A case study on Mobile Savings.
clara chao // 5 1 0 2 y r a febru
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table of contents
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expect more. Pay less.
User Experience Design - winter 2015 02/10/2015 10:23 am. DOES NOT EXPIRE.
Application Introduction
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Competitor Analysis
$0.04
cartwheel速 Home Page
$0.08
Overview & Analysis
cartwheel速 Pages
$0.09
Overview & Analysis
overall usability
$0.14
and potential Solutions
Conclusion
$0.15
YOU SAVED: $0.53
Case Study ID# 02-1315-08230-72114 2
Application Introduction
Cartwheel took off after its launch in
May of 2013, offering savings to Target shoppers all over the nation. It is a mobile application that offers savings and discounts exclusively at Target, allowing you to add special discount offers on the Cartwheel system to your personalized bar code. Once you add your discounts of choice, all you need to do is scan the barcode from your phone, and enjoy your savings!
Although Cartwheel has been in the business of making Target items affordable for its’ customers, they do not directly state the pur-
pose of creating this application. It may be for the sake of marketing—so it certainly has done its job, seeing as more and more people choose Target for their daily necessities and grocery shopping. The application is overall very user-friendly, having experienced a reboot in their interface design in 2014, allowing shoppers to carry mobile coupons with them, readily scannable at their convenience!
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competitor analysis cartwheel vs.
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RetailMeNot
While many mobile coupon applications have come to the surface
recently, we will be examining two popular applications amongst coupon users. While one is for single-store use, and the other can be used at multiple stores, both have similar features that we can compare in terms of usbaility and aesthetics. Their opening pages are both simple, with the focus on their application name along with a catchy slogan. 4
retailmenot
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A look at their user interface
Easy way to exit with the blue cross that encourages user fredom and control. Also a clear notification of when the coupon expires (since it’s up at the top and in a clear line of sight). Clear display of the discount, which is the main point of interest for most users.
The barcode that is required for scanning is below the fold, giving users another step (scrolling down) to show the entire barcode. Store options are clearly displayed, although not in any order. While the ‘favorite’ function is a great feature, the cateogries of stores are not divided up in any particular order, which may hinder easy access to the coupon later on.
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The map is a helpful feature and includes multiple views (list option), although it doesn’t indicate where you are in relation to the store, nor how many miles you are away from it. The navigation is straight-forward with metaphors that are pretty intuitive for users. There is also a clear indication of which page you are currently using, showing the system status.
Looking through the categories is straight-forward, with all the categories listed in alphabetical order. Their respective icons are also clearly illustrated. The search function at the top right is intuitively placed and clearly outlined in white so it can be easily found.
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The settings feature is easily accessible, being at the top left. It seems a bit awkwardly placed, but it doesn’t hinder the use of the application.
This page is the first page that comes up once you open the app (if you are a existing user). The search function is quite large, taking up a good portion of the screen, allowing users to check if the store they are currently shopping at has any offers through the app. The placement of the searchbar and its size is an intelligent use of space on their part.
The stores are divided up into three sections: Our best, Just for you, and Popular. The names are precise, and the navigation between them is very easy.
The focus on the user is apparent in this design, as the options that are centered are all about the user: Just For You and Favorites. This is a subtle touch, but is still a clear intentional use of deisgn.
While scrolling through all the offers, each store will open up a spotlight that displays a background photo and some details. As you scroll further down, the photo and details will open up for each offer; some users may not be interested in the offers, but the details and photo will still opp-up and enlarge on their screen. The experience of scrolling through is neat and flip-booklike, but it may not be the most practical for all users.
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cartwheel homepage An examination on usability
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Once the application opens, this is the first page that pops up (for existing users). There are currently no items added to the barcode, so let’s add some! Not only does it let the user know that there are no items currently on the barcode, but also in number form at the top right.
The call to action is clear when there are currently no items on the barcode for scanning. The large red button invites users to utilize the coupon application and add offers.
Once items are added, the barcode is now scannable, ready to apply your savings. All of your offers will also be listed below (which can also be easily deleted). Each offer also contains the day is expires in gray so the users know how long it can remain on their barcode.
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The three lines indicating the menu bar is relatively intuitive, being used across many applications platforms. It is also conveniently placed to tap. Once opened, the options are listed downward vertically with an icon to the left of each menu item. The most used options are above a divider line, placed in order of most likely to be used.
After selecting any of the menu options from the screencast above, there is always a back button to go back to the original menu, allowing user freedom and control. Once the ‘offers’ items is selected, a list of categories appears in alphabetical order. Users are then able to search through which category they want. While they are all listed for the user to see, there are a lot of categories to scroll though, and it may not be the best way to display so much information.
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The scanning feature is one that is used fairly often, as it allows users to check if the items they are considering purchasing currently have discounts via Cartwheel. Target made it so the icon was just at the top right of every screen, allowing the feature to be easily accesible. The scanning region also takes up the entire screen, zooming the user in on the task at hand without any distractors. It also presents a helpful indication of where you line up your barcode.
Their sign in page anticipates the user to have different social media accounts, making it easy to sign up quickly. If the user doesn’t happen to have any linkable accounts, a short form is placed at the bottom of screen, which is conveniently placed. It is nice that both features are fit into one screen so the user doesn’t have to go through too many steps just in order to configure an account.
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Once you select a category, all of the offers will be displayed. The items can also be sorted according to 4 categories, which is nice for the user to be able to personalize what shows up.
After finding an item you like, you can click on it, allowing a portion to drop down that includes an ‘Add’ button so you can add the dicount to your barcode (which is now ready for scanning).
Each discount item is displayed effficiently with the discount amount in red, details below it, and a clear picture. By tapping on the item, you are also able to see when it expires. All the necessary information a user would want to know is available.
When the item is added, the user is notified that the discount has successfully been applied (by graying out the image and adding a checkmark to it), ensuring the user that the process is complete. The ‘Add’ button then turns into a ‘Remove’ button if the user wishes to delet e the item from their barcode.
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The user profile clearly displays all previous activity, along with the total amount saved so far. The main information (offers redeemed, offer spots, and total savings) are all aesthetically formatted, with the focus on the total savings, the main point of interest for most coupon users.
The settings are also personalized, with the options clearly displayed in a traditional format. If the user wants to navigate away, they can easily access the menu at the top left, or the search and barcode functions at the top right.
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This is their Collections page, where different deals are categorized in certain ‘collections’. While this is an interesting function that may prove to be useful, the design doesn’t seem entirely consistent compared to the other pages, as it is full of color and photographs.
This is the Badges page where you can keep track of your savings, with some incentive to continue to use the app. The design is friendly, with some perks if you are a frequent user. The design is consistent and the color scheme follows most of the other pages.
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overall usability
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and potential solutions
Overall, the Cartwheel Target app is extremely user-friendly, fo-
cusing on what the user would want and need during their shopping experience inside Target. The scanning function makes it easy for the user to pick out which items are on discount without having to search through all of their offers; however, if they want to search through their offers, they are able to shop around through the application in order to see what they may be interested in. The color scheme of white and gray are consistent throughout most of the app except the ‘Collections’ page. If that page were updated to make it more consistent with the rest of their other pages, the overall experience may be more pleasurable.
On the right includes a cap of
one of previous pages of the applicaiton before their re-design in 2014. They have made vast improvements, leaning more towards a simplistic and fun approach with the teal colors and improved information design. It is clear they had their user in mind when designing for the happy Target shopper.
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conclusions
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target carthweel: coupons with a whole new spin
While the Cartwheel mobile application is only catered to one store
compared to the RetailMeNot applicaiton, it is still extremely successful as it is. The only suggestion that comes to mind, is to allow users to ‘favorite’ certain items or sections they frequently shop at, so that they can be notified when that item goes on discount. For now, it is only split up into ‘Trending, Newest, Discount, and Expiring’. A favorites section could potentially draw in a lot of Target shoppers, and it is seems to be a feature that could be easily implemented with a heart or star on the side of each item. Cartwheel’s success is certainly owed to its clean and simple user interface layouts, along with Target’s friendly branding. Saving has never been so easy!
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cartwheel case study // february 2015
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