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About
Maduka
Manduka is a leading brand in the yoga and fitness industry, offering high-quality, durable, and sustainable yoga equipment. Their user-friendly website reflects their commitment to sustainability and premium craftsmanship.
Researched for Manduka's website and product through in-depth user testing, competitor analysis, and data-driven insights to optimize navigation and identify key usability improvements, improving overall usability through targeted user research.
My Role
Led comprehensive UX research leveraging user testing, interviews, and data analysis to uncover actionable insights that informed iterative design decisions and drove strategic improvements in user engagement and overall experience.
Tools & Methods
Conducted Usability Interviews, User Group Outreach, and Accessibility Evaluations to refine User Flows. Utilized Card Sorting, Tree Testing, and Qualitative Data Analysis to identify pain points, optimize navigation, and propose user-centered solutions, presenting insights to test users for continuous iteration and improvement.
Figma
Trello
Jira
Zeplin
Miro
Optimal Workshop
Timeline
16 weeks
Research Process
A comprehensive research project focused on improving the user experience of Manduka's website, a prominent yoga and fitness brand. It was our primary goal to improve their website and provide actionable recommendations. A multifaceted research approach was used.
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Usability testing, click tracking, and reviews were considered. Valuable insight into the website's strengths and weaknesses was gained. Improvements could be made to make the website more user-friendly.
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To gather direct feedback, I conducted surveys, card sorting, and tree testing. We gained valuable insights into user preferences, navigation challenges, and information hierarchy. Using real-time user feedback, usability issues and frustrations were identified.
Card Sort Analysis
These cards were given for sorting into categories to the users. There were total 14 cards.
Each card was divided into a category where the description of card aligns.
As the study had fewer participants, the best merging approach outperformed the real agreement method. Based on individual pair relationships, it develops assumptions about bigger clusters.
There were a total of 8 participants in this study.
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Analysis showed that users were categorized in about 2-4 different categories, showing some data to help for further research.
Tree Testing Analysis
According to the results of the card sort and tree test exercise, participants were perplexed as to what the findings were about and how they might be classified, which is one of the causes and effects that led to my rather unsuitable comments. Several of them were unsure how to categorize. I notice that some of them did classify it.The first were the product and mat pages, followed by an assistance category, a community category, and finally quick access.
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Consider your audience's interests and arrange information logically for your goals using a topical scheme.
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Audience-based access restricts content to specific people, while a topical scheme allows all users to browse easily.
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Topical categorization ensures consistency and a unified message on the website, enhancing the company's reputation.
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A topical scheme improves the website's user experience by organizing content logically and reducing irritation.
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Topical structure aids in search engine optimization, boosting a website's visibility and ranking in search results.
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Mobile user comfort led to the decision to use a topical scheme over an audience-based one for Manduka.
Radar Map Analysis
Conducted a Radar Map Analysis for Manduka’s website to evaluate key usability areas, identifying strengths and weaknesses in user experience across various touchpoints. This analysis helped prioritize improvements, offering a clear visual representation of areas needing attention and guiding design decisions to optimize user flow and engagement.
Think Manduka has it all figured out as a top brand? Think again! Check out the surprising usability findings we uncovered through research; scroll down to discover how even the best can get better!
Lets see some usability issues and the given solutions
1. Usability Issue 1: Users were facing problems reading the text that was merging with the background color. People with color blindness would not be able to read the text easily.
Recommendation: Check with the accessibility colors matching the foreground and background colors by contrast checker having a ratio of at least 4.5:1.
2. Usability Issue 2: On the mobile view, the design changes the size of the font and padding. The padding is too little for a user to engage. In the overall website, there are spacing and size issues with icons also. It doesn't follow basic guidelines for size.
Recommendation: Increasing the size of the font and the icons in the mobile view, the text that is under the hamburger menu, seems congested. The upper nav bar has a lot of elements; places icons can be considered somewhere else.
Additional Recommendations
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There are people who are introverted and also the people who cannot schedule as per their requirement for the free yoga class or videos. Instead, they can do something with MuscleWiki where just selecting the body area you want to exercise for all the related exercises pops up.
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A comparison chart of mats should be provided that is easier to understand the difference between all the mat types so the click rate, instead of going into each mat, will reduce to one click.
Reference Link
Back Links
Dec 2024 : 180.7K
User Traffic
Jan 2021- Dec 2024
32.55% Decrease
Authority Score
Till Dec 2024
47
Mobile Users
Poor Mobile UI leads to 60%
Business Impacts & Solutions
Impacts
Manduka, a renowned yoga mat and apparel company, has been experiencing challenges that may be affecting user engagement and overall business performance.
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High Backlink Rate and User Experience
A high backlink rate typically indicates strong external references to a website, which can boost SEO. However, if these backlinks lead to irrelevant or low-quality sites, they can diminish user trust and increase bounce rates. Users arriving from such links may quickly leave Manduka's website if they don't find relevant content, negatively impacting engagement metrics.
Mobile User Interface Concerns
User research has highlighted that Manduka's mobile site features small-sized icons, posing navigation challenges for users with larger fingers. This design flaw can lead to user frustration, increased bounce rates, and potential loss of sales, especially considering the growing trend of mobile shopping.
Impact on SEO and Business Opportunities
User experience is a critical factor in search engine rankings. High bounce rates and poor mobile usability can signal to search engines that users are dissatisfied, potentially leading to lower rankings. This decline can reduce organic traffic, affecting Manduka's visibility and business opportunities.
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Mobile-First Approach to Customer Reviews
Understanding the importance of mobile accessibility, Manduka identified that its existing review management tool was cumbersome, particularly for mobile users. This inefficiency led to operational challenges and a subpar consumer experience. By adopting a mobile-first review platform, Manduka increased review submissions by 43%, demonstrating the effectiveness of prioritizing mobile user experience in driving customer engagement
Solutions
Audit Backlink Quality
Conduct a comprehensive review of all backlinks to ensure they originate from reputable and relevant sources. Disavow any links from low-quality sites to maintain user trust and engagement.
Enhance Mobile UI
Redesign the mobile interface with larger, more accessible icons and touch targets to accommodate all users, thereby improving navigation and reducing frustration.
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Monitor Engagement Metrics
Regularly analyze bounce rates, session durations, and user feedback to identify areas needing improvement and to measure the effectiveness of implemented changes.
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Optimize User Engagement Metrics
Ongoing analysis of user behavior, including bounce rates and session durations, can help identify areas for improvement and measure the success of implemented changes.