Cheeky's Cannabis
In this three-week academic project, my team of five aimed to make Cheeky's Cannabis more accessible to beginners in cannabis consumption by digitizing the in-store experience. As a UX researcher, I conducted user research to validate and refine our feature ideas, focusing on educational content and human interactions to guide users comfortably through their purchase decisions. These insights directly informed the development of interactive features, which I communicated to the team for design and implementation. Given the project's limited scope and timeline, I emphasized secondary research to guide our approach.
My research indicates that new cannabis consumers often find online shopping challenging due to complex product information. Unlike the personalized advice provided in-store, online shoppers must interpret product details on their own, leading to potential confusion and decision fatigue.
How might we provide novice cannabis consumers who prefer to shop online with a digital experience that offers the same level of guidance and support they would receive in-store?
Our solution combined educational resources with a chat feature connecting users with budtenders, closely mirroring the in-store experience and aligning with Cheeky's commitment to supporting novice consumers.
My research, as illustrated in Figure 2, demonstrates that 67% of Ontarians expect cannabis retailers to provide consumer education, both online and in-store. To meet this demand digitally, the resources section, showcased in Video 2, includes comprehensive information on the benefits, consumption methods, strains, and other relevant topics.
Additionally, as shown in Figure 3, my research indicates that 86% of survey respondents prefer in-store shopping due to the personalized experience and the warmth of human interactions. To address this preference, the 'chat with budtenders' feature, highlighted in Video 3, enables users to engage in real-time conversations, receive personalized recommendations, and instantly add suggested products to their carts, effectively replicating the in-store shopping experience.
During this project, I realized the importance of secondary research in driving insights and learned to design for consumer and stakeholder needs rather than personal preferences for creating effective solutions. If I could revisit the project, I would conduct usability testing, as our solution was only evaluated based on our instructor's feedback. This would have enriched our design process and led to a more user-centered outcome.