The product:
Product guide for the H&C Concrete brand showcasing the product offering, explaining product differentiation, and providing technical data.
Product guide for the H&C Concrete brand showcasing the product offering, explaining product differentiation, and providing technical data.
The problem:
Previously, the piece was treated more like a catalog, prioritizing SKU information and product data. Users of the piece, primarily Sales and Product teams, struggled to use the piece effectively for their needs: Sales used this as a selling tool to communicate features and benefits to the customers, while Product team used it as a reference for product line design and basic technical information.
Previously, the piece was treated more like a catalog, prioritizing SKU information and product data. Users of the piece, primarily Sales and Product teams, struggled to use the piece effectively for their needs: Sales used this as a selling tool to communicate features and benefits to the customers, while Product team used it as a reference for product line design and basic technical information.
The goal:
Create a comprehensive product guide that answers the need of the users, provides a look at the product positioning and differentiation, contains important selling features while still providing product data and SKU information.
Create a comprehensive product guide that answers the need of the users, provides a look at the product positioning and differentiation, contains important selling features while still providing product data and SKU information.
Year: 2019
Role: designer and researcher
Responsibilities: user research, information architecture, usability studies, layout, content development
Responsibilities: user research, information architecture, usability studies, layout, content development
User research summary:
I conducted interviews with real users from three teams, Sales, Product and Channel.
I found that different teams used the catalog for different purposes:
Sales used it for selling information: product features and benefits, attachment, and product comparison. Product team used it for referencing line design as well as technical specs, like application and dry times. Channel team often provided the piece to the stores as a leave-behind so that associates can help consumers make the right product selection.
Sales used it for selling information: product features and benefits, attachment, and product comparison. Product team used it for referencing line design as well as technical specs, like application and dry times. Channel team often provided the piece to the stores as a leave-behind so that associates can help consumers make the right product selection.
Old product catalog
User research: pain points
Poor organization:
The order of products in the guide was not aligned to the way users typically broke up the information. Users wanted to see the product line sectioned out by where the products are sold (on-shelf or back room), types of product (decorative, maintenance, prep), and popularity (best selling products should be towards the front of the piece).
The order of products in the guide was not aligned to the way users typically broke up the information. Users wanted to see the product line sectioned out by where the products are sold (on-shelf or back room), types of product (decorative, maintenance, prep), and popularity (best selling products should be towards the front of the piece).
Product differentiation:
Although the old piece had charts to help the users choose a product, the chart was very large, contained overwhelming amount of information and had a lot of repeated content, making it difficult to easily choose a product. On product detail pages, a large number of features and benefits made it difficult to pick out more premium products or be able to compare different products in the line.
Although the old piece had charts to help the users choose a product, the chart was very large, contained overwhelming amount of information and had a lot of repeated content, making it difficult to easily choose a product. On product detail pages, a large number of features and benefits made it difficult to pick out more premium products or be able to compare different products in the line.
Inconsistent layout:
Similar types of information were in different places for different products, users found they had to search around the page to locate what they needed.
Similar types of information were in different places for different products, users found they had to search around the page to locate what they needed.
Poor legibility and readability:
Size and typeface in the older piece made large amounts of text hard to read and scan.
Color swatches were too small for those looking to choose a color from the palette.
Size and typeface in the older piece made large amounts of text hard to read and scan.
Color swatches were too small for those looking to choose a color from the palette.
Solution
New table of contents:
I worked with the users to iterate on a new document structure, one that was intuitive for them to use. We added sections, How to Choose tools, and created new order of products, based on order of application, popularity and availability, with single-step decorative and maintenance products in the front and specialty, Pro items towards the back of the piece.
I worked with the users to iterate on a new document structure, one that was intuitive for them to use. We added sections, How to Choose tools, and created new order of products, based on order of application, popularity and availability, with single-step decorative and maintenance products in the front and specialty, Pro items towards the back of the piece.
Surface prep is front and center:
From the interviews with the Product team, I learned that the main reason leading to coating failure is improper prep. Knowing that this piece is used by stores to advise consumers on the application process, we made sure the surface prep information was easily accessible in the beginning of the piece.
From the interviews with the Product team, I learned that the main reason leading to coating failure is improper prep. Knowing that this piece is used by stores to advise consumers on the application process, we made sure the surface prep information was easily accessible in the beginning of the piece.
New structure for product detail pages:
I developed a new layout for the detail pages with large positioning statements at the top, features and benefits to the left and specs and data to the right for every product.
I developed a new layout for the detail pages with large positioning statements at the top, features and benefits to the left and specs and data to the right for every product.
Cleaner styling to improve readability:
Besides updating the branding elements like fonts and colors, I focused on using design elements to help users scan the page for the right information. I added icons, dividers and made color swatches larger to make sure users could easily see the offering,
Besides updating the branding elements like fonts and colors, I focused on using design elements to help users scan the page for the right information. I added icons, dividers and made color swatches larger to make sure users could easily see the offering,
Credits:
Creative Director: Stefan Woerle
Photography: Tyler Federico
Copywriter: Linda Yardley
Creative Director: Stefan Woerle
Photography: Tyler Federico
Copywriter: Linda Yardley
