Online Store Information Architecture Redesign and Validation
Project Info
CASA were implementing a new information architecture for their online store and needed to understand how well the proposed structure supported real user tasks.
I ran interviews and usability testing with current customers, pilots and frequent users of the store to evaluate whether needs were being met, and to compare the existing IA against the proposed structure.
At a Glance
Challenge: Evaluate how well the proposed online store information architecture supported real customer tasks when compared with the existing structure.
Approach: Ten moderated 1:1 sessions compared the current and proposed IA using task-based testing, counterbalanced task order and customer ease scoring.
Outcome: Testing showed the proposed IA had some strengths, including reduced clutter, but participants tended to find the existing IA easier overall. Further refinement was needed around labelling, product placement and navigation pathways.
IA Comparison Without Bias
To minimise learning effects, participants were split into two groups. Group A used the current store first then the proposed IA; Group B did the same tasks in reverse. This counterbalancing helped isolate the impact of the new structure itself.
Task Success Scoring
Tasks were rated as Easy, Some difficulty, Great difficulty, or Fail. Trends highlighted where the IA supported navigation and where changes were needed.
Customer Ease Score
A task-aligned ease score, out of 10, summarised perceived difficulty across journeys. Overall, participants tended to find the existing IA easier, despite one low outlier. This signalled the proposed IA needed further refinement.
Validating the IA Through Prototype
An Axure prototype reflected the updated IA and guided task flows. Watching participants attempt navigation in a realistic context revealed where the structure aligned with expectations and where labelling and placement needed tuning.
Key Findings Uncovered
- · Didn’t feel like other online stores; harder to orient.
- · Inconsistent labels created confusion.
- · Product grouping and placement felt unintuitive.
- · Fewer top-level tabs improved scanning.
- · Proposed IA felt less cluttered.
- · Improve search with keyword coverage.
- · Separate navigation by user type, e.g. Pilots / Engineers.
- · Centralise guides/downloads into a single place.
- · Add multiple pathways via homepage tiles.
- · Align more closely with common store patterns.
Next Steps Based on Feedback
Align with Other Stores
- · Add more product tiles on the homepage to create clearer starting points.
- · Ensure tiles link directly to categories, reducing dead ends and extra clicks.
- · Tighten category organisation to improve findability and familiarity.
Simplify Product Pathways
- · Keep direct paths to key items, e.g. Logbooks, to support frequent tasks.
- · Introduce targeted sub-menus such as Logbooks: Airworthiness where it adds clarity.
- · Avoid over-nesting; keep the structure shallow and predictable.
Improve Product Placement for Findability
- · Reorder products by importance, prioritising safety-related materials above general guides.
- · Move Maintenance Poster: Found as Airworthiness Problem into Guidance Material in the current IA and Resources in the proposed IA.
- · Provide additional access points so critical items are discoverable from multiple paths.
Clarify Menu Labels
- · Ensure labels accurately reflect destination content, reducing “false promise” clicks.
- · Under Drones, rename Specials to Drones (General) to match expectations.
- · In the proposed IA, rename Licences and Certificates to Licence Wallets.
- · Ensure safety content is clearly surfaced under Operations, Safety and Travel.
