[Sigia-l] A different kind of shopping experience

[Leisa Reichelt]

> do you ever *start* with color or geography as a point of departure? I know color can and
> does play an important facet in search, but can it ever be the starting point?

Colour, for sure. Primary scenarios for Like.com (or, at least, those
that spring to mind first) are:

- I want a pair of red boots.
- I want a green handbag to go with my new green shoes

Like.com are probably an ideal example of where this kind of starting
point is going to be more useful than in many other scenarios, because
they're all about accessories. And, as I'm sure you know, accessories
are all about matching*, so often colour is the driver. :)

Also, because of the 'likeness' equation that Like.com uses, it's hard
to tell exactly what the entry point is... if I click on a pair of red
boots on the homepage, am I entering through that point because
they're boots or because they're red? Or just because there's
something about them I like. Shopping for shoes is as much about
pleasure and browsing and serendipity as is it about performing a
task.

Also, I just want to second what Jonathan said - before writing off
these 'features' as 'gimmicks' as some have suggested, let's make sure
we've done some testing with the intended users.

I think both Etsy and Like.com are examples of interfaces that could
well have been completely stripped back via 'expert review',  but
which are both delightful and highly effective for the target
audiences for which they have been designed.

I wish more designers would approach shopping interfaces with a more
interesting and creative approach. Categories and conventional search
results really do take all the fun out of shopping online.

L

* ok, so they're not *always* about matching.... but even when they're
not, colour still counts.
________________________
Leisa Reichelt
User Experience Consultant

leisa.reichelt at gmail.com
www.disambiguity.com