Introduction

The first stage of any professional design is research about the audience and analysis of the topic at hand. This is particularly crucial in web design projects and online advertising strategies. It is an essential, time-consuming process that forms the foundation of the initial design or idea generation. Proceeding without research and analysis is entirely unprofessional and pointless because various aspects, such as goal setting, strategy formulation, competitor analysis, defining competitive advantages, identifying and analyzing user behavior and audiences, and reviewing and establishing the business model, must be taken seriously from the outset. Moreover, many clients may not have already defined elements such as organizational visual identity (including logo, brand colors, official font, organizational patterns, etc.), brand personality, advertising approach, etc., for their project, which further emphasizes the importance of research at the initial stage.

The main purpose of this document is to compile information efficiently, without investing much time and money, to establish reliable domain knowledge that will help Umomy design and develop the first iteration of their website.

Our journey began with thorough research into both domestic and international competitors, seeking to understand the best practices in the field of mother and child products. This research provided us with invaluable insights into the design, functionality, and overall user experience of leading websites in this niche. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors, we were able to establish a clear direction for Umomy’s website design.

We then developed detailed personas representing our primary audience segments, each with distinct needs and behaviors. These personas guided our design process, ensuring that every aspect of the user experience is tailored to meet the expectations of our target users. From the architecture of the website to the visual and functional design elements, every decision was made with the user in mind.

In this document, we present the findings of our research, the strategies we developed, and the design choices we should make to create a compelling and user-friendly platform for Umomy. The ultimate goal is to deliver an online experience that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our users, helping Umomy to stand out in a crowded marketplace and connect more effectively with its audience.

Competitor Analysis

As we know, "competitor analysis" is one of the best methods to start the user experience design process. In this model, we first identify our direct competitors, and then by analyzing their website design, we gain useful insights derived from the activities of those websites. This design review can be from the perspective of target personas, design flows and their modifications over time, display templates, website color schemes, approaches to solving user interface challenges, finding mental models in that field, trust-building methods, and more.

The product implemented by a company is the result of a combination of business, marketing, design, and development teams, which have always strived to mature over time. Knowing this helps us carefully examine user behaviors in different situations and contexts when analyzing competitors.

Yumami produces products for mothers and children, so the target audience consists of people who are looking to buy products for mothers and children. During the process of identifying competitors, we sometimes encountered active pharmacies and large online stores that had sections dedicated to mothers and children. It's important to note that the types of services and products they offer are different from ours, as they also sell various categories of products, some of which may include those for mothers and children, and besides, Umomy can also offer its products on those websites. Therefore, those websites meet needs that will never have a place on Umomy’s website. This also applies to Umomy, meaning that Umomy addresses needs that large online stores and pharmacies will not fulfill. As a result, we don't have direct competition with large online stores and pharmacies.

Our competitors are divided into two categories:

1. Competitors who, like Umomy, produce products and use their website as a reference for selling or introducing them. (Main competitors)
2. Competitors who are specialized in selling products related to children and mothers from different brands.

In this part of the research, we review the design of top websites producing or offering mother and child products to understand international approaches and extract solutions. We analyze seven selected websites that were found during our searches.

In this section of our research, to analyze the design of the top websites that produce or offer mother and child products to understand international approaches and extract strategies, we analyzed 7 selected websites that we found during our research. It should be noted that the purpose of this stage is not to comprehensively analyze the visual and usability features of the websites but rather to discover and extract features that can inspire the Yumami project design and help us gain a better understanding of the existing design language in this field, serving as a tool to enhance the knowledge domain of the design team in this area.

In the evaluated websites, various elements and sections were analyzed, including color palettes, typography, menu architecture, First impression of landing pages, content layout on the homepage, product list page structure, product detail page structure, and the purchase process. The insights that were considered valuable and worth mentioning were documented in a brief report.

1 - mayababyco.com

One of Umomy’s main competitors is the Maya website. The reason is the close similarity in the nature of this website to the one Umomy might choose to have. Maya produces a limited range of products and uses the website as a platform to introduce its products. It’s noteworthy that they do not use their website for sales but merely to introduce their products and, in a way, to create a brand identity and add value to their products.

1. At first glance, the Maya brand presents a slider with three different but related images. The images are designed to attract attention while maintaining a realistic appearance. All the images share a common element: a 3D-like quotation that includes text describing the Maya brand, its concerns, and creating a sense of trust. This effort to keep users grounded in reality, with a minimalist approach that avoids over-reliance on technology, shows Maya's intention to make an impact by retaining real-world parameters in their website. This framework can also be beneficial for Umomy.