Designing to persuade
ZoomSystems automated shops (ecommerce + devices)
The challenge
ZoomShops are nextGen “vending machines” that dispense consumer electronics and high-value items at malls and airports. This concept was popular in Asian and some parts of Europe, but new in the US.
Brands like Macy’s, Sony, Rosetta Stone, and Best Buy saw this as an opportunity to prevent shoplifting and sell items spur-of-the moment at airports.
The concept worked well for lower-value cosmetics, such as Proactiv Solution, because the shops allowed subscribers to get refills without having to deal with shipping. For other products, however, shopping cart abandonment was around 98%.
We needed to understand why Asian and European shoppers engaged, but Americans didn’t.
My contribution
Role: Director of UX
I was hired to build and manage a team (UX and visual designers, writers, front-end developers, and QA) to:
Establish a formal design and research program
Help reduce abandonment
What we learned
We observed shoppers interacting with the stores in malls and airports, they:
were curious and readily explored the shop’s touchscreen
didn’t appear to read the product descriptions or buy
We then interviewed shoppers and added surveys to the interface and learned they were:
fearful their credit card information would be stolen
suspicious of the store’s authenticity (“Are these real Apple products”?)
concerned items would break (after all, by design, vending machines drop products by design)
unsure if they could return products (what do they do, put them back in the machine?)
unable to choose items — the product descriptions lacked the typical specs, comparisons, demos, and reviews normally provided with electronic purchases on the web
“How can you get someone to put their credit card into a vending machine to buy a $400 Apple device?”
The innovations
We stressed brand authenticity and security
We redesigned the visuals in the interface and signage so they looked consistent with the quality of the world-class branding of products in the shops (see new designs at right)
We posted signs on the stores and in the UI that explained that we adhere to the same credit card security and protections typically used in online shopping
We re-wrote, tested, and evolved standards for product descriptions and worked with the brands to provide the needed information and images
We addressed the apprehension with try-it-before-you-buy-it experiences
We added interactive demos so customers could try products, such as Rosetta Stone language learning software.
We placed displays at the top of each shop and played a looping video that showed how the products are gently dispensed
We added signage and a video loop to the touchscreen that ensured customer satisfaction (a“no questions asked” return policy, postage free by mail or at a retail store)
