Study case UX - website norbertinium

study case

Introduction:

Redesign of the Norbertinium bookstore website, specializing in the sale of academic, popular science, and theological books. The main goal of the project was to modernize the website's appearance, improve its usability, and make it mobile-responsive. The project also focused on simplifying the purchasing process and enhancing the visibility of key features, such as the search bar and shopping cart.

The project was completed as part of the UX Design specialization coursework at the University of Information Technology in Katowice.

Role:

UX Research 
Information Architecture  
UI Design

Cooperation:

Jacek Ryś

target group

People who read books.
People searching for rare and unique books. The target group is more specific, as the books available in the store are mainly academic, popular science, and theological titles.
The products offered are well-suited to the target audience.

user research

The first step was a thorough UX audit of the existing website. We conducted interviews and usability tests, where users were given tasks such as finding a specific book on the site or adding it to the shopping cart.

Home page analysis

Information architecture original website

Responsiveness

The website is in no way adapted for mobile devices. It opens on them in a browser-based version.

Purchasing process

When selecting books from the list, each item includes its title, price, and a very detailed description of the book. With such an overload of information, the shopping cart becomes barely visible, located on the right side and not highlighted in any way. It appears that an incorrect information hierarchy has been applied here.

Norbertinium - process purcharsing type 2

Cart

After adding products to the cart, we are presented with a classic but somewhat outdated design. However, it remains quite clear and straightforward.

Delivery form

The form contains standard fields to fill out. Visually, it appears very unappealing, giving the impression of being unformatted within the HTML code.
Additionally, the lack of Polish characters in the invoice option is immediately noticeable.

Conclusions

The website follows familiar patterns, including Jakob's Law, meaning it operates similarly to other websites we commonly use.
It does not introduce a new navigation system or an unusual purchasing process — it uses standard solutions.
As a result, despite its very outdated design, using the site is not overly complicated. The purchasing process was successful and relatively easy to complete.

Cons

The website functions similarly to other sites (Jakob's Law).
The website looks like a service that sells textbooks.
The logo is clearly visible and well-placed on the page.
Simple purchasing process.
Consistent color scheme.

Pros

Outdated website design.
Lack of responsiveness.
The site is not optimized for modern screens.
The search bar is not very visible.
Unattractive typography.
Too much information when selecting books from the list (each item includes very detailed information that could be moved to individual book descriptions).
Prices are not highlighted.
The shopping cart is barely visible.
Inconsistent product descriptions.
Lack of detailed product information in some sections.
The order form is not user-friendly.
Polish characters are missing in some areas.
No option to create a user account.
Errors in the delivery options, which could result in failed orders.
No quick payment options — only bank transfers are available.

research

Research Objective:

The initial goal of the study was to allow users to familiarize themselves with the website, followed by examining how they search for a specified item from the catalog. The intent was to determine which purchasing process path is the most intuitive and how long it takes.
An additional objective was to monitor how users evaluate the shopping portal.

Research Methods:

Initial survey using a semantic differential test, aimed at determining users' first impressions of the website and helping to create their profiles. Screen recording while users completed tasks.
Recordings of spoken comments and feedback from participants. Summary survey – gathering opinions and remarks from users after completing the purchasing process.

Participants:

The research group was aged between 18 and 50 years old.
A total of 5 people were tested.
The participants were divided into two groups: one where the task was completed on a mobile phone (2 people) and another on a computer (3 people).
All participants were familiar with online shopping and had made similar purchases in the past. However, they had never used the Norbertinum.pl website before.
Each participant had 2 minutes to explore the website before beginning the tasks.

Results of the initial semantic differentiation test

Comparison of the user journey on a mobile device

Comparison of the user journey on a desktop computer

Conclusions

Mobile:
One user searched by the author's last name, while the others searched by the first word of the title.

One person attempted to search using the full title (with a typo, resulting in no search results). There were no suggestions during the search or when entering items with errors.
The two users who completed the test on mobile devices had drastically different experiences. One user's process was similar to that of the other participants, while the second user started with a typo in the search, which significantly prolonged the purchasing process.
All users used the search bar to find a book. Two users entered the product page to add the item to the cart. The average time to complete the purchasing process on a mobile device was 51 seconds.
Desktop:
On a desktop device, 4 out of 5 users completed the purchasing process faster than those on a mobile phone. 

The average time to complete the purchase on a computer was 26 seconds. 

The process was carried out without major issues.

information architecture

design system

Colors

Typography

high fidelity wireframes

harmonium spa