The design process began with a competitor analysis, where we examined the strategies of key players in the flooring industry and other e-commerce actors focused on building materials. This allowed us to identify current market trends affecting customer preferences, find strategies used by successful competitors that could be adapted for Tarkett, and conduct a gap analysis to identify areas where Tarkett could stand out by addressing shortcomings in competitors' offerings

With insights from the competitor analysis as our foundation, we conducted user interviews with a broad sample of both current and potential Tarkett customers. This allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of customers’ pain points and goals when shopping for flooring both online and in-store. We could also identify the features and attributes they preferred in an e-commerce platform and gather insights into their buying behavior and decision-making processes.

To deepen our understanding of the customer experience, we also conducted rounds of mystery shopping, which reinforced the insights we had previously gathered by simulating real purchases. This allowed us to follow the customer journey from floor selection to completion of purchase. During this process, we identified critical obstacles in the shopping experience, such as confusing navigation or lack of information, and discovered opportunities for improvements to make the customer journey more efficient. This practical exploration provided invaluable insights into the customer experience and guided us in our design enhancements.

With the data we had now gathered, we created detailed customer personas representing key segments of Tarkett’s target audience. This process involved segmenting customers based on common characteristics, needs, and behaviors, as well as empathy mapping to capture each persona’s goals, pain points, and preferences. These personas then served as a guide for design decisions and became central to our design process, helping us keep the users’ needs in focus throughout the project.

Finally, we mapped out customer journeys to visualize how different personas navigated their shopping experience. The process involved creating flowcharts that illustrated each step of the customer journey, from the idea of new flooring to completed purchase, and identifying key touchpoints where customers interact with the platform to assess their experiences at each step. Through the customer journey mapping, we could identify critical pain points and find opportunities for improvements that would enhance the customer experience.