Subscription Box Product Design

Identifying the Right Audience Through User Research

When Israel Pack launched its subscription box, the targeting was undefined, making it challenging to drive sales and leading to inefficiencies in advertising spend. The product, a monthly box featuring goods from local artisans and small family businesses in Israel, had potential but lacked clear positioning. My initial goal was to conduct customer development to identify the most loyal target audience, narrow the marketing focus, and define the product’s value proposition. The aim was to focus on a specific audience segment that could evolve into brand advocates.

I started by forming hypotheses about three potential target audiences:

1. Individuals of Jewish Origin Seeking Cultural Connection

Assumption: This audience would be interested in connecting with Israel through unique products and supporting local farmers and artisans.
Findings: I conducted 12 in-depth interviews and discovered that their connection to Israel was generally weak, and awareness of Israeli products was minimal. Supporting small Israeli businesses was seen as a “nice to have” but wasn’t compelling enough to drive subscriptions.
Conclusion: This audience showed limited interest in the product.

2. Individuals of Jewish Origin Actively Supporting Israeli Causes

Assumption: Narrowing the focus to individuals actively supporting Israel would increase interest.
Findings: I interviewed six members of Jewish organizations that support Israel. While they appreciated the mission of helping small Israeli businesses and valued Israeli products, they disliked the subscription box format. They preferred having control over the products they received and avoided accumulating items they wouldn’t use.


Conclusion: This group showed potential but required a significant product redesign, such as transitioning to an e-commerce shop instead of a subscription box.

3. Individuals Passionate About Israeli Culture Beyond Jewish Identity

Assumption: Interest in Israel could extend beyond Jewish identity to individuals who admire the country based on other values.
Findings: I interviewed eight people with strong Christian connections to Israel. This audience showed exceptional loyalty to the product. They appreciated the subscription box format as a way to explore Israel’s history, culture, and family-run businesses. The concept of receiving curated, surprise items resonated deeply with them.


Conclusion: This audience emerged as the most promising target segment. The product aligned with their interests, offering a compelling way to connect with Israel and support its communities.

Results

Based on these insights, I concluded that the initial focus should be on Christian supporters of Israel, with the possibility of expanding to other groups later. Using affinity mapping, I organized and analyzed the interview findings to identify patterns and validate this direction.

This user research laid the foundation for defining the product's value proposition, targeting strategy, and marketing focus, ensuring Israel Pack would connect with its most loyal and enthusiastic audience.

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Website Ideation, Design, and User Testing

To meet the tight deadline for the website launch, the first iteration was designed as a one-page website, with plans to expand based on user testing feedback.

Content Prioritization and Initial Design

Insights from user interviews and competitor analysis helped identify and prioritize key content blocks for the website:

1. Why Israel Pack? – Highlighting four key selling points: fair trade, worldwide shipping, $200 value for $99, and 100% organic products.
2. Our Impact – Featuring stories about the artisans and the positive effect of the initiative on their lives.
3. How It Works – Simplified steps to explain the subscription process.
4. What’s in the Box – Providing an overview of the products included.
5. Get Started – A call-to-action to subscribe.
6. Testimonials – Showcasing customer reviews and experiences.

Iterative Improvements Post-Launch

After the website launch, I analyzed UX data using Hotjar, including heatmaps and session recordings. One key finding was that users spent significant time engaging with the What’s in the Box block and even attempted to click on it. This was addressed rapidly by relocating the block higher on the page and introducing a dedicated product page with detailed information, before moving on to conducting user interviews for further insights.

Following this, I conducted user testing to evaluate the overall website experience, uncovering additional insights:

1. Insight: Customers wanted detailed information about products beyond general categories.

   Action: Added two new sections: Past Boxes to showcase previously curated boxes and Unboxing Videos for visual previews.
2. Insight: New subscribers wanted clarity about the contents of their first box.

   Action: Since full box personalization wasn’t feasible, I designed a pop-up allowing users to select a product category and preview an item from the next box. I also enabled new subscribers to choose their first box from past boxes.
3. Insight: Users expressed interest in reordering specific products.

   Action: Created an e-shop for individual product purchases.
4. Insight: Subscribers appreciated the opportunity to support local family businesses.

   Action: Developed an Our Impact page, featuring artisan stories, compensation details, and a feedback form for users to send thank-you notes.

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Improving the Physical Product Based on Customer Insights

During the user interviews about the website, much of the feedback was about the physical product itself. This feedback showed areas for improvement and led me to make changes to better meet customer needs and improve their experience.

Insight

Customer feedback revealed uncertainty regarding the value of the products in the subscription box. Many subscribers felt unsure if the contents justified the cost.

Challenges

Economic and logistical constraints made it impossible to increase the box’s value by adding more expensive products or lowering the subscription price. This necessitated finding creative ways to enhance the perceived value of the box without altering its physical contents.

Solutions

By focusing on intangible value additions, the box was reimagined to deliver a richer, more personal, and educational experience:

Storytelling

• Each box featured a prominent, original theme.
• Reading materials were included, highlighting the stories behind the products and personal narratives of the artisans.

Personal Touch

• Products were individually wrapped with fun personalized labels (e.g., “Eat Me”).
• Boxes included handwritten thank-you notes from artisans.
• Subscribers received personalized notes tailored to the theme or occasion, such as prophetic messages for Rosh Hashanah.

Learning Materials

• Stories and insights about Jewish history, culture, and traditions were included to create a deeper connection to the products.

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Selected customer testimonials:

“For me, it is more like a care package I receive each month from friends in a distant land, sharing their lives with me!”“It is so fun to get the box, and read the theme book and learn of the artists and contributors, and then pull open the tissue, and begin opening my presents"