Embodied Shopping
We aim is to streamline the decision-making process by integrating technologies that enable shoppers to efficiently evaluate products through touch and perceptual analysis, resulting in more confident and informed purchase decisions while maintaining a physical embodied shopping experience.
Summary
What did I do?
Led research activities like literature review, Observations which led to conceptualization of the device.
Why was it done?
To create an embodied shopping experience for the users to help them identify products that fit their dietary preferences easily.
How did the solution help?
Enabled the user to make instant decisions, avoid information overload and save time while picking products.
What did I learn?
Using observations as a user research method, body-storming as a tool for iteration, use of research questions and research scoping and the importance of documentation.
Problem Statement
"How might we create an embodied shopping experience for a user??"
Research Questions
What are embodied interactions and experiences in a grocery store?
Why do people still shop in brick and mortar stores instead of online shops?
How do people behave while grocery shopping?
How do layouts of these shops affect the user's shopping experience?
What technology is already present/available in this context?
Secondary Research
Embodied design leverages these natural body movements and environmental cues to enhance the perception of content.
This conceptual model on the right helped us in scoping our design to work with food-external factors (information, labelling) complementing the sensory and perceptual factors.
People prefer brick-and-mortar stores for tactile product selection, social interaction, and spontaneous purchases. Shopping behaviors range from list-driven to impulsive, shaped by habits and store layouts, which influence movement and buying decisions. Technologies like self-checkout, digital displays, inventory tools, and augmented reality enhance the shopping experience and operational efficiency.
Research Questions
What are embodied interactions and experiences in a grocery store?
Why do people still shop in brick and mortar stores instead of online shops?
How do people behave while grocery shopping?
How do layouts of these shops affect the user's shopping experience?
What technology is already present/available in this context?
In Store Observations
AEIOU Protocol
A - Activities - How people traverse the lanes in the store, how they browse and pick products
E - Environments - Grocery store (Fresh Thyme, Target), Layout, Product placement
I - Interactions - Conversations with whom they have come with (secondary shoppers) and store employee
O - Objects - Products, Shopping cart, Basket, Phones
U - Users - All the different kinds of shoppers at grocery stores
Shoppers still frequent brick-and-mortar stores for the tactile and social experiences, but they often encounter inefficiencies in navigation and decision-making due to confusing layouts and information overload on product labels. Behavior varied from list-driven efficiency to impulsive browsing, influenced by the environment and product placement. While existing technologies like self-checkout and digital displays aim to enhance the experience, gaps remain, such as the need for better navigation aids and accessible product reviews, to improve user satisfaction and streamline the shopping journey.
Insights from Observation
Shoppers still frequent brick-and-mortar stores for the tactile and social experiences, but they often encounter inefficiencies in navigation and decision-making due to confusing layouts and information overload on product labels. Behavior varied from list-driven efficiency to impulsive browsing, influenced by the environment and product placement. While existing technologies like self-checkout and digital displays aim to enhance the experience, gaps remain, such as the need for better navigation aids and accessible product reviews, to improve user satisfaction and streamline the shopping journey.
Scope Down
Affinity Mapping
Performed affinity mapping from the data collected from the observations and used a bottom up approach to come up with patterns and themes.Themes we chose to focus on these themes -
Diet
Browsing
Doutbt
Ideation
AR glasses - AR glasses are used to scan the product and it reviews and the ingredients that the user is looking to avoid. Rejected as it added to information overload.
Information Kiosks - From the observations, it was observed that multiple senior shoppers had paper lists. However this particular solution would become a source of information overload and hence we scrapped it.
Gloves - In this concept the interactive glove as a shopping enabler, would have enhanced the experience. Gave up on this as users werent being able to feel the items, due to the interference of the glove.
Phone + Smart watch
With RFID-equipped items, when wearable devices or smartphones come into proximity with these products, users will receive immediate feedback (visually and haptically) tailored to their dietary preferences. This approach eliminates the need for users to sift through extensive ingredient information.
Researching and Refining Idea
Smart watch
We further explored RFID and NFC technology in collaboration with smart watches. We studied hand gestures that a smartwatch can detect. Through our discussions we realized that some features ( Exclamation mark feature which helps in identifying the wrong ingredients when product is picked up ) of this solution would make things complex for the shopping.
Testing Solution
Body Storming Iterations
We enacted the situation of a user trying to pick a product to identify any friction or usability issues that might arise while using the features of our solution.
We decided to implement haptic feedback which would be another feedback mechanism. We also decided to restrict it to the two scenarios of when preferences are matched and when they are not.
Varying haptic feedback could get confusing
We then realized that the person could easily get confused with the haptic feedback and we chose to keep the haptic feedback only for when the product is not met with dietary preferences.
A user would still be disheartened after putting the product back and we didn't really improve the experience
So we decided to implement a product recommendation based on similarity and preferences given by the user.
Wanted to figure out in a real context how would the solution come to play
User Testing
Performed further user testing with 6 people with different dietary restriction in a simulated shopping environment to improve on our paper prototypes.
Insights from Testing
People were disheartened after the notification as they didn’t know what to do after they received a negative notification.
People can get confused with other notifications like messages on the watch.
Users value guidance and are willing to explore alternative options when their
preferences aren't met.
The design needs clarity and distinction in the feedback system.
The participant had a question about using the app to shop for others dietary preference.
Changes made
Made the swipe feature for recommendations into an overlay after a short period of time.
Incorporated an alternating pattern of haptic feedback.
Added ingredients that led to negative feedback.
Why?
We decided to use the insights from body storming and we observed the swipe feature wasn't intuitive so we chose to make an overlay which would be displayed automatically without an additional interaction. We also changed the haptic feedback pattern to make sure users can differentiate it from normal notifications of messages on the smartwatch.
Final Designs
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