Adopt the instructional model to enhance Grin’s growth
GROWTH DESIGN ∙ E-COMMERCE
Grin, a New Zealand-made oral care brand born in 2015. The total revenue reached at $6.9 million till Q2 in 2021. Its unique comparative strength is 100% natural without sodium lauryl sulfate, added sugar, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, fragrance and harsh abrasives.
This is a Capstone project, I led a small team with 1 business analyst and 1 digital marketer to redesign Grin’s digital experience. The goal of project is to increase its current traffic and sales.
CONTEXT
MY ROLE
Design & Strategy Lead
TEAM
TIMELINE
Oct - Dec, 2021
With 1 BA, 1 Marketing
PROBLEM
Why do people come to Grin’s website then leave without using our product?
Many potential customers were lost
Users came, but easily dropped off
UNCOVER FINDING
Main Target Group: Eco-conscious Parents
To discover the reasons behind unsatisfactory data, I led the team to conduct data analysis, competitive audit & moderated interview.
Homepage does not resonate with users but PDP does
Cost isn’t an issue when they cares about kids or environment
It indicates Grin might have loyal customers, but hardly attract new customers.
None of competitors has technical patent for 100% natural oral care products.
When users are environmentalists or parents, they’re willing to pay more to ensure the product is pure natural.
Competitors are cheaper, but can’t guarantee 100% natural
HMW convince users we are the best for children & the environment in short time
SOLUTION
Branding is just like Teaching
Branding is also a learning process for users: we need to “educate” users who we are, why should try us. It prompted me to one of instructional models : 5E Learning Cycle. I customized 5E into 3E to better adapt this case: Engage, Explore, Explain.
Engage
To effectively engage users, I added a video crafted with an understanding of target audience. Through storytelling, it brightly informs new visitors about the potential of our products.
01
Explore
I introduced gamification in place of pure text session. It motivates users to explore the limits of current leaning, and turns their interaction into the pleasure of win.
“ The 5E Learning Cycle is an effective scientific pedagogy for enhancing understanding. ”
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, 1987
Explain
Once users are interested, they might spontaneously drill down. I chose consistent visual components to strengthen branding. I removed ads on the article page to avoid overloading .
02
Users want to take control of their journey
Growth designers need to understand psychological triggers & user behaviors to drive more numbers. As human, we all have an innate need for control.
Framing: show different options
Users tend to compare before purchase, and naturally enjoy “making the right decision”.
Authority: show endorsement
Users tend to have Authority Bias, so credible resources impact their decision making.
Social Proof: show “others”
Research proves that seeing others’ behavior relieves the anxiety about trying new things.
03
Intuitive IA
Before
Clear, intuitive navigation contributes to users’ engagement & understanding.
After
REFLECTION
Avoid dark pattern with quantifiable metrics
Multidisciplinary background generates innovative ideas
Profitability was prioritized in e-commerce design, I was worried about the pitfalls of Dark Pattern. Thanks to seniors, I learned to use metrics to gauge whether my designs are creating genuine value for users instead of tricking them. For instance, by task length, average time on site, or qualitative feedback, I confirm current flow is still user-centered.
From this case, I found my super power is the ability to find intersections between different topics, and then generate innovative ideas. I combined e-commerce with my teaching knowledge, as branding is another teaching. By collecting info from a variety of sources, it helps to bring unique perspectives & create solutions that truly meet user needs.