Olv Limits (graduation project)
Redesign and optimization of the Olvlimits website to inform users about the product and enhance the user experience.
Olv Limits
Olv Limits is an emerging olive oil brand based in the Netherlands. The company offers high-quality olive oil from Puglia, Italy, aiming to contribute to people’s health. They stand for transparency and honesty, producing lab-tested olive oil rich in antioxidants.
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During my 6-month graduation internship, I assisted Olv Limits in optimizing their website.
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Problem Statement: The current design of the website leads to ineffective communication of information to the new target audience, resulting in a negative user experience.
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Main Question: How can the effective communication of stories and information on the website be improved to create a positive user experience?
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On this page, you can find more details about this project!
Research
I started the project with qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of both the company and the target audience. This involved conducting interviews and performing desk research. These methods allowed me to identify the pain points and desires of both groups and gain valuable insights.
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I compiled and organized all the findings in a Miro board to create a clear overview, which served as the foundation for moving on to the conceptualization phase. You can read the conclusions below.
Results business analysis
The business analysis results indicate that Olvlimits aims to attract a broader audience beyond its current customer base. So far, the company has primarily focused on being "the healthiest" olive oil brand in the Netherlands, catering to individuals who are extremely committed to their health. While this focus sets the brand apart, it also poses risks due to the limited size of this specific group.
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To address this, the company has decided to also appeal to people who may be less health-obsessed but still value high-quality and flavorful products. The target age group will now include Generation Z and Millennials. To capture this audience, finding the right approach is essential.
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Olvlimits aims to create a playful brand identity that effectively conveys the brand’s story and informative content to the target audience. Through playful branding elements, such as illustrations, colors, and an informal writing style, the company seeks to raise awareness about the quality differences in olive oil. This also includes transparency about the product, such as sharing lab test results and antioxidant values directly on the bottle.
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Olvlimits’ ultimate goal is to attract more customers from this demographic and contribute to their well-being. At the same time, the company strives for healthy growth by engaging a broader audience and educating them on the benefits of premium-quality olive oil.
Results target audience analysis
After conducting interviews with all respondents and compiling the main findings into post-it notes on Miro, I began clustering these results. This involved identifying recurring themes and creating categories based on them. Each post-it was placed in the appropriate category, aligned with the insights I aimed to gather from the interviews.
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Persona Analysis
I began each interview with questions about the respondent, starting with general information before moving on to aspects related to "health" and "olive oil."
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Health Awareness: All respondents were health-conscious, a key reason for their selection. They pay attention to their diet and the products they use while cooking. Although they almost always use olive oil, they are not aware of its specific contents or the brands they purchase.
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Data Preference: Respondents appreciate seeing data, especially when it provides proof. They also enjoy reading facts to quickly find interesting information and learn new things.
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Audience Needs Personal Story: The target audience wants to learn more about the founder. A personal connection enhances brand loyalty and humanizes the brand. Explanation of Terms and Figures: Clear explanations of terms and statistics used on the site are essential for effective communication of product benefits. Competitor Clarity: Identifying competitors by name would provide a better reference for users. Proof of Quality: Demonstrating the product's superiority through certifications, quality marks, or customer reviews is important. Inspirational Content: The audience wants content that inspires them to use the product, such as recipes, tips, or lifestyle blogs showcasing its versatility. Mission and Vision: The brand's mission and vision are not clearly stated, which would help the audience understand its core values and long-term goals. Visual and Interactive Elements: Animations and Interactive Features: Respondents appreciated the olive animations on the homepage and suggested adding more interactive elements to maintain user engagement. Product Quality Indicators: The product design was well-received but lacked indicators of quality, such as stars or certification marks. Personality and Storytelling Process and Origin: Respondents wanted to know more about the production process and the people behind it. This would make the site more engaging and relatable. Branding Appeal: The brand’s colors, typography, and illustrations are appealing and associated with youthful, modern, and approachable brands like Oatly. However, the video content needs to be more aligned with what captivates the audience. Recommendations for Website Improvement: Clarify Terms and Data: Integrate concise explanations of terms like "EVOO" and other health-related terminology into product pages or pop-ups. Highlight the Founder’s Story: Move the founder’s story higher up on the page for better visibility and connection. Competitor Comparison: Clearly name competitors to better highlight OLV Limits’ advantages. Optimize Video Content: Revise the video to better convey the brand’s core message and unique value proposition. Enhance Interactivity: Introduce more animations and interactive elements to enrich the user experience and maintain visitor attention. By implementing these changes, the OLV Limits website can better align with the target audience’s needs, enhancing user experience and communication effectiveness.
Concepting
After the research phase, I proceeded to develop concepts by brainstorming ideas and design solutions with both the client and the target audience.
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This process led to the creation of the "Olive Insight" concept.
Olive Insight is centered around transparency and education about the olive oil industry, focusing specifically on the production processes and product quality of OLV Limits. It provides users with insight into the origin and processing of olive oil, supported by interactive elements such as infographics, explanatory videos, and an interactive timeline.
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The concept simplifies complex information by using straightforward language and pop-up info boxes for terms like "EVOO." The product page features visuals and comparison charts that highlight the differences between high-quality and lower-quality olive oil.
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This concept primarily targets Millennials and Gen Z, who value transparency and clarity when making purchasing decisions.
Lo-fi prototype
Once the concept was clear, I could move on to the design phase. I had already created a detailed structure for the website and its pages. The next step was sketching this structure, first on paper and then digitally as wireframes.
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I created the wireframes in Figma, adding annotations to provide context. These wireframes offered a clear view of the layout of the new website, which I could test with both the client and the target audience to determine the effectiveness of the new structure.
After testing, I made final adjustments to the homepage based on the client's feedback.
Hi-fi prototype
After creating and testing the wireframes, I began working on the high-fidelity prototype, incorporating the brand identity of OLV Limits. This prototype included all visual and interactive elements, such as images, animations, and functional buttons.
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The design is entirely based on my research and concept. Below, I will elaborate on the design choices I made. With this design, I was able to achieve my objective of enhancing the effective communication of information on the website and improving the overall user experience.\
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To view the prototype, please follow this link:
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Design principles
1. Creating an Informative Page About OLV Limits Olive Oil
From my research into the target audience, it became clear that the current OLV Limits website lacks crucial information, leading to confusion and a negative user experience. While the products are clearly presented, there is no comprehensive explanation about the olive oil itself, such as its origin, benefits, and distinctive features.
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To address this issue, I have chosen to create an entirely new page dedicated to OLV Limits olive oil. This page will provide detailed information about:
• The origin of the olives
• The production process
• The health benefits of the olive oil
• Why this olive oil is superior to supermarket options
• The difference between the two OLV Limits variants
• Suggested uses for the products
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This information will be presented in a visually appealing and straightforward manner, using infographics and other visual elements to enhance the user experience. This approach will make complex information more accessible to users, ultimately increasing transparency and the brand's appeal.
2. Creating a New Page About OLV Limits
From my research into the target audience, it became clear that the current OLV Limits website lacks important information, leading to confusion and a negative user experience. One essential missing element is the story behind OLV Limits. Sharing a company’s origin makes a website more personal, helping users feel more connected to the brand. Therefore, I have decided to dedicate an entire page to this story.
This page will feature a concise overview of the owner's story, as no detailed text was available before. Additionally, I have included a video in which the owner personally shares their story, adding an interactive element that captures the audience’s attention. Furthermore, the brand's core values will be highlighted, supported by visual elements such as images and icons, to reinforce the message and make it more appealing to visitors.
3. Improving Visualizations
The current OLV Limits website already makes extensive use of tables to present information, such as the antioxidant content, differences between OLV Limits and other olive oil brands, and lab test results. However, feedback from the target audience revealed that these tables did not capture attention because they were visually unappealing and the information was not communicated clearly.
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Since the information shared is essential, I have chosen to present this data in a more visually appealing way. This not only makes the information more attractive but also easier for the audience to understand.
By depicting bottles, users immediately see something familiar, which grabs their attention. Additionally, playing with the size of the bottles helps to visually demonstrate where more antioxidants are present, making the distinction between the products clear at a glance.
This approach ensures that important information is presented in a more engaging and organized manner, improving the user experience.
4. Adding Visual Elements
To improve the user experience on the OLV Limits website, I conducted research into what captures the target audience's attention the most. The research revealed that visual elements, such as illustrations, animations, and images, are highly effective in holding their attention. This not only helps keep users on the website longer, but also supports the text, making the information easier and faster to understand.
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Therefore, I have chosen to incorporate as many visual elements as possible, such as hover effects, to make the site dynamic and interactive. Additionally, I have used images and icons wherever possible to support the text and present information visually.
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A key aspect of this design was visualizing the olive oil production process through a roadmap, which guides users through the process in a playful way. I also created an infographic to clearly and playfully highlight the differences between the two types of OLV Limits olive oil. Each page includes images and icons, contributing to a vibrant and organized website that is anything but dull or unclear.
5. Adding Interactive Elements
To improve the user experience, I researched which elements attract the target audience’s attention. The findings showed that interactive elements, such as a section with fun facts where users must click to reveal the next one, and videos, are effective in holding attention. This encourages users to stay on the website longer and become more engaged with the content.
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Based on these insights, I added a section to the homepage and product detail pages that highlights the benefits of the olive oil. This information is displayed through a collapsible menu, requiring users to click actively to read the explanation of each benefit.
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Additionally, I included an inspiration section with cooking videos on the olive oil page. Users can watch multiple videos, prompting them to interact by clicking to play different videos.
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By incorporating these interactive elements, the user experience is enhanced, visitors stay longer on the website, and they become more engaged with the content.
6. Explaining Unfamiliar Terms in a Playful and Clear Way
From my research, I found that the target audience's knowledge significantly impacts their user experience. The OLV Limits website used terms like "antioxidants" and "EVOO" (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), which were confusing for some visitors. While the term "antioxidants" might be familiar, many people don’t fully understand its function, and "EVOO" appeared prominently on the site without any explanation. This led to difficulties in fully grasping the information, which diminished their interest in the product.
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To address this, I chose to focus on clearly explaining these terms in a playful manner. For example, I added a section to the homepage and olive oil page where antioxidants are briefly and simply explained, along with why they are important. This makes the rest of the page content much easier to understand, helping users feel more informed and increasing their interest in the product.
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By explaining complex terms in an accessible way, I improve user-friendliness and create greater engagement with the target audience.
7. Enhancing Visual Hierarchy for Improved Usability
The target audience indicated that the product detail page appeared cluttered, with the order buttons not standing out due to the large amount of text. To address these usability issues, I improved the visual hierarchy of the page.
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First, I added more white space and reduced the font size to enhance readability and make the page feel more organized. Instead of separating sections with harsh lines, I used soft color contrasts between them, creating a calmer visual flow. Additionally, I adjusted the alignment—text and images are now left-aligned rather than centered, providing better structure and a clearer information flow.
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Lastly, I grouped the three product highlights, which were previously scattered, and added icons to them. This makes the key product information more prominent and provides users with a clearer, more relaxed experience as they navigate the page.