Red Clay & Plants · E-commerce
Red Clay & Plants
Helping plant shoppers move from discovery to confident checkout
Red Clay & Plants needed a clearer online shopping experience for customers choosing indoor plants and pots. I redesigned the responsive e-commerce journey to improve product discovery, strengthen decision support, and remove friction from cart and checkout.
I led the project as the sole UX/UI designer, from research and experience strategy through final interface design and developer handoff. The redesigned website launched publicly. Because verified post-launch performance data was not provided, this case study does not claim measured conversion or sales improvements.
- Role
- Sole UX/UI Designer
- Client
- Red Clay & Plants
- Product
- Indoor-plant e-commerce
- Platform
- Responsive web
- Engagement
- 90 hours
- Status
- Launched publicly
Project at a glance
- Challenge
- Customers were exploring multiple products without confidently choosing one, while shoppers who added products to their carts frequently left before completing checkout.
- My role
- As the sole UX/UI designer, I owned research, experience strategy, information architecture, branding, interaction design, interface design, prototyping, testing, iteration, and developer handoff.
- Research
- The project included a 42-response screener survey, five participant interviews, competitive usability testing, competitive analysis, personas, user flows, wireframes, and iterative design.
- Delivery
- I delivered the responsive e-commerce redesign and supporting design assets for implementation. The client launched the redesigned website; no verified post-launch performance metrics were provided.
Overview
Designing confidence into the shopping journey
Red Clay & Plants sells indoor plants and plant pots online. Its existing shopping experience made it difficult for customers to compare options, understand product fit, and move confidently toward purchase.
The redesign focused on helping shoppers discover relevant products, evaluate plant and pot combinations, understand care and delivery details, and complete checkout without being forced to create an account.
Where customers were dropping out
Pre-redesign site analytics
50%
of users opened an average of seven product pages and then left without adding an item to the cart.
70%
of users who placed an item in the cart did not complete the purchase.
The browsing pattern suggested that shoppers needed stronger decision support before adding a product. Cart abandonment also pointed to friction near account creation and checkout.
Project goals
Goal 1
Improve product discovery and comparison
Goal 2
Reduce friction across cart and checkout
Goal 3
Support customer confidence in plant, pot, care, shipping, and return decisions
Research
Learning what plant shoppers needed to decide
Research methods
- 42-response screener survey
- Five participant interviews
- Competitive usability testing
- Competitive analysis
- Lightweight personas
- User-flow mapping
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Usability testing and iteration
What shoppers needed
Product fit
Shoppers needed help choosing compatible plants and pots, including coordinated sets.
Decision details
Size, dimensions, care requirements, customer reviews, and customer photographs influenced purchase confidence.
Shipping and returns
Customers wanted shipping estimates and return information before committing to checkout.
Visual accuracy
Customers worried that the delivered plant or pot might not match the product description or photography.
Convenience
Some shoppers prioritized quick checkout, delivery speed, free shipping, or store pickup.
Guidance
Shoppers wanted access to plant-care or product-selection assistance.
Competitive learning
Competitive analysis and usability testing compared curated plant-shopping experiences with broader retail experiences. The research highlighted clear navigation, focused product information, coordinated plant-and-pot options, visible delivery policies, and a straightforward path to purchase.
Three shopper types
Lightweight design tools derived from the research—not statistically representative market segments.
The aesthetic shopper
Looks for visually coordinated plants and pots that work together as part of a home-design style.
The mission-driven shopper
Moves quickly, prioritizing availability, convenience, shipping, and a direct checkout path.
The informed grower
Reviews care instructions, dimensions, ratings, photographs, and product details before deciding.
Strategy
Turning research into a clearer commerce model
01
Guide discovery
Help shoppers move from broad inspiration to relevant products through clear categories, filters, featured collections, and recommendations.
02
Support confident comparison
Make product imagery, dimensions, care needs, ratings, reviews, and plant-pot compatibility easier to evaluate.
03
Reduce checkout friction
Expose shipping information earlier and support a direct purchase path without unnecessary account creation.
04
Connect related products
Use coordinated collections, suggested pairings, and complementary products to help shoppers assemble a complete purchase.
Final designs
From plant discovery to completed order
The redesigned journey connects product inspiration, focused browsing, detailed evaluation, cart review, and order confirmation. Each stage responds to a specific point of uncertainty found during research.
Step 1 of 5: Inspire discovery
Inspire discovery
The homepage introduces the brand through seasonal content, featured categories, popular products, care guidance, customer reassurance, and multiple paths into the catalog.
Design response
- Clear entry points for different shopping intentions
- Featured collections and products for browsing
- Care content that supports less-experienced plant owners
- Ratings, service information, and trust cues placed before checkout
Designing for confident commerce
01
Discovery before commitment
The homepage creates multiple entry points for shoppers who arrive with different levels of product knowledge and purchase intent.
02
Filters that reflect plant decisions
The catalog uses criteria such as plant type, care level, size, and light needs so customers can narrow products using information relevant to ownership.
03
Plant-and-pot coordination
Product configuration and related collections help shoppers understand which plants and containers work together visually and functionally.
04
Important details before checkout
Care, dimensions, delivery, returns, reviews, and customer imagery appear while the shopper is still evaluating the product.
05
A clearer path through cart and confirmation
The cart exposes pricing and delivery details, while the final receipt confirms that the order was received and explains what happens next.
Delivery
Delivery
- My contribution
- As the sole UX/UI designer, I led research, experience strategy, information architecture, branding, interaction design, interface design, prototyping, usability testing, iteration, and developer handoff.
- Delivery
- I delivered the responsive e-commerce designs and supporting assets for implementation. The redesigned Red Clay & Plants website launched publicly.
- Measurement
- The available analytics describe the original browsing and cart-abandonment problems. Verified post-launch performance data was not provided, so this case study does not claim measured conversion, sales, or checkout improvements.
Reflection
This project reinforced that e-commerce confidence is built before checkout. Product imagery, care information, compatibility, reviews, shipping expectations, and return policies all help customers decide whether a plant fits their needs. Connecting those details across discovery, evaluation, cart, and confirmation created a more coherent shopping journey for implementation.
