Flevy Management Insights Case Study
E-commerce Vertical HCD Strategy for Online Retailer


Fortune 500 companies typically bring on global consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and Accenture, or boutique consulting firms specializing in HCD to thoroughly analyze their unique business challenges and competitive situations. These firms provide strategic recommendations based on consulting frameworks, subject matter expertise, benchmark data, KPIs, best practices, and other tools developed from past client work. We followed this management consulting approach for this case study.

TLDR The organization saw declining customer satisfaction and retention despite strong D2C e-commerce growth, due to a misalignment in their online platform's design with customer expectations. After implementing HCD principles, they achieved notable gains in customer satisfaction, conversion rates, and user engagement, highlighting the need to align UX with customer needs and business objectives.

Reading time: 8 minutes

Consider this scenario: The organization in question operates within the highly competitive e-commerce space, specifically focusing on direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales.

Despite achieving substantial top-line growth, the company has identified a lag in customer satisfaction and retention rates. Internal analysis suggests that the human-centered design (HCD) of their online platform may not be fully aligned with the evolving expectations and behaviors of their target demographic. This misalignment is suspected to be a contributing factor to a recent downturn in market share, as competitors with more user-centric interfaces gain traction.



Upon reviewing the situation, the preliminary hypothesis is that the e-commerce firm’s current HCD approach may lack a deep understanding of its customers' needs and pain points, leading to a less than optimal user experience. Another hypothesis is that the design process may not be sufficiently iterative or responsive to feedback, causing the user interface to become outdated relative to competitors’ offerings. Finally, there might be a disconnect between the HCD team's output and the company's business objectives, potentially due to inadequate cross-departmental collaboration.

Strategic Analysis and Execution Methodology

The methodology to address the HCD challenges is a structured 5-phase process that enables the organization to align its design principles with customer needs and business goals. This established process is critical for ensuring that the user experience enhances customer satisfaction and contributes to the overall business strategy.

  1. Discovery and Empathy: Initial phase involves qualitative and quantitative research to understand the customer journey. Key activities include user interviews, surveys, and analytics review. Potential insights relate to identifying user pain points and opportunities for improvement. Common challenges include ensuring representative user feedback and avoiding bias in data interpretation. Interim deliverables often comprise user personas and journey maps.
  2. Ideation and Conceptualization: Here, the focus is on generating a wide range of ideas to address the insights from the discovery phase. Techniques like brainstorming sessions and design workshops are utilized. The challenge is to foster a creative environment while keeping ideas aligned with business objectives. Deliverables may include concept sketches and wireframes.
  3. Design and Prototyping: In this phase, the most promising concepts are developed into interactive prototypes. Activities involve user interface (UI) design and usability testing. The challenge lies in translating ideas into viable prototypes while managing resource constraints. Deliverables typically are high-fidelity prototypes ready for user testing.
  4. Testing and Validation: Prototypes are tested with actual users to gather feedback and refine the design. Key analyses include task success rates and user satisfaction metrics. Challenges often arise from interpreting user feedback into actionable design changes. Deliverables may include a validated design ready for development.
  5. Implementation and Iteration: The final design is developed and deployed. Post-launch, continuous analysis of user behavior is crucial for iterative improvement. The challenge is maintaining agility to respond to user feedback and market changes. Deliverables include the final HCD strategy and ongoing performance reports.

For effective implementation, take a look at these HCD best practices:

Human Factors - The "Dirty Dozen" (92-slide PowerPoint deck)
Double Diamond Model (129-slide PowerPoint deck)
Human-centered Design (HCD) (18-slide PowerPoint deck)
Design Thinking Primer (28-slide PowerPoint deck)
Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) (48-slide PowerPoint deck)
View additional HCD best practices

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HCD Implementation Challenges & Considerations

One consideration is the balance between design innovation and usability. A sophisticated design that does not resonate with users can be detrimental to the user experience. Another consideration is resource allocation; ensuring that the HCD initiative has the necessary budget and talent is crucial to its success. Finally, there is the risk of strategic misalignment, where HCD efforts are not cohesively integrated with the broader business strategy.

The expected business outcomes include increased customer satisfaction, higher retention rates, and improved conversion metrics. These outcomes are quantifiable through metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer lifetime value (CLV), and average order value (AOV).

Potential implementation challenges include resistance to change within the organization, technological constraints in executing the design, and the need for continuous cross-functional collaboration.

HCD KPIs

KPIS are crucial throughout the implementation process. They provide quantifiable checkpoints to validate the alignment of operational activities with our strategic goals, ensuring that execution is not just activity-driven, but results-oriented. Further, these KPIs act as early indicators of progress or deviation, enabling agile decision-making and course correction if needed.


A stand can be made against invasion by an army. No stand can be made against invasion by an idea.
     – Victor Hugo

  • User Engagement Rate: Measures how actively users interact with the site, indicating the effectiveness of the design.
  • Conversion Rate: Tracks the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, reflecting the design’s influence on sales performance.
  • Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Provides immediate feedback on user experience post-interaction.
  • Bounce Rate: Signifies the percentage of visitors who navigate away after viewing only one page, illustrating potential design flaws.

For more KPIs, take a look at the Flevy KPI Library, one of the most comprehensive databases of KPIs available. Having a centralized library of KPIs saves you significant time and effort in researching and developing metrics, allowing you to focus more on analysis, implementation of strategies, and other more value-added activities.

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Implementation Insights

During the design and prototyping phase, an insight was that users valued simplicity and speed more than the variety of features. According to a Gartner study, 89% of companies expect to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience, underscoring the importance of a user-centric design philosophy.

Another insight gained is the critical role of cross-functional teams in HCD. Collaboration between marketing, IT, and design teams led to a more cohesive and effective user experience that aligned with business goals.

HCD Deliverables

  • User Persona Profiles (PDF)
  • Customer Journey Mapping (PowerPoint)
  • HCD Strategy Plan (Word Document)
  • Usability Testing Report (PDF)
  • UI/UX Design Guidelines (PDF)

Explore more HCD deliverables

HCD Best Practices

To improve the effectiveness of implementation, we can leverage best practice documents in HCD. These resources below were developed by management consulting firms and HCD subject matter experts.

HCD Case Studies

A Fortune 500 retailer revamped its e-commerce platform using an HCD approach, resulting in a 30% increase in customer retention and a 20% increase in conversion rates within six months of implementation.

An international media company redesigned its content delivery platform with user-centric principles, leading to a 50% increase in user engagement and a 25% increase in subscription renewals.

Explore additional related case studies

Aligning HCD with Business Strategy

Ensuring that human-centered design (HCD) initiatives align with overall business strategy is a critical concern. It's essential to integrate customer insights and design thinking into the strategic planning process. This can be achieved by establishing cross-functional teams that include members from both the design and business strategy divisions. The collective effort helps ensure that HCD is not an isolated function but a core component of the company's strategic initiatives.

According to a report by McKinsey, companies that integrate design practices at the strategic level see 32% more revenue and 56% higher total returns to shareholders compared to their counterparts. This highlights the importance of making HCD a cornerstone of business strategy rather than an afterthought.

Measuring the ROI of HCD Initiatives

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) for HCD can be challenging due to its qualitative nature. However, it's vital to quantify the impact of HCD initiatives on the business. Metrics such as customer lifetime value (CLV), conversion rates, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) can offer insights into the effectiveness of HCD strategies. Additionally, tracking changes in customer satisfaction and retention rates pre and post-implementation provides tangible evidence of success.

A study by Forrester revealed that, on average, every dollar invested in UX brings 100 dollars in return. This 9,900% ROI demonstrates the potential financial benefits of investing in user experience, reinforcing the value of HCD investments.

Adapting to Market Changes and User Feedback

Market trends and user preferences are in constant flux, which necessitates an agile approach to HCD. The ability to quickly adapt to feedback and iterate on design is crucial. This requires a robust framework for collecting user feedback and a responsive design team capable of implementing changes swiftly. Establishing a culture of ongoing learning and adaptation helps maintain the relevance and effectiveness of the user experience.

Bain & Company emphasizes that companies that excel in customer experience grow revenues 4-8% above their market. This growth is attributed to a continuous feedback loop and the agility to adapt to customer needs.

Ensuring Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Cross-departmental collaboration is pivotal for the success of HCD initiatives. Silos within organizations can lead to disjointed customer experiences. By fostering collaboration between departments such as IT, marketing, and customer service, companies can create a more seamless and integrated user experience. This collaborative approach also ensures that different perspectives are considered in the design process, leading to a more holistic and effective HCD strategy.

Accenture's research shows that 75% of C-suite executives believe that their organizations are more innovative when they collaborate. This underscores the value of cross-departmental synergy in fostering innovation, particularly in the realm of HCD.

Additional Resources Relevant to HCD

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Key Findings and Results

Here is a summary of the key results of this case study:

  • Increased customer satisfaction score (CSAT) by 25% post-implementation, indicating a more favorable user experience.
  • Conversion rates improved by 15%, reflecting the positive impact of the HCD initiative on sales performance.
  • User engagement rate rose by 20%, showing enhanced interaction with the site due to improved design.
  • Reduced bounce rate by 30%, suggesting that users found the redesigned platform more appealing and relevant.
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS) increased by 18 points, demonstrating higher customer loyalty and likelihood of recommendation.

The results of the HCD initiative clearly indicate a successful alignment of the user experience with customer needs and business objectives. The significant improvements in CSAT, conversion rates, and user engagement directly correlate with the strategic focus on human-centered design principles. The reduction in bounce rate and increase in NPS further validate the effectiveness of the redesigned platform in retaining users and fostering loyalty. However, while these results are commendable, it's important to acknowledge areas of potential improvement. For instance, the report does not explicitly mention the impact on average order value (AOV) or customer lifetime value (CLV), suggesting that the initiative may not have fully capitalized on increasing the revenue per user or long-term customer profitability. Additionally, the challenges of cross-departmental collaboration and adapting to market changes highlight the need for a more agile and integrated approach to HCD. Alternative strategies, such as more frequent and iterative design updates based on real-time user feedback, could further enhance the outcomes.

Based on the analysis, the recommended next steps include focusing on increasing AOV and CLV by integrating upselling and cross-selling opportunities into the user experience. To address the agility challenges, establishing a continuous feedback loop with customers through social media, surveys, and user testing can provide actionable insights for iterative design improvements. Finally, enhancing cross-departmental collaboration through regular workshops and joint projects can ensure that the HCD strategy remains aligned with the overall business objectives and market trends.

Source: E-commerce User Experience Enhancement Initiative, Flevy Management Insights, 2024

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