The aim of this project was to create a wine service that made trying new wines easy, approachable, informative and—most importantly—fun.
The wine industry is riddled with inconsistencies in labeling, terminology and language—not to mention the social stigma of not knowing enough. As a result, buying a bottle of wine is complicated and overwhelming. How might we make trying new wines an enjoyable, educational and even delightful experience for consumers of varying knowledge levels?
Our goal was to develop and brand a subscription wine club that removed the burden of choosing wines, allowing users to learn about wine in a stress-free environment. Glo makes learning about wine fun and delivers the adventure of exploring new wines right to the customer’s front door.
User data from a combination of surveys and interviews revealed that wine drinkers ages 30–60 were open to trying new wines and learning more about wine. This data also suggested a general aversion towards the elitism associated with being fluent in wine terminology. Glo is designed for a primary audience of users ages 25–34. Overall, these wine consumers are less sure about their preferences and purchase wine sporadically out of avoidance of the stress of choosing a wine off the shelf. Members of this group would quickly adopt a reliable source of wine recommendations and knowledge.
Glo is designed for a primary audience of users ages 25–34. Overall, these wine consumers are less sure about their preferences and purchase wine sporadically out of avoidance of the stress of choosing a wine off the shelf. Members of this group would quickly adopt a reliable source of wine recommendations and knowledge.
Wine drinkers ages 45–65 form a secondary audience for Glo. They are confident about what they want and purchase wine regularly, often drinking a case (6 bottles) per month. These consumers may be resistant to joining a wine club because they distrust technology and are wary of bad recommendations. However, given their regular consumption, they stand to benefit from an easier and less expensive monthly wine purchase.
We began by conducting secondary research to familiarize ourselves with the structure of existing wine clubs as well as the wine purchasing habits of our target users. Using this information as a guide, we then moved into primary research, conducting a survey of 50+ individuals. Based on this data, we observed some patterns in the wine-buying experience, which allowed us to tailor Glo’s value proposition to address the unfulfilled wants and needs of our target audience.
Throughout the development of this wine club, we repeatedly tested our assumptions with members of our target audience. In addition to general confusion about wine terminology, our survey results indicated a need for flexibility in both price and levels of commitment, a longing for human connection, an aversion to elitism, and a desire to support local businesses and sustainable practices.
In response to research, we created a flexible subscription model. All Glo subscriptions share the same flat fee to cover wine tastings and app services, but the savings lie in a tiered discount model. The more bottles of wine a member agrees to purchase per month, the more they save per bottle.
The Glo experience is designed to be welcoming. It makes wine accessible with an approachable interface so that customers can spend more time enjoying their wine and less time stressing over which bottle to buy. The clean layout is inclusive and transparent; the brand voice is playful and to-the-point.
Glo is about community. Sample packs are individually curated from a selection of PNW wines, supporting local businesses. Those who choose to use the app can build their network of fellow wine-lovers, share and gain knowledge and participate in discussions. For those who prefer a non-digital experience, they can enjoy a self-guided blind tasting with the excitement of the “reveal” and the opportunity to learn about new wines. Every facet of the wine club is designed for the customer to feel that warm glow of satisfaction.
The intention behind the visual design of Glo was to create a user interface and unboxing experience that felt as approachable and inviting as the club itself. This meant swapping out the rich mahogany and leather-bound books aesthetic of many of the competing clubs for a bubbly color palette, typography with a playful flare and photography that ditched the bucolic views of sweeping vineyards and focused on real users enjoying the Glo experience.
Glo’s geometric illustrations are a nod to the box and bottles shipped to users. These patterns are a metaphor for the learning experience, connecting users to new information like the pieces of a puzzle. The use of this design is seen across the different brand touchpoints from the initial interaction with the website and app to the unboxing experience.
From the warm palette to the spacious interface, Glo's digital presence aims to create an intuitive and delightful user experience. Given the target audience's aversion to commitment, the landing page does not follow the competitor pattern of overwhelming the user with pop-up prompts to sign up for a service or take a quiz. The design of the site is to provide users with a preview of the Glo experience and the key information necessary to assess the brand's key value propositions.
In harmony with Glo's mission to make tasting and learning about wine stress-free and fun, the copy is light, information is succinct and vibrant visuals are abundant. Glo is about enjoying the present moment with others. After all, wine is just fermented grape juice!
The guiding feature of the service, the blind tasting may be done in-app, creating a mobile catalogue of the user's tasting adventures. For those who enjoy a guided exploration of the wines, the numbered bottles of each taster shipment are loaded into the app's "Tasting Notes" tab, from which the user can launch their tasting experience. Preserving the mystery until the wine has been enjoyed with all of the senses, the blind tasting concludes with a reveal.
