In April 2017, I took on the role of UX Project Lead at Jüssi – the Business Agency, a digital project consultancy based in Brazil that is part of the WPP group. I worked on leading projects focused on user experience and technology, actively participating in the strategic definition for technology projects.
I was tasked with working on the new website for the leading home appliance brand in Brazil: Brastemp – which is part of the global holding company Whirlpool. In Brazil, Whirlpool is a market leader, with a portfolio of major brands such as Brastemp, Consul, and KitchenAid, and a vast array of products that have been present in Brazilian homes since the 1950s.
My responsibilities
- Leadership and management of a multidisciplinary UX team;
- Assembling teams by seeking talents in research, interface design, UX design, and content;
- Facilitating workshops with stakeholders;
- Active participation in investigations, including quantitative and qualitative tests;
Year & Project
2018 | Website – E-commerce and Post-Sale Channel
Role
UX Project Lead
Project Duration
09/2017 – 02/2018 (6 months)
Challenge
The project had a milestone to achieve: to unify five digital platforms of Brastemp, creating a fluid and transparent journey between the brand’s services and e-commerce sites. Each platform had a specific function, being useful at different and contextual moments in the users’ lives. They were divided between e-commerce environments, institutional, consumer support, service subscriptions, and parts and accessories.
Having this number of different services and platforms created significant friction in the user experience, affecting them with loss of essential information and high cognitive effort to perform various tasks.
Moreover, we faced the challenge of brand positioning against competitors and internally, since the Consul brand is also part of the group and had very similar products.
We identified that users felt a disconnection between the physical and digital experience with the brand, feeling that the brand did not convey its values and positioning through digital channels.
Brastemp is one of Brazil’s most traditional home appliance brands. It is known for innovation in its products and, primarily, for being part of Brazilian culture, influencing behavior and generations, and offering not only quality products but also excellent services. The brand presence is so strong that there is a popular phrase attributed to the brand. When something is good, it’s because it’s a “Brastemp.”
Insights and Process
We chose Design Thinking as our methodology. Based on the challenges presented above, we understood that the design process should bring innovation to the context, as we had the opportunity to add emerging technological features such as conversational interfaces, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence at that moment.
Building a modern website that understands user needs and adapts to them is not easy. Our process involved studying interface trends, testing visual and accessibility assets, evolving Brastemp’s visual guide, and developing a Brand and Design System.
The understanding stage involved interviews with over 70 stakeholders within Whirlpool to comprehend all the tensions and opportunities the project would face and meet the needs of the involved areas.
Additionally, we also interviewed users to delve deeper into the journey and pain points in the current site.
After defining the strategy, we created a future vision for the site: a conceptual version of the interface to help us visualize the trends we studied and begin testing hypotheses until we reached a feasible and functional path, but with a clear vision for the platform’s future.
You can check out some solution explorations in the video below:
Interface Design based on Customer Journey Map
We received a comprehensive Customer Journey Map, which was the result of a thorough investigation conducted earlier. With this study, we interpreted the findings and defined actionable insights.
Journey Map Insights — Analyzing this journey, we identified that the unification model for the solution should encompass the most common paths taken by users during their appliance purchasing and usage process.
*low-resolution image due to project confidentiality
We chose to use a conversational interface based on Artificial Intelligence, capable of utilizing resources such as augmented reality and connections with various APIs and external services. All of this was done to support the identification of Consumer Journeys. To exemplify how we built design assets based on this journey, I will show possible uses of the technologies we mapped:
Inspiration
The user has just moved to a new house and needs a new refrigerator. After talking to friends and family, they found out that the best option for their home would be a Brastemp refrigerator.
Exploration
The website/app recognizes that this is the user’s first visit, so it shows an institutional interface, displaying product options and features without much purchasing information. We know that the user is in an information-seeking stage and is unlikely to purchase the product at this moment.
Advising
The solution also functions as an expert consultant that interacts with the audience to suggest the best options. After a welcome message, it shows that it already knows what the user is looking for and interacts with questions about their needs.
Upon obtaining information about the user’s context, the service analyzes the responses to find the ideal refrigerator and makes suggestions. A Side by Side without a water dispenser would be recommended if the user, for example, informed that:
- The refrigerator is for personal use;
- The user has a large kitchen;
- The user often uses the freezer;
- Would like to have a water dispenser;
At this point, the website presents a product card containing the most suitable refrigerator, for example, a 540-liter Side by Side, with a spacious refrigerator and freezer, innovative design, water and ice dispenser, and colors that match the user’s kitchen.
Comparison and evaluation of options
The service evaluates whether the user wants to know more about the product or needs additional information. If the user responds that they want to see the refrigerator in person, for example, options for nearby physical stores are presented.
Knowing the preferences, we send a push notification informing them that they are near a store that has the refrigerator they are looking for. In some model stores with beacons, the service takes into account that the user spent more time in front of two specific models. Knowing that it’s possible these products were more appealing, the service stores this information.
Purchase
Upon accessing the website again at home, this time on a mobile device, the system recognizes the path the user has taken and presents an interface more geared towards purchase intentions, highlighting the two options the user was most interested in.
The service is proactive and offers to answer questions or provide additional information. For example:
User asks: “What are the dimensions of the Side Inverse 540 Liters?”
System: “The Side Inverse is 176cm tall and 91cm wide, with excellent interior space.”
User: “What is the delivery time?”
System: “The delivery time is up to 9 business days, and we have free shipping for your region. Would you like a 10% discount when adding the product to the cart?
Post-purchase
After the user purchases the product and logs in, the system has all this information and proactively addresses the user to ensure the best possible experience, based on the main post-sale issues.
System: “Congratulations on your purchase! Just to make sure your experience will be perfect, I have a few checks:”
– We identified that your region has a voltage of 110v, can you confirm if the local voltage is 110v or 220v?
– Did you measure the elevator and entrance doors? If not, the system could provide an Augmented Reality service to identify the door size using the user’s smartphone.
If the user informs that the front door of the house does not have enough space for the refrigerator to pass through, the system recognizes that a technician is needed for the product installation and proactively sends a technician on the delivery day to perform the installation.
To make sure the user will be home on the delivery day, the system sends a message the day before. If the user informs that they will not be present, the service automatically reschedules the delivery with the user.
Post-sale
Years later, the user needs assistance and accesses the website to solve the problem. The system offers to help:
User: “My refrigerator is making a strange noise.”
System: “… I understand, could you please bring your phone closer to the refrigerator so I can hear it?” … “It seems to be an issue with the fan’s propeller, I will send a technician to check it.”
“What is the best date for the visit?”
Based on this information, the system schedules a technician visit with the user and, upon completion, sends a push notification to ensure everything went well with the assistance.
Repurchase
Shortly after evaluating the customer service, the website presents maintenance tips and related products to the user, and when accessing the home page, the system displays products related to those the user already owns. This is where we start a new story with the interface that can go through unique and personalized stages according to the users’ needs.
Solution and System Interface
With these inputs, a technological roadmap was created to divide all these ideas into deliverables that add value to the brand and the user.
The solution was to create interface assets that adapt to each journey in a personalized way, like Lego pieces, providing a unique experience for each user based on the amount of information we have available.
Some of the design assets created:
This project is a journey of iterations and learning. Some of these solutions have been implemented, and you can check them out on Brastemp’s website. Others are in the process of development within the created roadmap.
The team
This project was the result of a collaborative effort between UX, IT, and Product teams, with a total of 15 people involved throughout the process.
- UX Project Lead: Allan Cardozo
- Researcher: Lívia Bukolts
- UI Designer: Ítalo Monteiro
- UX Designer: Nilton Nogmor
- Creative Lead: Conrado Cotomácio
- Product Lead: Felipe Moura