Before
Before
Before
ZARA - Navigation Redesign
Analysed and Optimized the Information Architecture to enhance Zara’s e-commerce shopping experience.
My Role
UI/UX Designer (Solo project)
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User Research
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Navigation study (Information Architecture, Content design)
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User Testing (Tree Testing, A/B & Usability Testing)
Timeline
Before
6 months : Dec 2024 - May 2025
Tools
​Google Forms & sheets, Zoom, Otter.ai, Chat GPT, Gemini,
Optimal Workshop, Maze, Figma, Attention Insight.
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Mentors
Prof. Kevin Park, Patrick Kellar & Manasi Vaidya.
Overview
This project was my final thesis for the Master’s program in UX/UI
Design & Development at New York Institute of Technology.
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Zara is a Spanish fast fashion retail subsidiary of the Spanish multinational fashion design. Zara sells clothing, accessories,
beauty products and perfumes. Online stores began operating in
the United States in 2011.
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At present, in 2025, Zara, a leading global fashion brand and one of the largest retailers worldwide, yet lurks a less glamorous reality: a website that fails to meet the high standards of today’s digital consumer.
Desktop screen in 2024
Pain Point
Once the user clicked on the hamburger button, a list would drop down without any categorisation of clothes & accessories. It was time-consuming & frustrating for users, which affected the conversion rates.
Against Miller's Law
& Jakob's Law
(Laws of UX)
Goal
The goal of this project is to enhance customer satisfaction, engagement & conversion rates by improving site structure (information architecture).
Research & Design Framework
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Design
Test
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Secondary Research
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Surveys
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User Interview
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Thematic Analysis
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Sentiment Analysis
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Cognitive Analysis
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User Persona
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Empathy Map
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User Journey Map
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Site Mapping
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HeatMap
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Tree Testing
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Information Architecture
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Lo-fi Wireframes
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High-Fidelity wireframe
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Prototype
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AI HeatMap
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AB Testing
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Final Design
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Usability Testing
My process on the wall
Insights from secondary research
Insights from survey
Thematic, Cognitive & Sentiment Analysis through Interviews
60% of users struggle with search & navigation
45% find homepage navigation confusing – category structure & onboarding.
Preliminary Tree Testing Based on Existing Navigation
Tree Testing Overview
Objective: To evaluate Zara’s website navigation by testing how easily users can find key products using the existing category structure.
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Method: Tree testing with 15 participants, measuring success rates, misclicks, and time taken to complete tasks.
Tree Testing Analysis
Key Findings:
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• Navigation is confusing for certain product categories, leading to misclicks and abandoned tasks.
• Some category labels are unclear, causing users to take longer paths.
• Search efficiency varies; some sections are well-structured, while others create confusion.
Key Insights & Issues
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1. Navigation Ambiguity (Women’s Sweater – 60% Success Rate)
• Issue: Users were confused between Knitwear and Sweaters, leading to misclicks.
• Path Deviation: Some users searched under Tops > Sweatshirts before finding Sweaters.
• Avg. Clicks: 4.2 clicks, indicating a longer-than-expected path.
• User Frustration: Higher abandonment suggests users gave up due to category confusion.
2. Search & Category Visibility (Men’s Perfume – 87% Success Rate)
• Issue: Some users mistakenly navigated through Clothes instead of Colognes.
• Path Deviation: Users who failed went through Men > Accessories before reaching Colognes.
• Avg. Clicks: 3.1 clicks, relatively efficient, but could be improved with better visibility.
3. Efficient Discovery (Eyebrow Stick – 93% Success Rate)
• Issue: A few users took an indirect route (Women > Beauty > Accessories instead of Makeup> Eyes).
• Avg. Clicks: 2.8 clicks, fastest task completion, suggesting Beauty & Makeup sections are better structured than other categories.
Information Architecture - in process
Design
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Prototype for Usability Testing
Desktop protoype
Phone protoype
Test
Usability testing on Laptop
Usability testing on phone
No. of Participants - 3
Age - 25 to 30
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Task 1 - To find a white sweater woman through the search button.
Time taken by 3 Participants - 6 sec, 4 sec, 5 sec.
No. of clicks - 2
Task 2 - To find sweaters for women without using the search button.
Time taken by 3 Participants - 6 sec, 7 sec, 6 sec.
No. of clicks - 4
No extra help was required.
Testing Analysis
Task 1 observations
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The search functionality was quick and efficient. Minimal time and clicks show the search button is well-placed and intuitive.
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No confusion indicates clear labeling and results.
Task 2 observations
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Navigation was quicker compared to the original site.
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The task was completed successfully with no confusion, showing logical site navigation.
Overall Insights
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The search button greatly improves task efficiency, reducing time and clicks.
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Navigation is intuitive, but search remains the faster option.
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Clear labeling and layout contribute to user success without needing external help.
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The homepage looks more like a website & not a magazine.