May 1, 2010 at 19:46Intuitive online store catalog
A couple of years ago, when my employer’s online appliance store once again expanded its assortment, I was asked to propose a new catalog structure. Traditionally, it is based on a complex of functional, overall and territorial generalizations. In this case, something is always “attracted to the ears” (for example, dishes in small household appliances).
My starting point was the postulate: "The client should find the goods where it seems logical to him." Thus, the same product must be put in all categories suitable for it, and not in the “most suitable” one - we get the similarity of the tag system in the blog.
The vast majority of us can easily find the basic things in someone else’s apartment because there is an undeniable general logic for their placement: the TV is always in the room, the plugs are in the kitchen, and the toothbrushes are in the bathroom. These things are united by the fact that they are all used in the same place where they are. Another category of things - that just lie and wait in the wings: manicure scissors, a camera, a video camera, etc., they can be applied anywhere, and finding them in someone else’s apartment is much more difficult. Fortunately, there are not many such products in the online store of household appliances, and most often this is “taken with you”.
Then, a couple of years ago, I proposed a similar directory structure:
Title: “This is used”
Answers:
In the kitchen
In the living room
In the bathroom
In the garage
In the hand
Is it worth saying that the sales department did not approve my offer. I did not give presentations, there was no opportunity.
The other day, thoughts about an intuitive catalog have returned. I decided that the implementation in flash would be absolutely wonderful: it’s easier to grasp the object with the subconscious, because you don’t have to read it. First we see the house from the outside, but if desired, we get inside any room. A graphical implementation is not a problem, but you should work on it only if the idea itself is worth something.
I made a quick rough picture with an overlaid image map. It is impossible to insert into the text on Habré, therefore here . All links so far lead to the main Habr ;-)
UPD
I think that it is optimal to leave the usual text catalog with a traditional structure on the page. Still, some products are easier to find.
My starting point was the postulate: "The client should find the goods where it seems logical to him." Thus, the same product must be put in all categories suitable for it, and not in the “most suitable” one - we get the similarity of the tag system in the blog.
The vast majority of us can easily find the basic things in someone else’s apartment because there is an undeniable general logic for their placement: the TV is always in the room, the plugs are in the kitchen, and the toothbrushes are in the bathroom. These things are united by the fact that they are all used in the same place where they are. Another category of things - that just lie and wait in the wings: manicure scissors, a camera, a video camera, etc., they can be applied anywhere, and finding them in someone else’s apartment is much more difficult. Fortunately, there are not many such products in the online store of household appliances, and most often this is “taken with you”.
Then, a couple of years ago, I proposed a similar directory structure:
Title: “This is used”
Answers:
In the kitchen
In the living room
In the bathroom
In the garage
In the hand
Is it worth saying that the sales department did not approve my offer. I did not give presentations, there was no opportunity.
The other day, thoughts about an intuitive catalog have returned. I decided that the implementation in flash would be absolutely wonderful: it’s easier to grasp the object with the subconscious, because you don’t have to read it. First we see the house from the outside, but if desired, we get inside any room. A graphical implementation is not a problem, but you should work on it only if the idea itself is worth something.
I made a quick rough picture with an overlaid image map. It is impossible to insert into the text on Habré, therefore here . All links so far lead to the main Habr ;-)
UPD
I think that it is optimal to leave the usual text catalog with a traditional structure on the page. Still, some products are easier to find.