Self-Checkout Design Hannah Jenkins Initial Research The Immersive Experience Immersing ourselves in the experience we are being asked to re-design proved to be an extremely useful tool in the research process. It highlighted various issues and from this I was able to establish key observations: Dexterity needed for bags and a lot of items involve bending down Mobility is needed to reach items and put in trolley or basket Shopping... Purchasing... Brief Consider how self service could be utilized throughout the shopping experience, from selecting goods to making payments, consider the consumers experience and accommodate for all user groups. Trolleys and baskets are not suited to all user categories Packaging & shelf labels are small font and hard to read Can be difficult to find items and aisle signs do not list all items Children must be kept occupied and the parent has to multi-task Restrictions on amount of items allowed - trolleys not suitable Assistance is often needed and customers must wait for staff Staff can be impolite & do not enjoy manning the self checkouts Products without bar codes need to be weighed Touch screen can be difficult to understand & look up menu confusing Cash/card points are not obvious to the user when paying Alcohol/DVDs need staff to check ID Scanning can give a sense of control
Transcript
Self-Checkout Design Hannah Jenkins
Initial ResearchThe Immersive ExperienceImmersing ourselves in the experience we are being asked to re-design proved to be an extremely useful tool in the research process. It highlighted various issues and from this I was able to establish key observations:
Dexterity needed for bags and a lot of items involve bending down
Mobility is needed to reach items and put in
trolley or basket
Shopping... Purchasing...
BriefConsider how self service could be utilized throughout the shopping experience, from selecting goods to making payments, consider the consumers experience and accommodate for all user groups.
Trolleys and baskets are not suited to all
user categories
Packaging & shelf labels are small font
and hard to read
Can be difficult to find items and aisle signs do
not list all items
Children must be kept occupied and the parent
has to multi-task
Restrictions on amount of items allowed -
trolleys not suitable
Assistance is often needed and customers
must wait for staff
Staff can be impolite & do not enjoy manning
the self checkouts
Products without bar codes need to be
weighed
Touch screen can be difficult to understand & look up menu confusing
Cash/card points are not obvious to the user when paying
Alcohol/DVDs need staff to check ID
Scanning can give a sense of control
Self-Checkout Design Hannah Jenkins
Initial ResearchIndividual Interviews User GroupsTo gather some more specific opinions, I individually interviewed family members and asked about their shopping habits. They fell under four user categories.
User Category: Physically and mentally handicapped• Taken to supermarket by carer.• Carer must push trolley and put in items.• Occasionally shops by self.• Ability to find things herself.• Have to ask staff to push trolley for her.• Cannot buy a lot as it has to fit in rucksack.• Ability to use debit card and pin.• Understands technology but cannot easily access self checkout.• Does not currently use them but potentially could.
User Category: Elderly• Refuses to use self checkouts.• Thinks customers are being made to do all the work.• Scared of technology.• Irritating when staff have to leave customers at till and tend to self
checkouts.• Would consider using them if they were very simplified.• Sometimes checkout attendant is only communication all day.
User Category: Mother (Family shop)• Often uses self checkouts.• Uses a small trolley.• Have to angle trolley correctly so as not to annoy other customers.• There is a large area to put bags.• Is not avoiding the interaction - just likes to be own boss.• Likes to scan and ‘beep’ items, and see cost for each item.• Likes the experience to be at the end of the trip.
How do you do your shopping?Do you use self service checkouts?What problems do you have?
User Category: Busy Businessman• Loves self checkouts but does not like when people take big trolleys
as it creates clutter.• Usually only has a few items.• Annoyed by creased barcodes.
One of the focus points of the project is INCLUSIVE DESIGN, so it was vital that I researched all user groups, which highlighted more issues with system.I looked at the feelings and thoughts the customers experience.
Parents with children
Visually impaired
Elderly
Mobility impaired
STRESSEDWatching children
AND shopping
TIREDPushing a large trolley
with family shop
ORGANISEDMany already
have a system in place to do shop
BUSYWant experience to be as quick as
possible
CONFUSEDTrouble distinguishing between packaging
LOSTCannot read aisle signs or see items far away
EMBARRASSEDIf bump into
or knock over something
FRUSTRATEDAt self checkout as no
discrete audio & do not know where to interact
LOSTForget where items are and how to find them
SCAREDOf technology and
touch screens
MUDDLEDWhen having to learn a
new system
EXCITEDTo chat to staff as may be
only communication all day
LIMITEDCannot easily reach or
move items
RESTRICTEDBaskets and trolleys do not accommodate for
