We ran a little feature this summer by the name of The Usability Consultant. Previous issues can be found here. For some background on how we critique sites, see here.

This time we even include a screencast of the checkout process.

User Satisfaction Rating – 6
Overall Usability Score – 9.4/10 (plus 5 Gold Stars)

1. Design: 10/10 Old Navy has a great design with pleasing colors and minimal distractions. The grid for choosing sizes is brilliant and easy to use. No fussy dropdowns, just click your waist, click your length, and you have the perfect size pants…for the whole family, as they say.

2. Upselling: 10/10 The site uses outfit ideas to upsell different products. When looking at khakis, a t-shirt and button down are suggested to complete the look. It is an unobtrusive and helpful tool. Why buy a sporty outfit from a different site when Old Navy will hook up a super sporty look.

3. Error Recognition: 9/10 Easily caught and provided with a clear message “UPS does not recognize this as a valid address.” You are given the option to change the address or continue.

4. Process Efficiency: 9/10 Five pages. A quick jaunt through the process makes completion of the order a breeze. Click on the image below to view a screencast (video) of the checkout process. Beautifully executed and incredibly fast. In less than two minutes I complete the order an even create an account along the way.

5. Shipping Options: 9/10 Shipping options come on the second page with a drop down menu including the options and prices.

6. Extra Credit: 5 Gold Stars The quick look feature is very cool. If you roll over a product on the category page a “quick look” link appears. Click it and a JavaScript window appears with the product information. You can select color and size and add the item to your cart from there.

Done Right
Old Navy’s site is the complete opposite of its commercials; unobtrusive, pleasing to look at and silent. In fact, this site is so clean and simple that it ranks at the top of these ten websites. The best thing they do is keeping any unnecessary information off the page. It is very clear where you are in process with prominent arrows on top of screen. I purposely entered the wrong zip code and it was automatically corrected. The checkout process is everything it needs to be without exerting itself on you like Amazon has a tendency to do. Lean and fast, Old Navy provides an enjoyable and easy shopping experience. If only their clothes were made with the same quality as their website.

Done Wrong
The need to scroll down pages is a little annoying, although it does keep the number of pages down.