Thorntons

Front-end and UX/UI work for one of Britain’s best-known chocolate brands, contributing to its online retail experience during the continuing growth of e-commerce.

Introduction

Thorntons was already one of the UK’s most recognisable confectionery brands when I had the opportunity to work on its digital presence. The project brought together the requirements of an established high-street brand with the increasingly important role of online retail.

My work involved applying front-end and user-interface expertise to the e-commerce experience, helping translate the brand and its product presentation into an effective online environment. It provided further experience of the particular challenges involved in combining strong visual merchandising with clear, usable customer journeys.

Supporting the Online Retail Experience

For an established retailer such as Thorntons, e-commerce needed to extend the familiar brand experience into an environment where customers could browse products, make choices and complete purchases without the assistance available in a physical store.

The interface therefore needed to balance visual product presentation with straightforward navigation and a clear route through the shopping experience.

Combining Brand and Usability

My work involved front-end and user-interface development, helping translate the project’s designs into a working online experience. Particular attention was required to maintain the visual character of the Thorntons brand while ensuring that the interface remained practical and usable.

This type of e-commerce work demonstrated how apparently small interface decisions can influence the overall customer experience, particularly when users are moving between browsing products and making a purchase.

Experience Across Online Retail

Thorntons formed part of a broader period of working on digital and e-commerce projects for established consumer brands and retailers. Each presented different requirements, but all reinforced the need to bring together brand, usability, technology and commercial objectives when creating an effective online retail experience.

That experience has continued to influence my approach to websites and digital consultancy: the appearance of a site matters, but it ultimately needs to help users achieve what they came to do while supporting the objectives of the business.

Read the Full Project Story

This article provides a short introduction to my work on the Thorntons e-commerce project. For more information about the project, my role and the wider professional context, read the full Thorntons project page on Mike-Speight.co.uk.