Vera Bradley Order Status Lookup Tool
Implemented in June 2021
The objective was to implement a feature that helps users find their order status.
My Role
Discovery and Research
Rapid UX Design
UAT/QA Testing
Usability Testing
Collaborate and Present
Deliverables
Hi-Fi Prototype
2 Usability Tests & Results
Core Team Members
Product Manager/Owner
3 Developers
UX Designer (me)
Cross-Functional Partners
Customer Service
Digital Merchandising
Omni-Channel Operations
Copywriting
Problem
In early 2021, order status lookup became the #1 top call reason for our customer service center. My team was tasked with creating a tool to help alleviate the call center volume and allow customers to find order statuses online.
Results
After improving order processes and implementing the order status lookup tool, order status calls to customer service decreased by 83%.
Discovery & Research
Discovery
In early 2021, order status lookup became the #1 top call reason for our customer service center. My team was tasked with creating a tool to help alleviate the call center volume and allow customers to find order statuses online.
At the beginning of the project, we focused on understanding direct user feedback to truly empathize with the problem. What were customers asking? We partnered with our customer service team to find these answers. We found that users just wanted to know where their package was.
We didn’t have the resources or time to run usability studies before our MVP solution, so I researched UX guidelines based on the information available. I used various sources but kept my main focus on two in particular: Baymard Institute and Nielsen Norman Group. What do users expect in a search field? Where do they tend to look, click, or tap? Are there any underlying issues?
I also partnered with developers on feasibility and what we needed from the user. The answer: solely their order number. If users input their order number, then we could return Shopify order statuses.
Design & Implement
MVP Designs
Working with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in mind, I designed an experience that hit upon the basic needs of our customers: to quickly see their order status.
Because of the urgency of this work, I had 2 weeks (1 sprint) to design a solution. I referenced our design system and utilized existing page designs to establish an overall design. Throughout the process, I worked closely with developers, ensuring feasibility and maintaining collaboration.
Through utilizing an MVP process, we were able to implement a solution quickly and efficiently, with low effort, while also preventing rework in the future.  We moved forward with the designs and pushed them to production.
Soon we would iterate based on real user feedback.

I used our sign-in page for inspiration based on its simplicity and ease of use.

Sketches

Hi Fi designs created in Adobe XD

Test & Iterate
Usability Test 1
After implementing our MVP, we chose to iterate based on real user feedback. I ran some user studies, leading the entire testing process while aligning with core team members and other stakeholders. This ensured we were asking the user valuable questions that would provide us with actionable results.
I chose unmoderated usability testing due to limited time and resources (I was the only UX role in the organization). We still felt confident in the qualitative and behavioral feedback we would receive.
Objectives
• Analyze if users are able to find the new order status lookup tool.
• Once users are in the tool, understand if they are getting the information they need.
Context Given to Participants
• Placed an order 7 days ago
• Given urgency
• Shown an order confirmation email
• Given verabradley.com URL
• Asked to determine where their order is

Email shown to participants

This is what the order status lookup tool looked like, if users reached it by clicking the link in the footer. It was not linked in any other location.

Pain Points Discovered
1. Users expected more details in the order confirmation email
2. On mobile, user had difficultly finding the lookup tool
3. Users often resorted to the chatbot, which returned incorrect responses and links
4. Users received invalid results when using all lowercase letters, instead of all uppercase
5. Users did not fully understand what "unfulfilled" meant
Action Items
1. Add expected details to order confirmation email, as well as a link to the order status lookup tool
2. Add links on mobile site where users looked most frequently (sign in and hamburger menu)
3. Notify cross-functional teams of chatbot bugs discovered
4. Allow lowercase letters in order status lookup tool
5. Demystify "unfulfilled" status (this was determined to be a future long-term action item, as it was not in scope at this time but would be worked into future roadmaps)
We addressed the first 4 action items, launching them each individually. Then, we ran another usability test to determine if we addressed the previous 4 pain points.​​​​​​​
Usability Test 2
With the new usability test, our order status lookup tool did not change but its discoverability did since we address the 4 action items mentioned above.
Objectives (same as test 1)
• Analyze if users are able to find the new order status lookup tool.
• Once users are in the tool, understand if they are getting the information they need.
Context Given to Participants (same as test 1)
• Placed an order 7 days ago
• Given urgency
• Shown an order confirmation email
• Given verabradley.com URL
• Asked to determine where their order is

Email shown to participants. Notice that we added links to order status lookup. Given the urgency of the work, we placed it in multiple locations for optimal visibility.

If users reached the account page, they saw a link to the order status lookup tool (new)

This is what the order status lookup tool looked like, if users got to it. A link to it existed in the email, on the sign in page, and in hamburger navigation (new). However, nothing on the page itself changed.

Improvement Insights
4/4
users found the tool
4/4
users tapped a link from the email
6.2/7
average CES score
Pain Points Discovered
1. Users did not fully understand what "unfulfilled" meant
2. When users got to the tool straight from their email, they thought the placeholder text was a pre-populated order number. Although this could have been caused by the test setup, we still felt we should address it for clarity
Action Items
1. Demystify "unfulfilled" status (again, this was determined to be a future long-term action item, as it was not in scope at this time but would be worked into future roadmaps)
2. Update placeholder text to match the label, instead of showing an example entry
Final Updates

Due to the results of the 2nd usability test, we updated the placeholder copy from “VBUSA1234567” to “Order Number”

After improving order processes and implementing the order status lookup tool, order status calls to customer service decreased by 83%.
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