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hectorosunadesign.com
- Project: E‑Commerce IA Audit
- Role: UI/UX Designer — Research & IA
- Date: April 2025
UX Audit: Information Architecture for Gourmet E‑Commerce
This case study documents a heuristic IA audit I conducted as part of a UI/UX project. I evaluated four grocery/gourmet sites (GourmetFoodStore, iGourmet, Murray’s Cheese, Eataly) and NaturesBasket to identify strengths, pain points, and opportunities to reduce cognitive load and improve findability.
Methods included expert review, competitive analysis, and an open card-sorting activity (5 participants) to validate user mental models. The output informed a revised navigation strategy and scalable taxonomy recommendations.
View Card Sorting Board Full Document
What’s Working
- Logical top-level categories aligned to mental models (e.g., Cheese, Meats, Pantry).
- Region-based navigation and mega menus reduce clicks-to-content.
- Strong product imagery and brand consistency across competitors.
Opportunities
- Overly dense mega menus cause decision friction for new users.
- Redundant/ambiguous subcategories reduce clarity (e.g., duplicate “French Cheese”).
- Inconsistent CTA hierarchy and underused whitespace affect scannability.
- Missing breadcrumbs and weak mobile behavior hinder wayfinding.
Key Recommendations
- Restructure nav into 6 core categories: Cheese & Dairy; Meats & Charcuterie; Bakery & Breads; Sweets & Desserts; Beverages & Pairings; Gifts & Collections.
- Clarify edge items (e.g., Truffle Butter) with contextual labels like “Perfect for Cheese Boards”.
- Experience pathways such as “Build a Cheese Board” and “Entertaining Essentials”.
- Mobile-first IA using accordions and progressive disclosure.
- Recognition over recall via icons, thumbnails, and sticky wayfinding.
Impact
Cleaner IA lowers cognitive load, improves discoverability, and supports higher conversion—especially for first‑time or exploratory shoppers.