Wegmans Curbside Pickup:
Usability Testing & Evaluation
CONTEXT
About the product
This project focused on evaluating the curbside pickup experience in the Wegmans mobile app. While the feature had already been launched, the goal was to understand whether users could actually use it smoothly in real-world scenarios. Instead of building something new, the focus was on observing how people interacted with the existing system and identifying where the experience broke down.
INFO
Team
3 Product designers, Product Manager, Senior UX Designer
Responsibilities
Usability Testing, Heuristic Evaluation, Data Analysis, Design Recommendations
Duration
3 Months (Sept'22 - Nov'22)
PROBLEM OVERVIEW
Even though the app had all the necessary functionality, users struggled with:
Finding key features
Understanding differences between flows (List vs Cart)
Completing checkout without confusion
👉 The core issue was not missing features - it was discoverability and usability of the existing features.
TIMELINE
KICKOFF MEETING
The project commenced with a kick-off meeting at the client's office.
Purpose of this meeting:
Discuss the Wegmans mobile application & user feedback
Identify user groups
Gather project requirements
Determine different stages of the project and their outcomes
Setting deadlines for each stage
HEURISTIC EVALUATION & TEST PLAN
Each team member conducted individual evaluation of the application on their respective smartphones and then discussed the observations as a group. The below report is a cohesive document created as a result of this collaboration.
Due to COVID-19 situation, we conducted remote usability tests, where participants were asked to connect with evaluators via ZOOM, as they interact with the application on their smartphones to perform few assigned tasks.
It was both a challenge and an opportunity for each one of us on the usability evaluation team as we diverted from the conventional method of usability testing. This experience gave us some useful insights and a whole different perspective towards this process.
TEST MATERIALS
The following are the documents used before, during and after the test. We ensured that all the materials are checked and ready to be sent to participants before the start of every test session.
Screener
A questionnaire forwarded to users to screen and select participants based on set criteria.
Orientation Script
Brief introduction of the process that will be followed during the study
Informed Consent
Describes the study, risks associated with the study and also states moderator and user rights.
Think-Aloud Protocol
Demonstration for participants on how to verbalize thoughts while they perform tasks.
Scenario Introduction
A set of tasks for participants to complete as a part of a given scenario.
Background Questionnaire
A Questionnaire for participants before the test, to understand user practices related to the system being tested.
Post-Task Questionnaire
A survey for participants after they perform the tasks to understand their experience with the system and the process.
Compensation Receipt
A $25 Wegmans gift card was provided to the participants for their contribution.
PILOT TEST
Pilot tests were conducted with 2 participants, one belonging to group A (used Wegmans application at-least once) and the other belonging to group B (not used Wegmans application at all).
Performing these tests helped us identify issues related to our test plan and materials which were then modified for the final usability tests.
Key Takeaways
At the beginning of each session, we clearly communicated the key points of the consent form to ensure participants understood their rights and felt comfortable proceeding.
Based on pilot testing, we found that sharing test materials via email before the session was more effective than using Zoom chat, as it improved accessibility and reduced confusion.
The pilot also revealed the importance of using two devices—one for accessing test materials and another for interacting with the Wegmans app—since switching between windows on a single device disrupted the user experience and slowed task completion.