R&B

Project Overview

Overview

R&B Collection has been a trusted name in the beauty wig industry for over 20 years. However, its previous Magento-based website faced multiple challenges, including low accessibility, frequent update-related errors, and complex maintenance. These issues contributed to declining customer satisfaction and a weakened brand perception. To address these pain points and elevate the user experience, we led a strategic website revamp under a limited budget, focusing on usability, performance, and brand alignment.

Goal

We will conduct market research on our main customers, African-American consumers, to understand their preferred colors and brands. Additionally, we will analyze competitor websites to identify and improve any shortcomings on our own site.Our goal is to make it easier for both store customers and our sales team to access the website, obtain product information, and drive sales. By enhancing the user experience, reducing inconvenience, and lowering the site’s bounce rate, we aim to support overall sales growth.

User-Centered UX Enhancement: Provide information architecture and content tailored to user needs, based on user research insights.
Accessibility and Responsiveness: Ensure seamless usability and accessibility across all devices, including desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Information Reliability: Improve consistency between in-store and website information to build trust and reduce discrepancies.
Brand Consistency: Maintain a cohesive visual identity and unify brand messaging across the entire website experience.

Initial Thinking

Target Users

Beauty conscious African-American women in their 20s and 30s.
African-American women across various age groups who regularly use wigs.
Fashion conscious African-American men interested in durags and grooming products.
Wholesale and retail stores that sell wigs and hair accessories.
New wig users seeking trusted brands and clear product guidance.
Salon owners or hair stylists who recommend or purchase wigs for clients.

Research Methods

Online survey.
1:1 in-depth interviews with wig users and store owners.
In-store observation at local beauty supply stores.
Customer Survey via Phone.
Analysis of Competitor Websites.

Design Process

How might we..

How might we renew the website to improve overall user accessibility while effectively strengthening the brand identity?

Jump to Solution

Research

Part 01

Identifying Opportunity.

To improve the website, we conducted qualitative research with a total of 30 participants.We visited actual wig stores to interview 10 store managers and owners, and gathered feedback from 10 general customers at a beauty show. Additionally, we held in-depth discussions with 5 members of our sales team and conducted online interviews with 5 beauty supply customers and general users.These diverse, field-based insights helped us define a clear strategic direction to meaningfully enhance the overall customer experience.

Method : In-depth Interview, Phone Survey, Q&A, Market research and Reviews

Q&A Interview

In-depth Interview (Georgia Beauty Show)

Q1. What do you like most about the current R&B website?
Q2. Have you ever experienced any difficulties or inconveniences while using the R&B website?
Q3. How easy is it to browse and filter through different wig categories or styles?
Q4. Any features you'd like to add or improve, like virtual try-on or color comparison?
Q5. How would you rate the overall design and appearance of the website?
Q6. Do you prefer shopping on desktop, mobile, or both and why?
Q7. On a scale of 1–10, how likely are you to recommend the R&B website to others? Why or why not?
Q8. Did you find the information you needed to make a purchase decision?
Q9. What aspects of the shopping experience do you wish felt more personalized or enjoyable?
Q10. What changes or features do you think are absolutely necessary to improve your shopping experienceon the current R&B website?
Q11. How do you usually discover new wig products or trends online?
Q12. Have you used other wig brand websites? What stood out as better or worse compared to R&B?

Interview Hight-lights

It would be great to access the website more easily on mobile and iPad, without being limited by location.

I would like to be able to check wig availability on the website and easily find information about nearby stores and their stock.

It would be great if social communication, like on Instagram, was more active, and if the website had a younger, trendier vibe

*Certainly, there's room to refine my research approach here! I explore this further in my conclusion...

Customers expressed a need for easier access, mobile-friendly features, and more detailed product information. Many also felt that the current design is outdated and lacks clear brand identity, emphasizing the need for a modern and brand-focused update.

In fact, 80% of customers reported browsing the site on multiple devices and relying on detailed wig information to make purchase decisions. Additionally, 75% of beauty supply retailers said they use the website's product information during sales conversations, and 70% of the R&B sales team confirmed that product images and descriptions directly contributed to increased sales performance.

Based on these insights, we quantified the results of interviews conducted with key stakeholders including customers, beauty supply retailers, and sales representatives to gain a deeper understanding of the user journey. The findings revealed that visual design and product information were the most important factors for users, while outdated UI, lack of mobile optimization, and unintuitive filter systems were the most frequently cited pain points. The charts below visualize these findings, with user priorities on the left and the most commonly mentioned issues on the right.

Part 02

Researching E-commerce solutions

Before proceeding with the website renewal, we thoroughly evaluated three different solutions and selected the company that best met our needs in terms of budget, maintenance, and design.

Conclusion: We selected WordPress as our platform to build the website within a limited budget of $2,300. Due to budget constraints, we were unable to implement real-time inventory tracking. Additionally, since we do not sell directly to consumers but through wig retailers, we chose not to include shopping functionality. Instead, we focused on presenting detailed product information in a catalog-style layout to effectively inform customers about our wig offerings.

Part 02

Strategic Goals for Website Renewal

R&B is a beauty fashion wig site that helps users easily find various information about wigs and discover styles that suit them. Through the website, users can set and achieve the following goals:

1. Reflecting the Latest Wig Trends:

Visually curating content that showcases the latest wig styles and trends can help customers easily stay updated. Regularly updating trend collections and styling guides will strengthen the brand’s modern and professional image.

2. Website Renewal Centered on Brand Identity:

By redesigning the UI/UX to align with the new branding direction, R&B can clearly communicate its core values and personality. Incorporating visuals and copywriting that resonate with younger audiences can lower the perceived brand age and attract new customers.

3. Responsive Web Design and Improved Accessibility:

Implementing responsive design that offers a consistent user experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices will allow users to access the website seamlessly, regardless of location or device. This can also lead to increased session duration and engagement.

4. Enhanced Product Browsing and Filter Features:

Strengthening filter options, such as by color, style, length, and cap type can significantly improve the user experience by helping customers find wigs faster. Including real-life photos or video reviews can also increase product trust and credibility.

5. SEO Optimization and Content Strategy:

Running a blog with topics like trend insights, hair care tips, and styling tutorials can drive organic traffic through search engines, contributing to long-term brand awareness and customer acquisition.

Method : Competitive Analysis, Persona, User Journey map

Competitive Analysis

We should focus on branding and increase site usage across various devices.

Many wig companies focus on branding and making it easy for customers to find wigs and information across devices. We should also identify customer needs and find ways to highlight our brand.

Persona

Based on insights gathered from interviews and competitive analysis related to the R&B wig market, I developed two primary personas that reflect our core customer segments and their needs. These personas capture behavioral trends and purchase motivations, and they serve as a strategic foundation for tailoring the website experience to actual user expectations, particularly in terms of styling preferences, browsing behavior, and device usage.

User Journey Map

We developed a user journey map based on three key personas: the Beauty Influencer, Beauty Supply Store Owner, and an additional persona, the Store Manager. Each persona reflects distinct perspectives and needs, helping us understand the broader user experience from multiple angles. By incorporating these diverse viewpoints, we ensured our strategy provides a well-rounded understanding of user behavior allowing us to align brand direction and website UX improvements with the expectations of real-world stakeholders.

The Beauty Influencer considers brand image, trends, and styling appeal. Their social media presence strongly shapes consumer perception.

The Beauty Supply Store Owner focuses on inventory stability, supply chain reliability, and wholesale terms key factors in making B2B purchasing decisions.

The Store Manager monitors product placement, customer reactions, and sales performance to support daily operations.

Current Website Analysis

Usability Test

To support the R&B website redesign, we conducted goal-oriented usability testing with key user groups including African-American consumers, beauty store owners, managers, and sales staff. The results revealed consistently positive feedback regarding mobile usability, information structure, and product accessibility, along with valuable suggestions for future improvements.Following the redesign, we implemented a WordPress analytics plugin to track user behavior such as traffic sources, search keywords, and bounce rates.
These insights enabled us to develop and continuously refine a UX strategy grounded in real user data.

Conclusion

Moving Forward

To increase user engagement, the website must be designed for an intuitive and seamless experience.
Provide valuable content to enhance customer loyalty and continuously improve the website through regular customer interviews.
Continuous research is essential to explore effective strategies for strengthening the company’s brand identity.

What I learned

I gained research experience by conducting extensive analysis to optimize the website within a limited budget.
I learned to balance perspectives and ensure usability through problem analysis and stakeholder engagement in website renewal.
Although my design proposal was not selected, I played a key role in user research and design direction, reinforcing the value of adaptability and collaboration.
Communicating with executives and persuading resistance to change was challenging but rewarding, strengthening my skills in logical arguments and data-driven decisions.

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