Price Explorer

Enhancing Sales Efficiency with the Price Explorer

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Overview: For years, dealers had requested a tool to simplify the process of comparing products in the field. Recognizing the opportunity to enhance sales effectiveness and support dealer needs, Hunter Douglas embarked on the development of the Price Explorer—a feature that allows dealers to visually compare products and prices using their iPads. The goal was to design a tool that would not only streamline the sales process but also empower dealers with a user-friendly interface that could be easily adopted and leveraged in real-time sales scenarios.

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Challenges: The development of the Price Explorer presented several challenges:

• Complex Product Configurations: The tool needed to handle a wide range of product configurations, including various sizes, materials, and finishes, all while providing accurate price comparisons.
• Field Usability: The Price Explorer had to be optimized for use in the field, meaning it needed to be intuitive, responsive, and able to function smoothly on iPad devices in diverse environments.
• User Adoption: Ensuring that dealers would adopt and consistently use the tool required a focus on creating a seamless and satisfying user experience.

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Process: The creation of the Price Explorer was guided by a user-centered design approach, focusing on the needs, behaviors, and goals of the end users—dealers in the field. The process was iterative, involving multiple stages of design, testing, and refinement to ensure the final product met the high standards of usability and functionality.

1. Dealer Input and Strategy:
   • User Research: The process began with in-depth user research, including interviews and surveys with dealers to understand their pain points, workflows, and preferences. This research highlighted the need for a tool that could quickly and easily compare different product options in a visually engaging manner.
   • Strategic Planning: Armed with insights from user research, the team developed a strategic plan that prioritized key functionalities such as the ability to input multiple configurations based on window measurements, compare different product looks and quantities, and view price points side-by-side. The strategy also emphasized the importance of mobile optimization to ensure the tool was practical for use in the field.
2. Ideation and Prototyping:
   • Design Thinking Approach: The team employed a design thinking approach, focusing on empathizing with the users, defining the problem, ideating potential solutions, prototyping, and testing. Initial brainstorming sessions generated a variety of concepts, which were then refined into wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes.
   • Prototyping: Early prototypes focused on the core functionalities identified during the research phase. These prototypes were designed with simplicity and clarity in mind, ensuring that dealers could quickly understand and navigate the tool. Key features included a clean interface for inputting measurements, a dynamic comparison grid, and high-quality visuals of the products.
3. Rigorous User Testing and Iteration:
   • User-Centered Testing: To validate the prototypes, the team conducted several rounds of user testing with actual dealers. These sessions provided critical feedback on the usability of the tool, particularly in terms of its responsiveness, ease of navigation, and clarity of information. Test scenarios replicated real-world conditions, ensuring that the tool was practical and effective in the field.
   • Iterative Refinement: Based on user feedback, the team made iterative improvements to the design. This included refining the user interface (UI) to enhance visual hierarchy, optimizing the user experience (UX) to reduce cognitive load, and improving the overall responsiveness of the tool. Special attention was paid to ensuring that the tool worked seamlessly on iPads, with touch-friendly controls and quick loading times.
4. Visual and Interaction Design:
   • Visual Design: The visual design of the Price Explorer was crafted to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. High-quality images of the products were integrated to help dealers and customers visualize different options. The use of a consistent color scheme and typography ensured that the interface was easy to scan and understand, even in fast-paced sales situations.
   • Interaction Design: Interaction design focused on creating smooth transitions and intuitive gestures, such as swiping between product comparisons and tapping to view detailed information. The goal was to create a fluid experience that allowed dealers to focus on their customers without being distracted by complex controls or slow performance.

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Outcome: After nine months of focused ideation, rigorous testing, and careful refinement, the Price Explorer was launched as a polished product ready for use in the field. The impact of this tool was immediate and measurable:

• Increased Sales in the Field: By enabling dealers to quickly compare products and prices in real-time, the Price Explorer helped salespeople present more compelling options to customers. This led to a measurable increase in sales conversions, as dealers could confidently demonstrate the value of different configurations and close deals more effectively.
• Enhanced Dealer Satisfaction: The introduction of the Price Explorer also led to a significant increase in dealer satisfaction metrics. Dealers appreciated the tool's ease of use, its ability to provide instant visual comparisons, and the added confidence it gave them in sales discussions. This improvement in satisfaction reinforced [Company Name]’s reputation as a company that listens to and supports its dealer network.

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Conclusion: The Price Explorer is a prime example of how I leveraged user-centered design to create tools that met the specific needs of its users. By involving dealers in every stage of the design process, from initial research to final testing, the team was able to deliver a product that not only fulfilled its intended purpose but also exceeded user expectations. The success of the Price Explorer highlights the importance of an iterative, feedback-driven design process in developing tools that are both functional and user-friendly.

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View the full demo of the Price Explorer below:

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