In this analysis, I examine how navigation helps or hinders novice craft users.
Upon first visit, the webshop feels inspiring and clean. It feels like a larger, professional webshop that also targets an international market, with the option to choose a language and currency. I felt a sense of excitement and a desire to explore. But I also felt a few disturbing feelings…
Browsing the website, my first feeling was that it doesn’t help you along the way. When you enter the menu, there is a submenu that says all products, and there is a category menu. In the category menu, there are crochet, Basket/sewing, macramé and furniture. The name of the basket/sewing menu was confusing to me, because it only contained yarns for basket making. The quick menu that opened down the page had 12 submenus, but if I clicked on categories in the menu bar above, it gave me 60 submenus and categories. This causes too much cognitive load, and the visitor can get lost in it. Of course, this sea of products may be wonderful for a professional crocheter, but a beginner can get lost in it. In addition, the all products menu similarly offers too many, too many choices, and the logic of the categories is mixed up, which can cause uncertainty in choice and cognitive load.
This website may be a dream for professional crafters, but beginners may need help because they may be confused by too much information. Beginners currently get a lot of inspiration, but it does not guide them through a selection process, does not help with decision navigation, and does not reduce beginners’ uncertainty.
Currently, there are many criteria for choosing a product. This can be burdensome, because the visitor can get lost in the search between the categories. In addition, the categories are more based on the type of material. but visitors would be helped by categorization based on use or project. A professional knows which yarn is good for what, but a beginner does not. He finds his purpose by what product he needs for his project? He searches based on this.
Different logics are mixed in the current navigation: techniques, materials and product types appear side by side.
Simplifying navigation could help visitors find their way around faster.
I would reduce the number of categories and sort the yarns according to two easily understandable points of view:
Yarns by material (cotton, wool, etc.)
Yarns by project (e.g. crochet, basket making, macramé)
This would allow visitors to search among products in the most logical way for them
New visitors are currently inspired by the webshop, but they don’t get a clear entry point on how to get started.
A ‘Just getting started?’ or “first projects” menu would help beginners find their first steps more easily. It would reduce choice uncertainty and help visitors navigate the offerings more quickly.
A “Yarn Guide” page could help visitors navigate the different yarns.
The guide would briefly introduce what projects each type of yarn is suitable for and would help visitors decide which material is best suited for their purpose.
Beginner to advanced – craft sets
A separate menu item could display craft sets of different levels:
beginner
intermediate
advanced
This would help users in several ways.
It would provide beginners with an easy entry point into the world of craft activities, reduce the number of mistakes, and increase the chance of success.
It would also show a development path: visitors could gradually progress from beginner projects to more complex creations.
This is also beneficial for the webshop, as users will be able to search for materials and tools for increasingly complex projects from the range.
The analysis showed that the webshop has a visually inspiring and rich offer, which can be a strong motivation for crafting.
However, the large selection and the current navigation structure can cause uncertainty, especially for those who are just getting acquainted with crafting techniques.
A few simple UX changes – such as a beginner’s entry point, a yarn guide or a more structured navigation – could help visitors find their way around more easily and start creating with more confidence.
