Mariposa, an online retailer of high-end tabletop goods, wanted a way to expand their online experience from a "consumption" shopping model to a true "lifestyle" brand. I led the team in redefining the user experience and site design around the concept that Mariposa products allow consumers to "create memories." It's not about buying a serving dish, its about the Thanksgiving table you gather around with family. We reconceptualized the Mariposa brand as "high-end but not stuffy, handmade but not crafty, classic but not boring."
We identified three key types of users: those "know what they need," those who "want inspiration," and those who "want to purchase a gift." We restructured the site experience to facilitate these key user goals, creating a model of "shopping" vs "exploring" and creating a content structure to match. Users could now browse by category (a traditional "type" breakdown), by theme (eg: Cape Cod Beach Chic), by gift recipient, or by Occasion. Expanding this idea further, we created a "Dress up your Table" tool that encouraged users to customize their table settings, dragging and dropping items and accents to envision the kind of "memory" they were hoping to create.
After a robust competitive analysis, we recommended that product pages be expanded to include "tips and ideas" from the community around ways to make products your own, including inspiration shots from real homes. Users were encouraged to upload their own imagery, adding a personalized touch to a previously thought of as "stuffy" brand. As a compliment to the redefined user experience, we conducted interviews with local Mariposa dealers to identify core needs, and crafted a "dealer dashboard" for them to easily access information like suggested products to stock, pricing models, and local consumer insights.
We identified three key types of users: those "know what they need," those who "want inspiration," and those who "want to purchase a gift." We restructured the site experience to facilitate these key user goals, creating a model of "shopping" vs "exploring" and creating a content structure to match. Users could now browse by category (a traditional "type" breakdown), by theme (eg: Cape Cod Beach Chic), by gift recipient, or by Occasion. Expanding this idea further, we created a "Dress up your Table" tool that encouraged users to customize their table settings, dragging and dropping items and accents to envision the kind of "memory" they were hoping to create.
After a robust competitive analysis, we recommended that product pages be expanded to include "tips and ideas" from the community around ways to make products your own, including inspiration shots from real homes. Users were encouraged to upload their own imagery, adding a personalized touch to a previously thought of as "stuffy" brand. As a compliment to the redefined user experience, we conducted interviews with local Mariposa dealers to identify core needs, and crafted a "dealer dashboard" for them to easily access information like suggested products to stock, pricing models, and local consumer insights.
