Rebecca Tan

Small business alcohol store website to help customers discover and purchase the perfect bottle or gift with ease and confidence.

Project type: End-to-end responsive website

Role: UX/UI designer + Branding

Tools: Figma

Duration: 2 weeks

View the hi-fi desktop protoype

This solo school project for Thirstrap, a small alcohol retailer with a brick-and-mortar presence, focused on creating a website that delivers exceptional customer service. The solution includes a Drink Finder tool that recommends products based on individual preferences. With simplified tasting notes, visual flavor scales, and a playful, on-brand design, the website enhances the shopping experience by empowering users to make informed choices.

Overview

The business problem:

Thirstrap is a small alcohol retailer with a brick-and-mortar store.
It needs a website that preserves its small business charm while delivering exceptional customer service.

Research findings:

Even though shopping online is the convenient choice, true convenience also means having all the information you need to make a confident choice.
Users often struggle with vague product descriptions and jargon-heavy terms that do not clearly convey taste.
As a result, users rely on reviews to assess value and taste, especially when purchasing something new or a gift.
When uncertain, they prefer visiting a physical store for immediate, personalised recommendations.

Persona & Problem Statement

User 1 - Kai, the casual sipper.

How users are affected

Users hesitate to try new products when they do not have enough information to gauge the taste.
Confusing jargon in product descriptions makes it difficult to understand the flavour profiles, leading to frustration.
Users often spend excessive time time searching for reviews, but many lack the details needed to make an informed choice.

Needs & Goals

Kai has a go-to brand and a specific type of whisky that he enjoys.

Since he knows what he wants, he values the ability to order his regular items quickly and efficiently.

Behaviour

Occasionally, Kai explores different brands or types with a similar flavour profile.
When choosing a new product, Kai looks for descriptive reviews from independent platforms to avoid sales-driven testimonials. He reads reviews to ensure that a product aligns with his taste preferences.

Occasionally, Kai explores different brands or types with a similar flavour profile.

When choosing a new product, Kai looks for descriptive reviews from independent platforms to avoid sales-driven testimonials. He reads reviews to ensure that a product aligns with his taste preferences.

Frustration

Background

Kai spends excessive time searching for reviews, but they often lack clear taste descriptions.
If the product descriptions and reviews lack sufficient information, Kai becomes hesitant to try new items.

Casual drinkers occasionally explore new options that align with their regular preferences such as trying whiskies of a similar flavour profile.

Problem Statement:

Background

Casual drinkers occasionally explore new options that align with their regular preferences such as trying whiskies of a similar flavour profile.

How users are affected

Users hesitate to try new products when they do not have enough information to gauge the taste.
Confusing jargon in product descriptions makes it difficult to understand the flavour profiles, leading to frustration.
Users often spend excessive time time searching for reviews, but many lack the details needed to make an informed choice.

Impact

How users are affected

Needs & Goals

This situation causes frustration for casual drinkers due to the time-consuming research process.
Despite spending a long time looking for reviews, there is still a chance that the product would not align with their taste preferences.
As a result, they lack the confidence to make a purchase.

Users hesitate to try new products when they do not have enough information to gauge the taste.
Confusing jargon in product descriptions makes it difficult to understand the flavour profiles, leading to frustration.
Users often spend excessive time time searching for reviews, but many lack the details needed to make an informed choice.

Kai has a go-to brand and a specific type of whisky that he enjoys.

Since he knows what he wants, he values the ability to order his regular items quickly and efficiently.

Behaviour

Occasionally, Kai explores different brands or types with a similar flavour profile.

When choosing a new product, Kai looks for descriptive reviews from independent platforms to avoid sales-driven testimonials. He reads reviews to ensure that a product aligns with his taste preferences.

Impact

Frustration

This situation causes frustration for casual drinkers due to the time-consuming research process.
Despite spending a long time looking for reviews, there is still a chance that the product would not align with their taste preferences.
As a result, they lack the confidence to make a purchase.

Kai spends excessive time searching for reviews, but they often lack clear taste descriptions.
If the product descriptions and reviews lack sufficient information, Kai becomes hesitant to try new items.

User 2 -Ellie, the social drinker.

User 2 - Ellie, the social drinker.

Impact

This situation causes frustration for casual drinkers due to the time-consuming research process.
Despite spending a long time looking for reviews, there is still a chance that the product would not align with their taste preferences.
As a result, they lack the confidence to make a purchase.

Needs & Goals

Ellie frequently attends parties and events where she brings alcohol as a gift.
She needs to find a well-received gift at the right budget.
She wants quick visual cues (e.g. flavour scales or sweetness meters) to easily assess flavour profiles.

Behaviour

When she is uncertain about the recipient's preferences, Ellie looks for pre-made gift sets or she priorities bottles described as “easy to drink”, highly rated from review score ratings or popular choices in the bestseller section as these are considered “safe bets” for gifting.

Behaviour

Frustration

Researching online for the right gift is time-consuming and she might choose to buy from other physical storefronts where she can receive advice and recommendations from a salesperson.

Problem Statement

Background

Social drinkers often face difficulty finding the perfect gift at the right budget, especially when they are unsure of their recipient’s preferences.
This challenge arises because they lack knowledge of various alcohol styles and struggle to assess the flavor profiles, making it harder to select the right gift.

How users are affected

Users are unsure if their choices are suitable for the occasion.
The gift cannot be too polarising, with extreme flavors like a sour ale or a smoky whisky potentially being off-putting.
It also needs to strike the right balance in value—neither too cheap nor too expensive.

How users are affected

Users are unsure if their choices are suitable for the occasion.
The gift cannot be too polarising, with extreme flavors like a sour ale or a smoky whisky potentially being off-putting.
It also needs to strike the right balance in value—neither too cheap nor too expensive.

How users are affected

Users are unsure if their choices are suitable for the occasion.
The gift cannot be too polarising, with extreme flavors like a sour ale or a smoky whisky potentially being off-putting.
It also needs to strike the right balance in value—neither too cheap nor too expensive.

Impact

This situation causes frustration for social drinkers due to the time-consuming research process.
It may also lead to a loss in sales, as customers might choose to buy from other physical storefronts where they can receive advice and recommendations from a salesperson, resulting in missed revenue opportunities for the online business.

Solution

Simplified tasting notes and visual scales in the product description for users to assess the flavour profile.

Usability testing feedback indicated that this made it easier for users to quickly decide if a drink suited their taste.

A Drink Finder to

suggest products based on individual preferences.
recommend easy to drink, crowd-pleasing options ideal for gifting

Usability testing feedback indicated that navigating the drink finder feature was intuitive and seamless.

Branding

Shop Name:

Thirstrap – A cheeky, playful name that sets the tone for the brand.

Colour Palette:

I chose a bright, fun, and inviting color (#FABA3B) paired with a complementary shade (#7B0341) that exudes a premium feel, reflecting the store's highly curated selection.

FABA3B

Primary

7B0341

Secondary

FAF9F6

Background

FAF3E0

Background

D279C8

Accent

1E1E1E

Text

Typography:

Playful font (Fredoka one) for headers that complement the shop’s cheeky character

Copywriting style:

Personable, fun, and cheeky tone to create a memorable and approachable shopping experience. Examples:
- Bestsellers - "This Week's Thirst Traps",
- Smokiness Scale - "Smokin' Hot", "Light as Your Ex's Apologies"
- Sweetness Scale - "The Sweet Spot", "Dry like a Dad Joke"

Iterations Based on Usability Test Results

Improved filter usability with "Clear," "Select All" buttons and a search function for long lists.

Before: After:

Enhanced the Drink Finder prompt's visibility on the gift page, clearly explaining its purpose and underlying algorithm.

Before: After:

Before (Top), After (Bottom)

Before:

After:

View the hi-fi desktop protoype

Next Steps

Enhancing the Recommendation System (Drink Finder)

More input options (e.g. age, gender) for a more personalised experience.
Cross referencing alcohol types (e.g. linking fruity beers to similar whiskies).
Food pairing suggestions for better drink selection (different use case).
Conduct a card-sorting exercise to understand how users categorise "easy to drink” beverages.
Incorporating insights from experts to ensure accuracy.

Next Project

Enhancing app safety features