User Experience Review - Selfridges
16th June 2011
This article was published in July 2010 Internet retailing
Selfridges first opened its doors in 1909 to become an established chain of high end department stores. Selfridges’ success can be attributed to the use of innovative marketing techniques, including placing the profitable perfume counter front-and-centre on the ground floor. In this review we look at the re-launch of the Selfridges site to see if such user focussed thinking has been incorporated online.
The Selfridges homepage is bright and cheerful, with plenty of white space. However, this attention grabbing design serves to overpower the navigation links on the page. The global navigation is small compared to the large bold text, colourful content and large calls to action, even the ‘Lets Shop Online!’ area overshadows the useful links presented below.
To search for products through Selfridges’ large range, the site uses a drop down system, similar to that used by ASOS. 
This offers access to specific departments within the site, but the rollover link is too subtle and may prove problematic for less competent users or those with poor eyesight. The drop down options offer a choice between Brand Rooms, Categories, Selected Brands and Features; a useful selection of categories, but the clarity is impacted by the subtle implementation of the navigation.
Most users, when shopping, would like to view appropriate items as quickly as possible. Selfridges offer a decision making process those users may find frustrating. For example, selecting ‘Brand Room’ takes the user to an additional selection page where a further choice, ‘which designer’ must be made. Even after choosing a designer another selection is required before products can be viewed.
T
his process pre-supposes the user knows the designer they wish to view, if they do not, this method of navigation is less helpful. Alternatively, selecting a designer first offers a new landing page, where the user must decide on the garment type. Overall the user is presented with a choice of three routes to locate items – select a ‘Brand Room’, a designer or select an item type - a larger choice than many users would be expecting.
Once a choice is made, the product layout is clear, however this is limited to four items of clothing (or eight accessories/shoes). To view more, shoppers must use the cryptic icons in the top right of the page to choose four columns (default view), eight tiles or a full list. There is no option to ‘view all’ or to see how many items are in the full list.
Although placed on the right of the page, the refinement options are easy to view, but the lack of a clear hierarchy makes this list ambiguous. As with ASOS, the Selfridges site also offers complimentary items with the ‘Get the Look’ area enticing users into other areas, to find related items, enhancing the shopping experience. However, a similar feature, ‘More like this’ is less well displayed as a small text link and could be overlooked by shoppers.
Some enhanced features are provided for viewing items, such as a zoom and 360 degree option, however these are tricky to use, with no indication of what current controls are activated. The zoomed view opens in a new page with only a small cross to indicate how to close the page. This feature feels unfinished and lacks a smooth quality finish.
Selfridges have implemented a ‘Sneek a Peek’ feature that appears when you hover over an item, this apparently offers exactly the same function as opening the item fully, but in a smaller window. To activate this, the user has to click on the ‘Sneek a Peek’ button that appears, otherwise the full item opens. The usefulness of this feature is unclear as it seems only to complicate and confuse the process.
Overall the Selfridges site offers a clear and efficient means of viewing the large range of online products the site sells. However a number of small flaws make the shopping process more complicated than it should be. The global navigation option tries to provide the user with a number of routes to products, however, rather than improving site efficiency; this only makes selection more complex. The site also tries to be innovative by offering a ‘Sneek a Peek’ at items. This combined with the ‘More Items like This’ feature makes the site feel unfinished and complex. Rather than trying to create a new innovation for users, Selfridges should concentrate on making the user experience of performing the basic tasks as satisfying an experience as possible. Currently the site feels as if it has been launched prematurely and the rough edges detract from the quality experience people would expect from the Selfridges brand.
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This article was written by Jamie Sands. Jamie is a Usability Consultant at User Vision, a usability and accessibility consultancy that helps clients gain a competitive advantage through improved ease of use.
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