Introduction

This introduction outlines the user testing I performed for Hot Dang! 9th Avenue Grocery. I interviewed three distinct reviewers to gather their perspectives on various aspects of the visual brand execution. My goal was to obtain insights from individuals with diverse backgrounds, purchasing habits, and motivations.

Questions:

The questions I wanted to ask were designed to be open ended and encourage more in-depth dialogue. I wanted to get a real sense of whether the brand was being seen as I wanted it to be seen. Mostly as a friendly, warm, and energetic brand that gave off a local look/feel. Below are my questions:

1. What feelings does the brand/design evoke for Hot Dang!?
2. What do you like best about the brand?
3. What do you think needs to be improved upon?
4. What do you think of the colors being used?
5. What do you think of the name Hot Dang!?
6. What do you think of the character “diggity”? How does he make you feel?
7. Can you think of another brand/company the Hot Dang! style reminds you of?
8. Is it important to highlight that Hot Dang! is local?
9. Would you recommend Hot Dang! to a family member or friend just based on the visual brand?
   1. Why or why not?
10. Can you give some general feedback not prompted by the questions above?

User Reviews:

My reviewers were:
Ben – Maintenance worker – 43
Alex – Mother of 3, high school English teacher – 32
Danny – High school student – 15

These reviewers we selected because of their wide ranging backgrounds. Ben is someone who would come by Hot Dang! on his lunch break for a quick bite to eat. Alex would potentially buy groceries for her family at Hot Dang! for the neighborhood convenience while looking to save money. Danny would come by the shop to buy ice cream or a treat close to his house. Their differences in age and gender also gave me a wide range of opinions.

Specific Findings:

Ben – Ben really liked the overall design and feel. He felt the icon/character was a little “hokey” but it worked as a recognizable logo. He thought the whole brand package looked retro and harkened back to 1950’s and 1960’s branding. He saw this as a positive. He thought the use of colors in the ads and signage was a big plus and made the adverts very “memorable”.  He thought adding more people eating / shopping in the ads and signage would help the brand not seem so “lofty” and more down to earth. He said he would recommend the brand to other people just based on what he has seen so far.

Alex – Alex gave really positive feedback on the brand. She thought the concept was very “cute” and “likable”. She said her 3 daughters would absolutely love the “Diggity” character. She suggested making more designs with Diggity doing other things. ie. eating, shopping, walking a dog?, etc. She said I needed to include kid sizes for merch, promote the shop toward a younger crowd that could come in for ice cream, candy, and other treats, and maybe do comps to show the inside of what the store would look like. She would recommend the brand to friends and especially her daughters.

Danny – Danny thought the branding was well executed. He thought the character was cool and he mentioned he would definitely wear swag from the store. He also thought I was under-utilizing the Diggity character and could play him out eating a sandwich or with a shopping cart getting food. He suggested that I come up with cool, local names for the sandwiches which would help tie the brand to the neighborhood. He said if all things were equal, he’d much rather come to Hot Dang! than go to Subway.

Broad Insights:

I wasn’t necessarily surprised by any of the feedback. I think the consensus between Alex and Danny to play more with Diggity’s role in the advertisement was interesting and something I will consider. I love Danny’s idea to name the sandwiches after local things to help bring the brand back down to a local, mom and pop shop. Ben’s idea to show more people also made sense to me. I think using people elevates the branding to look more relatable and professional.

Redesign:

So, I have a few things that I will be working through based on the reviewers feedback. I think looking to add new photography of “lifestyle” shots of people into the social ads and mural designs. I think I will take a stab at adding some creative names to the sandwich types as well. I could also add a few new designs with Diggity doing other things.