French Mystique: Why it Belongs in Your Wardrobe and Not Your UX
An analysis of Sézane’s UX design
A moderately priced, francophile’s darling, Sézane set out as an online exclusive label. Given the brand’s origin story, it would seem to follow that usability would have been a primary concern — not quite so in this case. While trimmed with all the visually appealing trappings commensurate with their label, actually navigating around the site is less than intuitive. The following article assesses Sézane’s interface as defined by the Nielsen Norman Group’s five key usability components.
Learnability
At a glance, users are able to accomplish the simple task of locating, learning about, and purchasing a garment quickly and easily. The task becomes more complicated for first time users looking to locate a specific garment or item. Categories of all clothing are truncated into the current season’s lookbook, archives, essentials, and the previous season’s last call. Somewhat inexplicably, another option for “e-shop” occupies prime real estate and only leads to the current season. In this way, the learnability for any specific shopping is counterintuitive and unsuccessful. As far as standard, crucial features to e-commerce, the search bar is all but invisible on Sézane’s site — furthering the confusion.
Efficiency
As noted above, the menu options complicate quick and easy access across the site. Beyond this, when looking at a specific category (e.g. bottoms,) users are forced to choose a specific category, rather than browsing all options or a combination therein. Traversing back and forth between categories and subcategories further confuses the user experience. In the same vein, these pages are devoid of filters or sorting options. While the format conveys an elevated, high-end feeling, the reality of performing a task (read: shopping) is unnecessarily complex.
Thankfully, there are some redeeming elements to be found on the site: Sézane offers free delivery and free returns. While these features have become all but standardized stateside, seeing this uplifting line of text from a French based retailer is music to my American ears.
Memorability
Once understood, the system remains consistent. Sézane has avoided drastically changing (or improving) their usability interface for the past ~five years. As a result, returning to the site does prove challenges to proficiency. Both the challenges and successes of the previous site design remain.
Errors
Perhaps the most common error when navigating Sézane’s site is the fleeting product inventory. This challenge is moderately managed as sizes for garments are shown in grey or black based on their availability upon hovering over the product in a category page. Items with low stock are also obviously noted as such. Other errors, such as those with misspelled search terms or payment issues are similarly well handled.
Satisfaction
The Sézane site is relatively pleasant to navigate — to the trained eye. Their greatest downfall lies in their complete disregard for accessibility. Pages are rampant with contrast errors and inconsistent alternative text captioning. With 8.1 million visually impaired Americans, it’s shocking to see blatant disregard for such a significant portion of a national (not to mention the global) population.
Accessibility flaws aside, the Sézane secret sauce lies decidedly in their visual design and classic-yet-minimalist brand identity.
Overall, The usability could be significantly improved with minor tweaks to the menu, search and filter features. Would that more users could access that elusive je ne sais quoi; but then again, perhaps that’s the origin of their allure.
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