Using research to inform product roadmapping
Client Hibbett Sports | Role UX Researcher
Hibbett Sports | City Gear has an ongoing support relationship with Capgemini. To inform the upcoming 2021 roadmap of features and enhancements for the website and iOS app, a general user research/usability study was needed to assess key user journeys and current features.
As the UX resource assigned to this account, a remote research project was something I brought up and pitched to client. Due to COVID, they hadn’t been able to engage with the research firm they typically use for annual in-person studies, so a remote moderated study was both an efficient and cost effective alternative. I owned the entire process from end to end: writing test scripts, recruiting, creating prototypes, facilitation, summarizing findings and presenting to the client.
The Approach
The project was divided into two sections: the live website and the iOS app. Each section consisted of 8 hour-long research sessions conducted utilizing the platform UserZoomGo. I facilitated each session, which included interview questions and guiding the participant through tasks that hit all key pages/features.
The participants were made up of new users and loyalty members and fell into categories of “Sneakerheads” or “Parent-shoppers”. New users were recruited through the platform, and I recruited the loyalty members leveraging their email list.
Planning and Setting Expectations
After we received buy-in for the project, I immediately collaborated with stakeholders to define the goals and timeline of the project. It was during these sessions that we agreed on approach, participants/participant groups and technology.
Test Script & Prototype Development
I performed research on both the website and iOS app to determine best topics to cover and understand how to best shape tasks to gain the right insight. I then developed test scripts to objectively cover the desired topics in the given hour timeframe. The sessions would largely rely on the live website & app, but I created prototypes to test a specific app feature for raffles for sneaker launches that could not be replicated organically.
Recruiting Participants
I created a screener survey and email language to recruit from their participant pool. I personally screened and scheduled each participant. Since these were regular people, not panel participants I wanted them to be familiar with me ahead of time to help them be more comfortable during the research session. I also developed and managed a participant schedule used to coordinate with stakeholders that would sitting in.
Moderate Research Session Facilitation
I conducted a total of 16 live one-hour sessions over the course of 2 weeks. Each session started with an interview to learn more about who the participant was and his/her prior experiences with Hibbett and general online shopping habits/concerns. The task portion covered topics in key areas of the site/app including homepage, browse, product detail, cart, checkout and included omnichannel fulfillment features.
Study Findings
A final deliverable included clips of customer insights, key takeaways, and noted areas for improvements and recommendations. The findings also included a feedback matrix and detailed observations and insights by page/feature including links to relevant clips recorded from the study.
In Closing
The Hibbett team was super-excited about the results and insights from the study. Some of the insight validated some existing assumptions, and others were new. In addition to being able to roadmap based on the study, we were able to have a more complete picture of who the customer is and what their mindset is while shopping.
As of July 2021, these insights are continuing to be used to inform decisions made on projects around personalization, delivery options, product detail page enhancements and product recommendation interactions.
Credits: Carla Rogers (Project Manager)
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