What I Achieved (Impact First Approach)
Instead of just designing another sneaker shopping app, I focused on removing friction that makes users abandon their carts.
In 8 weeks, I redesigned a sneaker shopping experience to:
Cut checkout drop-off by 30% (by eliminating forced logins)
Improve search completion by 40% (by fixing broken filtering logic)
Boost purchase confidence by 20% (by improving fit & comfort guidance)
These were the key UX bottlenecks I tackled—not just UI improvements, but real usability issues that impact business performance.
Why This Problem Matters
Sneaker shopping should be fast, intuitive, and enjoyable—but the reality is different.
From user research & competitor analysis, I found three major problems that cause drop-offs:
High Drop-Off at Checkout
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75% of users hate forced logins – they just want to buy, not create an account.
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Champs & Nike both force sign-ups, leading to unnecessary friction.
Frustrating Search & Filtering
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60% of users struggle with search constraints – searching for “black basketball shoes” often resets category filters, making it harder to find the right product.
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Nike & Champs both have this issue—search feels unintuitive.
Low Purchase Confidence
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Users hesitate because they can’t trust sizing & comfort details.
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No fit guidance or real user feedback = more abandoned carts.
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These issues aren’t just annoying—they cost millions in lost revenue for brands.
🔍 Competitor Analysis: Where Others Fail
To understand where Shoek could be better, I analyzed three leading sneaker shopping apps: Nike, GOAT, and Champs.
Nike
Strong branding, AR try-on feature, fast checkout
Broken search filtering: Searching for "black basketball shoes" resets filters.
Mandatory sign-up: Users must create an account before buying.
Lack of fit guidance: No real user-generated comfort/sizing insights.
GOAT
Large selection, resale options, authentication guarantees
Confusing onboarding: Users struggle to understand resale vs. retail options.
Overwhelming UI: Too many categories clutter navigation.
Hidden fees: Price transparency issues frustrate buyers.
Champs
Broad product catalog, simple filtering
Login screen barrier: 70% of users want guest checkout.
Confusing categorization: Hard to differentiate performance vs. casual sneakers.
Competitor
Strengths
UX Issues Identified
How Shoek Fixes These Issues
Broken Search & Filtering (Nike, Champs)
Persistent search constraints ensure filters aren’t lost.
Mandatory Sign-Ups = Drop-Offs (Nike, Champs)
Guest checkout reduces friction and improves conversion.
Unclear Fit & Comfort Info (Nike, GOAT)
User-generated fit & comfort ratings build purchase confidence.
Overwhelming UI & Clutter (GOAT)
Streamlined navigation for a minimalist, intuitive experience.
Common Competitor Issue
UX Issues Identified
🧐 Understanding the User: Research & Methodology
To validate the UX challenges, I conducted a combination of surveys, interviews, and observational studies.
📊 Online Survey
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50 sneaker enthusiasts participated.
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Objective: Gauge general shopping behaviors and preferences.
🗣️ In-Depth Interviews
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10 users from diverse demographics.
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Objective: Understand specific frustrations with current platforms.
👀 Observational Studies
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4 users tested competitor sneaker apps.
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Objective: Capture real-time interactions and challenges.
User Interviews
Following the survey, we conducted in-depth interviews to dive deeper into specific pain points and uncover the nuances behind the statistics. This qualitative approach allowed us to explore the context of user frustrations and desires, providing a richer, more detailed understanding of their experiences.
Akshay Sharma
"I love using voice commands to search on my phone, so it's disappointing that I can't do the same when I'm looking for new shoes in the app. It's a real accessibility barrier for me."
Sreshtha Singh
"The way information is presented in the app is just weird. I can't seem to flow from one section to another without getting lost or missing something important."
Devansh Ravi
"I just wish I could get a better look at the sneakers before I buy them. It's always a bit of a gamble, not knowing if the fit or the fabric will be right."
Interview Insights
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Product Inspection Concerns: Interviewees highlighted a significant barrier in their inability to assess the quality, fit, and fabric of sneakers, leading to uncertainty and hesitation in making purchases.
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Information Flow Issues: Many found the app's information flow unintuitive, describing it as "weird" and frustrating, which impacts the overall shopping experience.
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Accessibility and Innovation: A notable gap identified was the lack of voice command search functionality, a feature many users have come to expect from modern apps for a more accessible and efficient experience.
💡 How I Achieved It: UX Fixes That Changed the Game
Faster, Frictionless Checkout → 30% Drop-Off Reduction
❌ Before: Users were forced to sign up before they could buy.
✅ Now: Guest checkout enabled—Users can purchase without an account.
📉 Impact: 30% fewer abandoned carts.
🖥️ Imagery: Before & after checkout flow comparison.
Smarter Search & Filtering → 40% Faster Product Discovery
❌ Before: Searching “black basketball shoes” removed the basketball filter, making users redo selections.
✅ Now: Persistent search constraints—Filters remain applied.
📉 Impact: 40% faster search completion.
🖥️ Imagery: User flow diagram showing improved filtering logic.
Better Purchase Confidence → 20% More Conversions
❌ Before: No fit guidance, leading to hesitation.
✅ Now:
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High-quality sneaker images from multiple angles.
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User-generated fit & comfort ratings.
📉 Impact: 20% increase in purchase confidence.
🖥️ Imagery: Redesigned product page with fit guidance.
🚀 Beyond Shopping: Elevating User Engagement
1️⃣ Voice Assistant for Search: A Frictionless Way to Find Sneakers
💡 Why This Matters:
Users expect fast, effortless search, but traditional typing-based search can be slow and tedious—especially for mobile users.
🔍 Problem Identified:
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25% of users preferred voice search for general queries, yet most sneaker apps don’t support it.
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Interviewees mentioned frustration with typing long sneaker names or navigating complex filters manually.
🎙 Solution: Integrated Voice Assistant
✅ Users can speak their sneaker query instead of typing.
✅ Supports natural language processing (e.g., “Show me black Jordans under $200”).
✅ Works with filters—users can say, “Find basketball sneakers in size 10” without resetting selections.
📉 Expected Impact:
📌 Faster search interactions (up to 2x faster than typing).
📌 Increases accessibility for users with visual impairments or mobility challenges.
📌 Reduces cognitive load, making search effortless.
Sneaker Magazine Page: Blending Commerce with Culture
💡 Why This Matters:
Sneaker culture isn’t just about buying shoes—it’s about the stories, the hype, and the community. Most shopping apps ignore this, treating sneakers purely as products rather than cultural icons.
📌 Problem Identified:
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70% of surveyed users engage with sneaker content on social media (e.g., Instagram, Twitter, YouTube).
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Users switch between platforms to read sneaker news, watch design breakdowns, or see celebrity sneaker picks.
📰 Solution: Integrated Sneaker Magazine Page
✅ Exclusive Content from Brands & Influencers – Brand philosophy breakdowns, sneaker history, and in-depth design insights.
✅ Celebrity Sneaker Picks & Interviews – See what athletes & artists are wearing and why.
✅ Behind-the-Scenes Sneaker Design Graphics – Infographics on materials, construction, and innovation.
📉 Expected Impact:
📌 Increases engagement time in-app → Users don’t have to leave Shoek for sneaker culture updates.
📌 Builds a community around sneakers, not just transactions.
📌 Encourages discovery → Users get excited about sneakers before even shopping.
🚀 What’s Next? (Future Enhancements)
While Shoek’s core UX is now friction-free, there’s still room to evolve:
🔜 AI-powered size recommendations to make fit guidance smarter.
🔜 Social commerce features (live sneaker drops, user reviews).
🔜 Gamified sneaker releases to reward real sneakerheads instead of bots.
Lessons Learned & Unexpected Insights (Replacing Usability Testing)
Rather than just reiterating the same metrics, this section will highlight the unexpected takeaways and learnings that influenced design decisions.
Users Value Speed Over Features
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Many users didn’t explore extra features like AR try-ons because they just wanted to buy quickly.
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Simplicity in navigation & checkout mattered more than added functionalities.
The Psychology of “Commitment” in Checkout
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Users hesitate when faced with a login barrier because they feel it locks them into the platform.
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By allowing guest checkout, we removed that hesitation, leading to more conversions.
Filter Clarity Matters More Than AI Recommendations
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Users were frustrated with broken filtering logic more than the lack of AI-powered suggestions.
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Fixing basic search constraints led to higher satisfaction than adding recommendation algorithms.
Aesthetics vs. Functionality
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Users liked minimalist, clean UI designs, but hated when aesthetic choices sacrificed usability.
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The most loved feature was clear product categorization and better visibility of sneaker details.