Kings Beer & Wine Website Redesign
Project timeline - February 10th - February 28th, 2025
The Kings Beer & Wine website redesign project focused on elevating the digital presence of a beloved small business known for its curated selection of craft beer, wine, and spirits. While the in-store experience was warm and engaging, the original website didn’t reflect that same level of care - it lacked intuitive navigation, had limited product filtering options, and created friction for users trying to browse or make purchases online.
The goal was to reimagine the site from a user-centered perspective, improving overall usability, shopping efficiency, and customer satisfaction. I set out to create a seamless, modern browsing experience that made it easy for customers to explore the store’s diverse offerings, discover new products, and complete purchases with minimal effort. From initial research and usability testing to wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, every step of the design process was guided by the needs of real users—ultimately delivering a redesigned site that better reflects the Kings Beer & Wine brand and provides an enjoyable, efficient path from homepage to checkout.
Overview
To address the challenges faced by customers ordering from a local liquor store online, I embarked on a complete UX redesign of the Kings Beer & Wine website. The project involved a comprehensive UX research and design process, including:
Site selection and analysis of the current website’s functionality
User research through interviews and usability testing
Competitive and comparative analysis of similar e-commerce sites
Wireframing and prototyping to develop a more intuitive design
High-fidelity design iterations based on feedback
Understanding the Problem
The project began with a focus on uncovering the primary user pain point, early exploration revealed that the existing website didn’t effectively support the fast-paced needs of busy customers. Users wanted to browse and order beverages online quickly and easily, but the current experience was cluttered, inefficient, and not optimized for decision-making on the go.
Therefore, the design challenge became clear: How might I simplify and streamline the online shopping experience for time-strapped users? This insight served as the foundation for every decision that followed, ensuring the redesign prioritized speed, clarity, and ease of use above all else.
Laying the groundwork with Research
To understand the existing experience and discover opportunities for improvement, I began by analyzing the current Kings Beer & Wine website. This evaluation focused on usability, layout, and content structure to pinpoint usability issues and design inefficiencies.
Building on this assessment, I conducted a competitive and comparative analysis. This involved reviewing local liquor store websites to understand how similar businesses approached online shopping. I also looked at e-commerce partners in adjacent markets, such as wineries and grocery chains, to draw inspiration from more mature platforms. This broader perspective revealed best practices around navigation, product categorization, checkout flows, and mobile responsiveness, all of which enhanced my design direction.
Engaging with Real Users
To ensure the redesign was rooted in real user needs, I conducted multiple in-depth user interviews, complemented by usability testing on the existing site. These sessions provided firsthand insight into how users were interacting with the site, what they found frustrating, and what they wished was different.
These conversations revealed important patterns and recurring pain points, but raw feedback alone wasn’t enough to drive clear design decisions. Therefore, I synthesized the findings through affinity mapping, grouping insights into meaningful themes that reflected user frustrations, goals, and preferences.
This process led to the creation of a primary persona - Vanessa, a busy customer looking for speed and simplicity when shopping online. Her perspective became central to the redesign, helping define the core user needs that would guide the project’s design direction
User Persona
Vanessa
Age: 48
Occupation: Engineering Manager
Vanessa is an Engineering Manager at a tech startup and a busy full-time working mom. She has a large circle of family and friends who live nearby and frequently stop by to visit. Since she entertains regularly, she maintains a well-stocked beverage selection at home. She enjoys experimenting with new drinks and exploring local flavors, and she's passionate about supporting local businesses through her shopping.
Current Site Pain Points
Confusing site navigation
Inefficient ordering process
Unclear product labeling
No reorder option
Defining the Experience
With the research insights in hand, I created task flows and a revised site map to outline the optimal customer journey. This step was critical in ensuring users could find, filter, and purchase items without unnecessary friction.
User Task Flow
Using insights gathered from user research, I developed a detailed persona (Vanessa) to serve as a reference point throughout the design process. I then created a task flow to streamline and optimize the steps required for users to complete a purchase.
Site Map Restructuring
As part of the redesign process, I created a new site map to address major usability challenges uncovered during research, particularly around product discovery and the checkout experience. The goal was to streamline the user's path from landing on the site to completing a purchase, reducing friction at every step.
Key improvements included:
Categories were clearly defined
Better defined filters were introduced for easier browsing
Checkout was simplified
By realigning the site’s architecture with real user behavior, the new structure made the shopping experience feel faster, easier, and more intentional.
Usability Testing
After developing the mid-fidelity prototype, I conducted usability testing to evaluate how well the new design met user needs in a real-world context. These sessions revealed valuable feedback and surfaced a few remaining points of confusion in the shopping experience. Based on these insights, I implemented several targeted refinements to enhance clarity, reduce friction, and improve overall usability.
Key Adjustments After Testing:
Added vertically-dropping filters in the main navigation for easier product sorting
Defined product pages with clearer descriptions and imagery
Designed a simplified cart and checkout process to reduce friction
These adjustments ensured that the final product not only looked better, but worked better, aligning with real user behaviors and expectations.
Wireframes
Building on the insights gathered during user research and early ideation, I translated initial sketches into mid-fidelity wireframes that brought our proposed solutions to life.
These wireframes focused on simplifying the user experience by incorporating clearer navigation and a more intuitive layout.
Refining the Design
After validating key usability improvements through testing, I moved into high-fidelity frames to bring the refined experience to life. This stage focused not only on preserving the functionality established in earlier iterations but also on enhancing the visual appeal through thoughtful design choices. I applied consistent branding, typography, and color schemes to create a cohesive interface.
High Fidelity
Wireframes
Design decisions—from spacing and hierarchy to visual cues and interaction states—was intentional, working together to create a cohesive, user-friendly interface that supports a seamless shopping experience from start to finish.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Final Design & Results
The redesigned Kings Beer & Wine website offers a markedly improved user experience, making online shopping faster, easier, and more enjoyable for customers. Grounded in user research and usability testing, the final design directly addresses key pain points uncovered throughout the discovery phase. The result is a more efficient, streamlined experience that better serves both new and returning customers.
Key improvements include:
Intuitive Navigation
Users can now effortlessly browse through product categories using clearly defined filters and logical navigation paths.Optimized Product Discovery
Search functionality has been refined, and products are now categorized more effectively.Enhanced Checkout Flow
The checkout process was redesigned to minimize friction and guide users smoothly from cart to order confirmation.Transparent Pickup & Delivery Options
Fulfillment options are now clearly presented, giving users confidence in their order timing.
These updates address the key frustrations identified in research, resulting in a faster, more enjoyable, and stress-free shopping experience.
Conclusion
The Kings Beer & Wine website redesign was a rewarding UX project that transformed a previously frustrating user experience into a streamlined, efficient, and engaging e-commerce platform. By following a user-centered design approach, I was able to identify pain points, develop targeted solutions, and implement meaningful design improvements that enhance customer satisfaction and business performance.
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