Two banner concepts. One communicates free shipping clearly. One doesn't. The data tells you which.
This study followed UXR-224, which validated the checkout savings progress bar concept. With the progress bar moving toward production, the team needed to evaluate two competing banner designs for communicating the progressive discount and free shipping system to cart customers.
UXR-224 and UXR-226 ran in parallel and were reviewed together when making the final production recommendation. That's how a research program compounds value — individual studies inform each other.
Research question: Do users correctly understand how the savings system works — and which banner design communicates it most clearly?
Both banners communicated the same progressive discount and free shipping system. The difference was in emphasis and framing.
Design A vs. Design B — Key Metrics
90% of Design A users correctly identified the free-shipping threshold. Only 20% of Design B users did. That gap is the deciding factor — not preference ratings, not ease scores.
The 70-point gap in free-shipping clarity makes Design A the defensible choice. When the majority can't correctly identify the threshold, the design is failing at its core job — regardless of how other metrics score.
Design B's explanatory approach showed stronger discount comprehension in one study. The framing works for discount mechanics even when it fails for shipping clarity. That copy approach can be integrated into Design A.
Ship Design A's visual structure with targeted copy from Design B's instructional language for the discount tier sections. The clarity of A with the comprehension strengths of B where B actually outperformed.
Design A wins on the metric that matters most.
When the majority can't correctly identify the free-shipping threshold, the design is failing at its core job — regardless of how ease ratings or preference scores compare. 90% versus 20% is not a close call.
The 70-point gap in free-shipping clarity is the deciding factor. Design A correctly communicates the threshold to 90% of users — the core job of this banner.
Design B's explanatory framing showed stronger comprehension of discount progression mechanics. Selectively apply that copy approach to Design A's discount tier sections without disrupting its structural clarity.