Project
Gold Hearted is a jewelry company that specializes in pop and urban culture chain pendants. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneur, Michael Perez, Gold Hearted strives to redefine the way “normal” people view flashy jewelry by introducing a line of unique pieces. “Ultimately, I want my customers to feel like they matter. This initiative helps people, not only to gain confidence and feel fly, but also to help strengthen their community.” With every piece sold, Gold Hearted contributes 10% of their proceeds to an associated themed social movement. “Its about taking our power back and uplifting one another by expressing who we are”
Gold Hearted is a jewelry company that specializes in pop and urban culture chain pendants. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneur, Michael Perez, Gold Hearted strives to redefine the way “normal” people view flashy jewelry by introducing a line of unique pieces. “Ultimately, I want my customers to feel like they matter. This initiative helps people, not only to gain confidence and feel fly, but also to help strengthen their community.” With every piece sold, Gold Hearted contributes 10% of their proceeds to an associated themed social movement. “Its about taking our power back and uplifting one another by expressing who we are”
Gold Hearted is a jewelry company that specializes in pop and urban culture chain pendants. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneur, Michael Perez, Gold Hearted strives to redefine the way “normal” people view flashy jewelry by introducing a line of unique pieces. “Ultimately, I want my customers to feel like they matter. This initiative helps people, not only to gain confidence and feel fly, but also to help strengthen their community.” With every piece sold, Gold Hearted contributes 10% of their proceeds to an associated themed social movement. “Its about taking our power back and uplifting one another by expressing who we are”
Gold Hearted is a jewelry company that specializes in pop and urban culture chain pendants. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneur, Michael Perez, Gold Hearted strives to redefine the way “normal” people view flashy jewelry by introducing a line of unique pieces. “Ultimately, I want my customers to feel like they matter. This initiative helps people, not only to gain confidence and feel fly, but also to help strengthen their community.” With every piece sold, Gold Hearted contributes 10% of their proceeds to an associated themed social movement. “Its about taking our power back and uplifting one another by expressing who we are”
Time
September 2021, 2.5 weeks
Role
UX/UI designer and researcher
Tools
Maze, Figma, Whimsical, Illustrator, Photoshop
Challenge
Help an unknown start-up company enter the fashion market and discover their user’s needs in order to compete with established brands
Solution
- Create a collection of both casual jewelry and big pendants
- Develop a network of social media influencers
- Photograph models which resemble “real” people
- Showcase jewelry as a unique piece of art which has meaning
- Display eco-friendly and sustainable seal
Industry exploration
Industry exploration
Industry exploration
Industry exploration
Industry exploration
After engaging the CEO in an interview and defining the project’s scope, I immediately got to work and read anything and everything about current fashion and fine jewelry to uncover trends. It was interesting to learn that users who earned the least ($15,000 or less a year), spent more than the national average ($615) on jewelry. We can form the assumption that price does not matter to the average consumer when it comes to jewelry. However, we still do not know what motivates the consumer to buy to begin with. Since 56% of shoppers identify as women and millennials spend 28% more than the national average, they have become our target audience.
Key Findings
Users gravitate towards Jewelry that are personal
Fun, quirky, uplifting and novelty shapes are in.
Consumers are status driven and want to be part of a community
They use social media and seek expert opinion, preferring global brands to be “safe”
Buyers want one-to-one personal relationships with brands
Growing demand in sustainable and eco-friendly products
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis
I performed a competitive analysis to understand what my client’s competitors do well and where they could improve in order to help Gold Hearted standout and fill any missing service gaps.
Strength
Section has an “about me” section giving customers the feeling of being connected with brand
Custom inquiry form to give customers the ability to personalize
Instagram following and celebrity endorsement
Weakness
Items on sale are not innovative and mimic traditional religious icons
Expensive price tag (ranging between $1,000-60,000. Average jewelry was $6,000)
No videos which displays jewelry, shows creative process or explains story behind piece
Strength
Artist demonstrates jewelry making process which will make customers feel close to the brand
Strong emphasis on “Celebrating real people” with a photoshoot section
Connected with social media influencers
- Affordable prices ($100 range)
Weakness
Inability to request custom pieces
No information regarding whether material is ethically sourced
Strength
Although skulls are mostly depicted, there is a strong sense of innovation as each piece is different from the last
Prices are affordable (ranging between $150 and $600)
Artist sells limited numbered collections which will help user express self and be unique
Weakness
Inability to feel connected to brand (no way to speak with artist directly or view design process)
Videos on instagram, but not website
No “about me” section
Does not explain where materials are sourced
Lack of endorsements
Explorative interview
Explorative interview
Explorative interview
Explorative interview
Explorative interview
I interviewed three users who share the same demographics with our target audience; millennial, woman and jewelry wearer. I wanted to learn more about their motivations and shopping habits, all while minimizing risks and identifying feature opportunities.
Objectives
Do consumers buy for themselves or others?
How connected would they like to feel with the jeweler?
Is our target audience motivated by status, brand or being part of a community?
Do they follow grassroots organizations or care who receives their money?
Key Findings
Appealing brand packaging helps customer trust unknown brands more
Global brands matter only so much as they represent “quality”
Affordability is nice but consumers are willing to spend extra if it means purchasing a product they love
Users shop for themselves as jewelry is considered a personal choice
Users are ethical, care about social causes and eco-friendly products
Use social media and are influenced by recommendations
Prefer smaller items so they can wear it on a casual basis
Users view jewlery as a piece of art
Opportunities
Personalize for a unique and meaningful piece
Display ethical and eco-friendly symbol
Do not go in depth with organizations mission
Minimalist jewelry options for casual wear
Social Media/influencer presence
Show craft process treating jewelry as an art piece with meaning
It was interesting seeing how an interviewer’s described behavior did not match what their stated preference was. For example, all three interviewers mentioned that they prefer minimalist jewelry, however, their favorite piece of jewelry were considerable large (cocktail ring, large male watch and one customer wished her earrings were a little heavier). This opened the possibility of including minimalist wear to accommodate casual wearers.
Defining our user personas
Defining our user personas
Defining our user personas
Defining our user personas
Defining our user personas
The following user personas were created to reflect the pain points and motivations of our target audience; millennials who self-express and woman who buy casual jewelry. Understanding our customers will help us better determine a minimum viable product which fulfills their needs.
Task flow
Task Flow
Task Flow
Task Flow
Task Flow
Taking inventory, company direction and consumer motivations into consideration, I created a sitemap, user flow chart and task flow for browsing items, creating an account and checkout. I added a collections section to give the jeweler the space to treat the product as a piece of art with an attached meaning, as suggested by consumer interviews. The jeweler will even have a section where he will be able to explain each piece so users can feel connected to the brand, artist and what they buy.
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
I explored and sketched different layouts and combined the the best working elements together. I explored and sketched different layouts and combined the best working elements together. I knew I wanted to incorporate an unconventional layout to give it a high-end look. Jewelry will be displayed on black velvet to add a luxurious feel. The jeweler’s portrait appears further along down the page so customers can feel connected to the product.
Branding
Branding
Branding
Branding
Branding
I used the provided logo and deleted as many shapes and strokes until I arrived at a minimal and simple design. I then changed the mascot’s pupil into a heart and added an extra circle to create a “glassy-eyed” effect to tie in the company’s theme and values of love. The graffiti was used to create an urban feel.
A mood board and style tile was created to embody the characteristics of nostalgia, flashy, helping others, urban fashion, artsy, elegant yet informal; all adjectives the founder used to describe his brand.
The colors were inspired by nature, taken from a photo of an iridescent bubble. This helps to give off a nostalgia feel of childhood, creating the psychological effect of fun, being supported and safe.
Hi-fidelity mockup
Hi-fidelity Mockup
Hi-fidelity Mockup
Hi-fidelity Mockup
Hi-fidelity Mockup
Usability test
Usability Test
Usability Test
Usability Test
Usability Test
I conducted an observational usability test on five users to test the most essential features.
Test Objectives
To test whether participants are able to navigate the user interface with ease.
Tasks
You’ve decided to create a user account. Where would you go to make one?
You are searching for a small causal pendant to wear, nothing too flashy. Where would you go to search?
You’ve decided to support climate change. Where would you click to narrow down a search to find casual pendants which donate proceeds to climate change initiatives.
Browse the climate change section and choose the “Emerald Coqui Pendant” in gold and check out as a guest
Hypothesis
Users will be able to...
Find a specific product by using the filters
Create an account
Checkout item from their cart
Opportunities
Make medal selections bigger and more visible for consumers to see
Make icon lines on the navigation bar thicker so it is easier to see
Iterations
Iterations
Iterations
Iterations
Iterations
During the usability test, many participants were unable to create an account as a result of not noticing the navigation icons. As a result, I increased the stroke size of the icons to make it more visible and easier to spot at first glance. I also changed the yellow color used in the logo to make it appear more gold. The medal icons on the product detail page was also modified and enlarged during this iteration as many users were unsure of where to go to change their medal selection during the usability test. The medal selection should now stand out.
Final prototype
Final prototype
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
User flow 1: Create an account
User flow 2: Browse casual pendants
User flow 3: Check out pendant
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Understanding what our users wanted ultimately shaped the company’s website layout and future merchandise. I didn’t anticipate creating a casual pendant section, incorporating social media influencers or treating jewelry as a piece of art with an attached meaning.
One of my greatest challenges included finding a way to create a luxurious feel while using a cartoon logo. Given more time, I would have considered creating a paper prototype before designing and testing a Hi-fidelity mockup so I can try different layouts and see what works best. I would have also performed a preference test to see what users prefer to see first, social movements or jewelry.
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