Accessibility and Delight: Evaluation of Nordstrom’s Online Shopping Experience for Individuals with Vision Impairments

Background
Key Aspects of the Study
Research Methods
Role and Contribution
Research Findings
Design Recommendations
Reflection and what I would do differently

Background

Nordstrom, a renowned luxury brand, has been actively addressing accessibility for screen reader users. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the entire shopping journey for individuals using screen readers and magnification was lacking. This study aimed not only to identify usability issues but to provide a delightful experience for an underserved population. The study was conducted between July and October 2023 under the mentorship of Nordstrom researchers and designers.

Key Aspects of the Study

Duration: Independent Nordstrom-sponsored study conducted between July and October 2023.

Participants: Blind and low-vision shoppers using screen readers.

Method: 80-minute remotely moderated research, including warm-up interviews, usability tasks, assisted shopping with a Nordstrom design team member, and follow-up interviews.

Objective: Understand shopping habits, identify pain points, and enhance the overall shopping experience.

Research Methods

Usability evaluation and semi-structured interviews were employed to gather insights from participants. The presence of a remote visual interpreter was a unique aspect. The visual interpreter assisted participants with tasks that might require support, and inform future design offerings. The study aimed to understand not just the challenges faced while shopping online, but also the strategies users employed to overcome accessibility barriers.

Role and Contribution

I played a pivotal role in end-to-end planning, securing stakeholder buy-in, participant recruitment, study execution, logistics management, analysis of insights, and presenting recommendations to Nordstrom’s UX and engineering teams. Further, preparation of research artifacts such as study plan, recruitment screener, usability script, interview protocol, guidelines for visual interpreters, affinity maps for analysis, helped me expand my skills in carrying out full-fledged generative and iterative studies.

Research Findings

Detailed product description: Participants were pleasantly surprised with the quality of description available on the product videos. However, most participants expressed a need to have a detailed and a simpler textual description. For instance, at least 2 participants found it hard to figure out the basic idea of how a dress looked by reading the textual description. While the participants were happy to use visual interpreters to fill gaps, they expected to have a basic understanding of the product through the available description.

Lower bar for delight: since the population has traditionally been under-served, the idea of a delightful shopping experience is relatively lower. This was evident through the answers participants provided when asked about their wish list. For instance, half the participants spoke about fixing accessibility issues when asked about what they would do with a magic wand.

Preference for on-demand visual interpretation: The participants derived value from the remote visual assistance that was available. However, a preference for such interpretation on-demand instead of someone being available for the entire shopping duration was observed. One of the participants summed it up: “I might take time to explore. I do not want another person’s time being wasted. I might for example just need visual interpretation to look at a color. Hence, it would be extremely smooth if remote on-demand interpretation could be made available”.

Preference for autonomy and independence: Participants valued having control over their shopping experience. Preference for A consistent, predictable, and an accessibility-informed user experience was one of the most common themes observed.

Design Recommendations

Screen Reader Tutorial: Develop a tutorial equivalent to a site map for screen reader users.

AI-Integrated Chatbot: Introduce a chatbot capable of describing product color and style.

Human Assistance on Chat/Call: Provide human assistance for visually impaired users to ask specific visual-related questions.

Usability Issue Fixes: Address identified usability issue such as making the size picker easier to discover, providing screen reader feedback through Aria alerts as the user filters on the results, choosing an address from the available list more accessible.

Color Description and Guide: Creation of a readily available color guide (similar to a size guide) can help plug knowledge gaps. For instance, the color guide can provide information on the closest popular color a complicated sounding color looks like.

Consistent Accessibility: Ensure a consistently accessible experience across in-store and online channels.

Community Outreach: Emphasize commitment to accessibility through active outreach. The BLV community across the United States is well connected. Thus, identifying power users who can provide product feedback and advocate for the brand within the community will go a long way in making Nordstrom one of the preferred choices when shopping for apparel.

Reflection and what I would do differently

Include Novice Users: Conduct the study with novice screen reader users to gather diverse perspectives.

Informal Scripting: Frame disclaimers and consents in a more informal manner to save time and enhance participant comfort.

Stakeholder Involvement in Analysis: Facilitate better involvement of stakeholders during the analysis phase for a more comprehensive perspective.

This case study thus provides valuable insights into improving Nordstrom’s online shopping experience for individuals with vision impairments, highlighting the importance of accessibility and user-centric design. The findings also provide an opportunity for popular upscale brands such as Nordstrom to pioneer delightful accessibility-informed user experiences.