Where is the joy of shopping under COVID?
Strategies that respond to people's emerging needs and help Target navigate the first holiday shopping season since COVID hit.
Project Type: User Research | Date: August - November 2020 | Team: Institute of Design | My Role: Primary research, Analysis & Synthesis
Context
This is a 14-week user research project for Target. It was guided by the "Principles and Methods of User Research" course I took at ID.
As the fifth largest retailer in the U.S., Target has been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Winter holiday is always the biggest and happiest shopping season. This year, however, is interspersed with a lot of stress and uncertainty as COVID began to spread across the United States. According to a survey we conducted during our research, 60% of people expressed anxiety about this upcoming holiday season. For Target, it was critical to identify people's emerging needs, behaviors, and expectations under COVID.
“This year, more than ever, a joyful holiday will be inseparable from a safe one, and we’re continuing to adjust our plans to deliver ease, value, and the joy of the season in a way that only Target can.”
—Brian Cornell, CEO of Target
How can Target successfully accommodate the new normal and bring more joy to guests during the 2020 winter holiday celebration?
Insights
Our team generated four design principles based on deck research, quantitative explorations, and rounds of qualitative research.
People want the holidays to be...
Familiar | Enjoyable | Engaging |Emotionally Rewarding
Familiar
Bring inclusivity. Help guests see themselves in Target’s offerings.
Target can...
Provide advocacy, selection guidance, products, and services for ethnically diverse holidays and traditions. Demonstrate how shopping at Target contributes to their community.
Enjoyable
Recreate the pleasant store shopping experience online.
Target can...
Design immersive online shopping experiences. Add interactive and shareable features to bridge guests’ needs on social connection and holiday cheer.
Engaging
Promote crafting and ways to spread joy.
Target can...
Following the trend of handmade gifts, Target can provide innovative and practical handmade gift bundles and guides. Encourage guests to use objects as media to keep connected with friends.
Emotionally Rewarding
Help create shining memories in monotony days.
Target can...
Become a happy spreader. Show different scenarios of how Target products can guide a better life and help create small happiness in daily life.
Design Impact
This research responded quickly to the changes brought about by COVID and provided insight into people's emerging needs related to shopping. All four design principles were positively endorsed by the Target team.
Check out the full report here