differentiate the data to make the first manual sketches, which would be digitized as a final proposal.

One of the modifications had to do with the new "Edit" button, which replaces the "buy later" button. In this new feature, users can not only choose the garment they are going to buy, but also change their mind about color, size and quantity of items. Before the usability redesign, when users wanted to save an item for later, they could only do so when the item was already in the shopping cart. For this reason, Guillermo feels that it would be more appropriate to add the "save for later" feature to the product search flow so that users do not have to move an item to the cart before checking it out.

Another design change involved an interaction guide for users, so they could move the images in the carousel in a pattern similar to the other finger movements that must be made in the rest of the app. In this case, vertically and not horizontally as before.

In closing, validation is the last step of any mobile usability redesign. In this opportunity, the seven testers were asked to explain in their own words how they would edit the quantity and size of the items in the cart. Result? Absolutely everyone was able to explain these points successfully. Thus, the solution rate went from 33% to 100%.

User interface design: 8 benefits to implementing in your business

We know that today the way of selling has changed, potential customer investigates the multiple options from their device and reaches your offer online.

The first thing he sees is the design, the images impact and attract if they are well studied and applied. When you have captured the customer's attention, you have a few seconds to catch him to read your sales proposal.

In order to attract customers and sell, it's necessary to have a good design interface.

Following the company analysis, with updated ideas, a system is created that integrates all the aspects that make up a great business as communication with your customers.

A well-applied user interface design contains the study of the user's tasks. Here the scenarios are created for the user, and the actions of the interface are defined. Because of that the navigation is pleasant and efficiently delivers your company's message.

The 8 benefits of having a good interface design:


1. Clarity in knowing who you are and what you offer

Knowing how to meet the expectations of your users is essential, before designing the platforms of your business you must have studied your potential customers, in a previous investigation (research).

If you know what your audience is looking for and likes you can create the interface without confusion and with a design that communicates your business, making it clear what you offer and what differentiates you from the competition.

Examples in the design of a graphic interface:

Respect consistency between design pieces, creating patterns with visual identity
Place accurate text on buttons with a link to direct the root for the potential customer
Introduce each element of the navigation menu and any other textual content to show an organized interface
Communicate messages concisely to make your proposal quickly and easy
The design must be at the service of the message and provide dynamism and visual clarity

2 - An impressive first impression

The first impression that the user has of your site is essential to their permanence on it.
A strategic content set, where the offers are not mixed or confused, impacts the first impression the visitor gets and his stay. The interface design allows the user to interact with the program and send commands to it so that it works intuitively.

3 - Positioning with SEO

A well-thought-out and conscious design will improve the position of your website on the internet. When a user takes more time on the web, it means that is easy for him to handle and read your content, so he stays on your site. And this is a benefit of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which helps you to rank organically.

Search engines (such as Google and Youtube) establish a relationship between the time spent on a site and its relevance for the search to be fast and effective.

Keywords should be included in the design and text using SEO in a natural and well-studied way. It is achieved by searching on platforms such as Ubersuggest or Answer the Public, with the volume of searches.

As for SEM (Search Engine Marketing), it is like a tool to position between advertisements and paid ads.

4 - Ease of navigating your site and capturing your proposition

A user-centered interface makes users feel comfortable when navigating your site and makes it easy for them to do so without problems.

The idea is to put yourself in the place of first-time visitors; in this way, the user positions himself in a place of unfamiliarity and creates easy and intuitive navigation.

The graphic interface designer publishes on the web and other channels, landing the central idea of your business.
The messages that allow user-system communication are materialized and built.

An interface UI (User Interface) adapts to all interfaces. They're the visual user environments. They control the actions of the device and also receive the responses it sends. Interface design goes hand in hand with UX (user experience). These tools complement each other to optimize navigation.
So you can know if the interaction is adequate or not. And take actions to optimize each case.

5 - Direct communication with the user

Being accessible and humanizing your brand through contact with users generates a positive response and greater trust.

If people feel accompanied in the buying process and notice that you are willing to help them with their queries, you get a lot of visitors and customers.

Considering the user's way of interacting, a design is successful when it allows communication between your company and customers.

6 - User experience as a priority

A design that adapts to the device produces a better user experience and greater confidence in your business since you project a professional image.

Increased sales of products or services based on user experience (UX) have to do with better design. The design approach to the audience has never been as essential as it's today, even without being so aware of it.

It's essential to have adapted content about all types of users. So incorporating tutorials will make navigating your site a good experience for those who know and need help.

7 - Consistency in information and design

When you are consistent in the way you present your content and information, everything is well distributed, and you don't offer several things on the same page, you not only achieve a harmonious site, but also give a professional image.

With a coherent design, people move forward and go through your different pages, feeling that they are still in the same place and associate you with a particular style. This visual coherence is also related to textual coherence, thus creating a complete and clear message without confusion.

8 - Customer acquisition and loyalty

With the design of an interface where people can find what they are looking for easily, they navigate taking the time they need, and you make them want to continue entering and consulting your website.

Every day the competition on the Internet increases, so it's essential to keep customers satisfied. One of the fundamental tasks of your business is to create a positive user experience that customers feel cared for before requesting a quote, with lots of information that makes it clear what you offer; during the purchase process, with personalized interaction, and after buying.

If the interest of your company is to continue in contact and have a relationship with current customers, try to build trust to get a positive testimony, this helps to grow and attract more customers.

Remember that design interfaces are intuitive, modern, and practical.

Stay competitive in the market by making your visitors feel comfortable and find what they are looking for easily in your interface design so that more customers choose you over the competition.

What is inbound marketing on your website?

Today's marketing bets on strategies for business growth with a more human interaction between the company and customers.
In this way, it attracts more prospects and transforms them into new customers: Interact with them on sites, platforms, and social networks, when they want, where they can.

This is the inbound marketing philosophy.

Inbound marketing is the best way to market your products or services, and it is also the best way to help your current and potential customers.

The most stable contact between your customers and your business is your website, and because of that is essential to have inbound marketing in your web design.

Inbound marketing on your website

Your website is nowadays the visible face of your brand, everything that includes and communicates your business.

It is essential to have a good web design thought about user experiences, where users can get an idea of the company based on a professional image and communication.

An optimal site offers the best aesthetics with the necessary content to position itself to your target audience.

Websites are dynamic and updated according to the needs of your customers and prospects, but…
How is the process of designing a website more efficient?

Through a fast and agile process: the Growth-Driven Design.

What is Growth-Driven Design?

Growth-Driven Design is an approach to website design and maintenance that minimizes the risks of traditional web design.
This systematic approach shortens the time to launch by using data, learning, and continuous improvement.

Instead of making an isolated investment in your website every few years, Growth-Driven Design (G.D.-D.) proposes an efficient construction of the site to which improvements are implemented, through a cyclical process of planning, testing, implementation, and dissemination.

The three pillars of Growth-Driven Design are:

The benefits of applying Growth-Driven Design

Instead of planning to do everything, GDD focuses on iterations or "sprints" for shorter timeframes (less risky and less expensive).

It consists of design tests on your users' existing data and implementing or discarding changes according to the results obtained.

Adapt your site according to the needs of your audience.

With an intuitive knowledge of the habits of users within a website and you get to refine the site to achieve a simple and enjoyable user experience based on actual results.

Create a positive user experience.

While user experience is essential, a good web design that offers advantages is important.

Ensure the navigation of your site with a good design and development.

Remember that the loading time has to be less than two seconds since people will leave after that time if they do not receive a response from your website.

Give the relevance that usability needs.

The user enters your website from their mobile, tablet, or desktop computer. The design must respond in the shortest possible time.

With a responsive design that adapts to different formats and devices and offers the best experience to visitors.

You get to optimize the results you seek by implementing measures that facilitate, improve and enable navigation. It is an investment that offers an excellent means of communication with users or the interested public.

Web design is an essential element since it is in charge of creating the public and visible face of a brand.

The challenges, and unreliable and inconsistent results that teams experience during a website redesign are a product of outdated strategies.

Growth-Driven Design is an approach to web design that eliminates many pitfalls and drives optimal results using data.

Growth-Driven Design brings:

Invest in the growth of your business with the inbound marketing philosophy by applying Growth-Driven Design.

Growth-Driven Design is an investment that delivers reliable results month after month. Your website gets stronger as you continue to measure, iterate and act.
We can help you.