Les Empreintes engraves fingerprints on jewels to create lasting memories. In 2018, they developed an innovative technology to capture a fingerprint using a smartphone camera instead of having to mail photos in to be engraved. But most people didn’t understand how to use the app or website. I was challenged to improve the user experience to increase sales.
During a strategy workshop with the team, it became clear that Les Empreintes was targeting two very different customers: individuals and mourning houses. The former order custom jewels, while the latter typically offer individuals the option to create a souvenir jewel with the deceased's fingerprint on it. The logical next step for us was to sit down with each type of customer to conduct interviews, with the goal of understanding their needs and how they interact with the current product.
All the feedback collected through this research led us to uncover the following pain points:
• The app was mixing B2C/B2B features and copy, creating a confusing experience for both types of users.
• Users struggled to capture a high-quality fingerprint, leading to a 50% fail rate.
• The in-app conversion rate was low because it wasn't possible to see what the final product would look like (no picture at all).
• The website wasn't at the image of the company. It was a classic e-commerce website with buggy customisation features and bad product preview.
We gathered the stakeholders and the tech team, and together we started building the user flows for both B2C and B2B users. It helped the team at Les Empreintes realize that B2B clients also needed B2C features because those buyers are selling the jewels to individuals in front of them. Establishing this flow also allowed us to clearly separate which features were needed for each persona. Afterwards, we worked on the login page so that our two types of customers could be automatically detected, allowing each one to access only what’s needed, and adjust the copy automatically.
During the course of our research, we discovered that the majority of our B2B users barely knew how to use a smartphone and felt lost navigating the Les Empreintes app. We had to take accessibility to the next level by making the experience as simple as it could get: turning icons into labels, ensuring a proper onboarding, and having tutorials always available.
When I visited the Les Empreintes factory, I was amazed by the amount of possibilities the company offered: anyone can design their custom jewel, choosing everything from the jewel shape to its material finish or lace color. The problem is that this didn’t come across on their website. Online, there was only a collection list of jewels with a couple of options, just like any other jewelry.
We explored different ways to structure and organize the product offering. Ultimately, a product builder proved to be the best solution for the company. The goal would be to go away from the previous classic catalog and create a new experience. Visitors would be able to create their jewel and have it displayed in real time, both on the web and in the app.
So I worked hard to bring this great value proposition to the web and the app in a simple and fashionable way. I designed a jewel editor that allowed users to choose the jewel shape, material, finish, necklace color, and other details. In total, there a more than 1,200 combinations possible, and through the digital jewel creator, it feels like the user is in a shop creating the jewel. Add to this the fact that users can add in fingerprints, any text or image, and you get unlimited possibilities.
Just like a game, this became the main experience for Les Empreintes, drastically increasing conversion as people can see live what they are creating and watch the price evolve in real time.
When there's an infinity of combinations possible and no more product catalog, how do you get started? We introduced "Collections." Collections are a set of creations associated with a theme. We use them as a starting point to help visitors create their jewel. Going from "Gold Bracelets" to "Souvenirs for mommy" brings more emotions and allows to target a specific persona. It also facilitates the creation of temporal collections like "Christmas gifts."
Sales increased by 800% since the apps and website launched back on November 18.
That's about 50% growth every month (was about 10% before).
On my side, it was the first time I’d had to work this hard on accessibility, which proved hard but rewarding.