Gamut
"Gamut" was the code name for a skunkworks tasked by Grainger (a Fortune 500 eCommerce site) to create a brand new site from the ground up. (The secrecy was real! We worked in unlabeled rooms in a WeWork and couldn't tell anyone who we worked for.)
This 2-year effort gathered the most experienced talent from the industry to create a new Search algorithm, PIM, CMS, digital publishing capability, etc. with the help of a dev consultancy.
After those 2 years, the system, website, and digital strategy were approved by Grainger's board to become Grainger.com's official strategy and "Gamut" was absorbed into Grainger to make it a reality.
My role
Lead copywriter + editor
My contributions
Writing, content design, style guide creation, customer research, usability testing
Results
User testing indicated that existing and potential customers preferred the proof-of-concept over Grainger.com and its main competitors
Users indicated that the copy we provided, where we placed it, and its easy-to-understand style accounted for one of the main reasons they preferred Gamut.
Homepage banner
Research told me that customers value time over almost anything else and don't like marketing fluff.
While we needed to brand the site and tout the unique value proposition, I opted against full sentences and instead used scannable phrases to get all the ideas across quickly.
This not only appealed to customers more, but also aligned with the site's goal to be a quick in-and-out solution for all of the user's immediate problems.
Information Architecture
Created guidelines for interpreting research and deciding how to bucket products on the site.
The guidelines were used here, ensuring a single organizing principle and mutual exclusivity between the options to provide a clear decision-path for the customer.
Image Strategy
Collaborated with merchandiser to show as much decision-driving info as possible through artwork instead of long text explanations.
In-context images show:
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If the screws install flush, below, or above the surface
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How and what the product fastens
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If the fastener requires multiple pieces
Filter Tool Tips
Asked developers for filter flyouts to help inform customers of their choices at the decision point.
Copy Repository
Collaborated with developers to create the tool and set up a copy repository that would allow us to write copy once and display multiple times on the site, not only reducing copy rework and simplifying maintenance, but increasing consistency sitewide.
Copywriting
Crafted the copy shown here to clearly and concisely explain the benefits of the product features without jargon.
Product Naming + Image Strategy
Customer research showed that users know exactly what they want but weren’t always choosing the best product for their application.
By using industry-standard naming we supported quick choices, but the in-context imagery helps educate the customer on best use if they’re interested in learning.
Presentation Structure + Rules
Wrote the presentation guidelines that informed best practices for creating product presentations like this one.
The guidelines incorporated industry/customer knowledge, standard UX principles, and customer feedback to create a rulebook that would provide a cohesive and consistent experience no matter the product category.
Copy
Researched the products, interviewed technical support specialists to understand user needs, and wrote easy-to-understand copy that emphasizes the benefits (the "why") of the feature (the "what").
Created foundational documents for the copy team
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Completed user interviews to understand user needs
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Created user persona to drive the copy guidelines
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Crafted style guide that explains that users need their info to be:
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clear
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concise
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informative
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no-nonsense
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jargon-free
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Built the voice and tone documents.