We worked with the Tarte team to redesign their web experience to improve product discovery, increase conversion, and create a more seamless experience for their shoppers.
tartecosmetics.com
UX/UI Design
User ResearchIdeation
Prototyping
Client Workshops
User Testing
Visual Design
Design System
The Problem
The Goal
Discover
To start, our team needed to get some clarity around the user’s needs, pain points, and the current landscape of the beauty industry.
We conducted extensive competitor research to better understand the best practices and design patterns Tarte was looking to implement. Using the information we gathered, we held workshops with the Tarte team to help us identify challenges and aspirations.
We also conducted workshops and sent out online surveys to gain a stronger sense of who our users are and how they shop for cosmetics, so we can better advocate for their needs. We found that...
90%
of beauty customers look for reviews when shopping for products online1 in 2
customers agree that they get overwhelmed when shopping for beauty products in store due to the amount of options85%
of beauty customers say assurance of quality is most important to them when shopping for productsIdeate
Key Findings:
- Increase focus on social media content integration and customer referral programs to bolster consumer confidence and drive more product sales.
- Many of their users are coming in from social channels or to repurchase products. In this case, users are likely being linked directly to a product or product listing page. It should be as easy as possible for them to find what they need, and check out.
- Prioritize ease of use, transparency, communication, and supporting content.
Challenges
While we were working through our redesign, the Tarte team was A/B testing and implementing new features every 2 weeks or so. We had to create a flexible process to make sure we were adapting to consistently changing needs.
Since the team was already A/B testing new concepts, we were able to bring more innovative ideas to Tarte. We had to work quickly and collaboratively - but this resulted in more experimentation and implementation.
Simplifying Online Shade Selection
Knowing that shoppers tend to get overwhelmed when there’s too many options and want a personalized experience, we wanted to figure out the best way to showcase a product with multiple variants.
Take the Shape Tape Concealer, one of Tarte’s most popular products. This concealer has over 40 shades and comes in two different sizes. To make it easy to navigate through the shade selector, we identified 3 skin tone categories to help users narrow down their options. From there, they can either select their shade or virtually try it on, just like they would if they were shopping in stores.
The Outcome
20%
in conversion when shoppers are entering tartecosmetics.com through a social media post11%
in users completing a checkout in a single session “From the #FYP to Your Makeup Bag”
Tarte acquires most of their younger audience through social media, so incorporating a shopping experience that feels natural to this demographic was key. Through our user research, we also found that shoppers like to see videos of the product being used - this makes it feel more authentic and real.
As a result, we introduced a “Currently Trending” section on the homepage. The user can watch featured videos from users and influencers, and shop the featured products directly from there.
On the PDP, we recommended for Tarte to incorporate more user generated content within their product page alongside the clean product and model shots. Since 90% of shoppers rely on reviews to make purchase decisions, we prioritized making the reviews feel as intuitive and clean as possible.