Increasing Discovery-to-Wishlist Conversion in Smytten
Smytten is India’s largest platform for people to order product samples of brands for cheap.
Role
UX Research, testing, UI design
Goal
Design to increase retention and conversion
Time
2 months
Scope
Exploring trial items for Skincare and Makeup
Target Users
Young Professionals, aged 18 to 29, living in tier 1 & 2 cities.
💡Core Problem
While the app offered product variety, the discovery experience was overwhelming, and the business saw an increase in abandonment rate.
The project aimed to re-design the wishlist flow to increase retention and conversion.
💸Business aims to:
- Make customers order multiple samples for a fixed amount using trial points
- On each successful purchase, give extra trial points & cashback on delivery
🤔User aims to:
- Try samples of various products for cheap before ordering full-size products.
- Get cashback on each purchase of samples and extra trial points to keep trying more samples
Smytten's business model depends on converting browsers into trial order completers, who then convert to paid customers. A single percentage point improvement in trial completion directly translates to additional paying customers per month and a corresponding revenue impact.
What I did:
Conducted user research (screening, interviews, usability testing)
Created user personas and journey mapping
Designed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes
Iterated based on testing and feedback
I uncovered problems directly or indirectly affecting the conversion and retention rates of the product
Prototype:
So, How did I do it?
⏳ time taken to present solution — 2 months
Process
Research and Analysis
I examined the existing version of the Android app, identifying gaps and pain points in the user flow.
First, I mapped all the user flows and conducted a heuristic evaluation. I wrote down everything that I felt was going wrong.
Research Methodology
Desk research: competitor analysis for similar products
User Interviews: 45-minute sessions asking about product selection habits, pain points, and decision-making criteria
Usability Testing: Sessions where users thought aloud while selecting 3 products
Next, I did a competitor's analysis, studying and noting their features, design and other noteworthy aspects.
Since my scope was limited to Skincare and Makeup, I studied platforms directly or indirectly related to the skincare and makeup industry.
Usability Testing
To validate the problems further, and to uncover more, I tested the flow with 5 users.
For this, I first talked to users about their skincare and makeup regime, their usual shopping habits, and their experience with any recent purchase.
Next, I gave them tasks to perform on the app and observed them, further probing them with questions about their actions.
Some snippets of the interview and testing process:
Validation and New problems
Following are the new insights and validated problems after conducting the research:
To summarize: confusing icons, confusion navigation, lack of clarity on information presented to user
Misleading icons on various screens
Caused confusion in navigation
Jumbled categorization & flows
Made it difficult to find desired samples
Absence of 'trustworthy' elements
Caused user to hesitate in purchasing a sample
Unclear Sample Prices
Caused user to hesitate in purchasing a sample
Unclear instructions on sample usage
Failed to convey purpose of the sample product.
Ideation and Wireframes
I first framed 'How Might We' questions
For solutions, I used the 'CRAZY 8' method (8 solutions in 8 minutes)
Also re-worked on categorization and IA across the screens
Final UI and Working Prototype
Prototype:
Results at the end…
Smoother navigation
Clarity of information to users
Ease in finding products
More trust and less confusion
All the results directly affect users' decision-making, probing them to take action towards adding items in the wishlist.
Thank you for going through my work!
Not all problems identified in the research were addressed in the project. A few high-priority problems were selected and given attention.
The other problems like gender inclusiveness and re-structuring other categories can be done in the future if the project is ever continued.
The scope might even extend to users going to their wishlist and adding things to their cart, doing payments and checkout.
Scrolled till the end? Now give me the job :D
I need money to buy art supplies. And to feed the cat.