Cheeky’s Cannabis
Offering new cannabis consumers a digital shopping experience that mirrors the in-store journey.
Overview
01
In our three-week academic project, we focused on Cheeky’s Cannabis, a cannabis retail company. The initial phase involved researching companies suitable for a digital intervention. We selected Cheeky’s Cannabis to design an approachable online shopping experience tailored for beginners in cannabis consumption. Our approach leveraged the use of educational content and human interactions to guide users. My contribution centred around user research and supporting the integration of our visual design into the final prototype.
Disclaimer: This project has no official affiliation with Cheeky’s Cannabis. It was conducted as a case study for an academic project.
Role
Team
Christina Raganit, Michael Dresler, Brianna Mei, Medeline Ho
UX Researcher, UX Designer
3 Weeks (Spring 2023)
Tools
Figma, Photoshop
Duration
Initial Prompt
02
Our initial task was to conduct secondary research and identify a company that had a potential for a small digital intervention. After exploring various options online, we chose Cheeky’s Cannabis. We were convinced that our approach, centred on educating cannabis consumers and enhancing accessibility, perfectly aligned with their core values of making cannabis accessible and guiding cannabis consumers.
Research + Framing
03
Given the project's limited scope and tight timeline, we focused on secondary research to guide our approach.
Online cannabis shopping is chaotic, unlike the guided ease of in-store experiences.
The Problem Space
—Research Study by UBC School of Nursing
My research indicated that new cannabis consumers often find the market confusing and information-heavy. While in-store shoppers benefit from knowledgeable and approachable budtenders, online shoppers lack similar comprehensive guidance. This highlights the reduced accessibility of cannabis online, steering our choice of Cheeky’s Cannabis for our intervention, aligning with their commitment to making cannabis more accessible.
The Challenge
Initial concept.
How might we provide novice cannabis consumers that prefer to shop online with a digital shopping experience that is as equally accessible and inviting as it is for those who shop in-store?
My research led us to focus on novice cannabis consumers as our target audience. Our initial solution was to design a more informative product search page, featuring filters to help consumers find products that suit their specific needs.
67% of Ontarians expect retailers to educate consumers about cannabis, both online and in-store.
Importance of Cannabis Education
Our initial concept required refinement. While it improved product accessibility, it fell short of replicating the in-store shopping experience. Nonetheless, my research uncovered a key insight: consumers anticipate that retailers will provide cannabis education.
—Survey by Responsible Cannabis Use (RCU)
86% of 1,000 survey respondents prefer human agent interactions.
Human Touch
—2019 CGS Customer service chatbots & channels survey
Further research showed that chatbot users favour human warmth in digital interactions, as it boosts reliability, personalization, and enjoyment of online shopping. This insight was crucial in helping us mimic the in-store experience.
Outcome - Final User Flow
04
Our solution, merging educational content with a messenger linking budtenders and online shoppers, blends in-store interaction with digital privacy. It aims to guide novice consumers in a safe, informative space with friendly, knowledgeable budtenders.
Solution Breakdown
05
Understanding the product
Our research revealed that new consumers often find cannabis confusing and seek education from retailers. In response, our resources section delivers essential information to help inform their purchasing decisions.
Recreating In-Store Experience
I also discovered that consumers favour in-store shopping for its personalized experience and advice. Our solution introduces online chat with budtenders, allowing users to instantly add recommended products to their carts, effectively emulating the in-store experience.
This enhances cannabis accessibility, aligning with Cheeky’s Cannabis business goals and supporting its long-term growth.
Informative Product Page
Consumers seek knowledge about their purchases. Our product page provides detailed information on each product's features, usage, and benefits, empowering them to make well-informed decisions.
Scheduling Appointment
The appointment feature enables consumers to schedule online consultations with their preferred budtender, minimizing the likelihood of losing potential clients.
Prior to developing high-fidelity mockups, our team began the process by designing potential layouts for our solution.
06
Ideation Process
To enhance cannabis accessibility, we focused on developing a comprehensive 'Learn More' page and a user-friendly product category page.
Additionally, we addressed the need for consumer education and personal assistance by integrating a chat feature and enriching the product pages with detailed information.
Initial Designs and Wireframes
A couple of selected wireframes during early stages.
I contributed in integrating our visual design into the final prototype and high-fidelity mockups, specifically by editing product images to align with our design language and incorporating them seamlessly into the prototypes and mockups.
Following feedback from our teaching team, we learned that our pages were overly informative, which could overwhelm and deter potential consumers from visiting the website.
First Iterations
High-fidelity mockups that our team cross-collaborated on.
In our final prototype, responding to the feedback received, we streamlined the content to include only essential information on each page, enhancing their user-friendliness and approachability.
Revisions
Revised pages for the final prototype.
Given the limited scope and time constraints of the course, our approach primarily relied on secondary research and necessary assumptions. While we recognize that this isn't the ideal scenario for comprehensive research, it was adequate for this project's focus on user interface design. I believe the project was successful, demonstrating effective design practice and the ability to surface insights and content within the given limitations.
This project has taught me the importance of secondary research to gain a better understanding of a topic and for surfacing insights that can be framed and drive a project. I've also learned the importance of designing not for personal preferences, but for the needs of consumers and stakeholders. Additionally, I've realized that every design decision should be backed by at least two justifications, emphasizing that the merit of a design lies not just in its aesthetic appeal, but in the rationale behind it.
If given the opportunity to revisit the project, I would try to conduct usability testing which would be beneficial for our design process since our solution was only evaluated based on our instructor’s feedback.