ORVIS
User Testing Navigation Prototype
Orvis, founded in 1856, is a top outdoor retailer known for quality fly fishing gear, apparel, and adventure products. Emphasizing craftsmanship and sustainability, Orvis supports nature enthusiasts and conservation advocates.
Overview
We worked with Orvis's eCommerce team to develop a series of user tests focused on identifying the most effective information architecture and navigation language. The goal was to evaluate how accurately users could locate specific products or pages on both desktop and mobile devices.
ROLES
Prototyping
AGENCY
ZaneRay
TIMELINE
2022-23
Challenges to Address
The prototype required functionality to address various navigational and categorical issues, leading to the following conclusions:
Confusing Navigation Language
Many users found the menu language too broad and unclear, leading to choice paralysis and difficulty completing tasks.
Unclear Categorization
4/5 users struggled to find items like "nets" under gear, expecting them under accessories instead.
Experience Section Confusion
The “Experience” section was found to be unclear and overlapping with other sections like learning, stories, and education.
Successes
Team Collaboration
Collaborated with a multi-faceted team, including a User Researcher, Design Director, and company Stakeholder to build a working, testable prototype and draw conclusions to improve the online experience for their customer base.
Clearer Navigation Language
By refining the menu language to be more specific and intuitive, we reduced user confusion and improved task completion rates, addressing the previous issue of choice paralysis.
Improved Categorization
After reorganizing product categories, users were able to locate items, increasing efficiency by placing them in sections where they were expected.
Streamlined Experience Section: Clarifying and restructuring the “Experience” section by consolidating Stories and Adventures and renaming the categories to “Guide to…”, reducing overlap, creating a more focused and intuitive user experience.