Corporate Gifting: A User Research for Läckerli Huus

About the project

As part of a team of three HCDI students, I had the opportunity to work with the Swiss confectionary company named "Läckerli Huus" on conducting user research for a user-centered design approach. The company is known for their delicious chocolate and biscuit specialties and offers customized products to corporations for use as gifts for customers or employees, or for promotional purposes.

Our focus was on understanding the existing and potential user groups, defining their needs and identifying what value the company could offer. We also analyzed the interactions between the users and the company, as well as the purchasing processes for corporate customers and the internal work processes. Through this research, we aimed to create an improved user experience for everyone involved.

User research

To ensure a user-centered approach, we adopt the Collaborative UX Design process model. This involves focusing on the crucial first two workshops of scoping and synthesis. We gather valuable insights through expert interviews with our practice partner and internal research, which guide the direction of our design process.

To further our understanding, we employ various Human-Computer Interaction Design (HCID) techniques such as affinity diagrams, persona validation, and Unified Modeling Language (UML) to analyze the data we collect. This data is obtained through Contextual Inquiries and semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders.

Analysis

From the data analysis, we have identified our primary persona as the main user group for whom we aim to create added value. To better meet their needs, we are focusing on providing reliable delivery times, holistic regional production, and a standard customization offer. Additionally, we have identified two secondary personas, each representing a potential user group that requires additional and sometimes specialized services from our company. By considering these user groups, we aim to enhance the overall user experience and fulfill their unique needs.

Results

Our UX analysis has uncovered several areas for improvement in the gift-giving experience, including streamlining the scheduling process, providing personalized gift options, implementing robust quality control measures, utilizing gifts as a meaningful form of communication, considering the individual needs and goals of our users, offering transparent and fair pricing, simplifying the selection process, and taking into account the specific criteria of our corporate customers.

Retrospective

From the perspective of the project team, this practical project represents a crucial opportunity to put their user research skills into action. The insights gained through this hands-on experience are invaluable and provide a valuable validation of the HCID techniques and procedures that were studied during the academic year. Furthermore, the team's collaborative, agile approach has driven them to work together and use their knowledge to deliver meaningful results that will be of great benefit to their practice partner.