UX & UI Design
Project Overview
The objective was to develop a non-functional prototype for a digital marketplace product that serves as a platform for selling school and office supplies. The primary focus was on enhancing the user’s purchasing experience, facilitating list management and product customization. Additionally, the platform aimed to provide access to educational institutions and companies for the creation of school supply lists, while accommodating diverse processes and suppliers.
Problem Statement
Introducing an alternative channel that directly connects with end-users and effectively alleviates the genuine pain points experienced by consumers when purchasing school supplies.
By eliminating intermediation channels, we ensure that the profit margin remains within the channel, benefitting both buyers and sellers. Furthermore, the absence of a traditional shopping experience generates an immediate attraction for users, offering a unique and streamlined approach to meet their needs.
Product Ideation
We unearthed a product that originated as an idea, whether expressed through a business plan, a canvas, or simply as thoughts in someone’s mind. By conducting collaborative sessions with the client and key users, we devised a prototype that can undergo validation (such as investor presentations) and subsequently be materialized into a tangible product.
Discovery / Understand
Objective: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the product from a business perspective.
Techniques: Conduct concise flash conversations and utilize UX mapping.
Duration: 2-hour timeframe allocated for the session.
Resources: Client-provided materials related to the product. Idea leader’s availability for a single session (to be scheduled based on mutual availability).
Discovery / Define
Objective: Establish clear definitions of key user experiences.
Techniques: Utilizing the User Journey method, specifically focusing on “The Golden Path.”
Duration: Allocate a 2-hour timeframe for the session.
Resources: Identify key users to participate in a single session, with the specific timing to be determined based on their availability.
Ideation/ Sketch
Objective: Strategize and design essential user experiences.
Techniques: Employing low and medium-level wireframing techniques.
Duration: Allocate a dedicated timeframe of 2 days for the design process.
Resources: Utilize wireframes provided by the company, complemented by flowcharts and benchmarking analysis to enhance the design process.
Ideation/ Decide
Objective: Validate the sketching exercise and determine which experiences to prototype.
Techniques: Conduct a focus group comprising key individuals, including both users and business representatives.
Duration: Allocate a 2-hour timeframe for the focus group session.
Resources: Identify key users and relevant business representatives to participate in a single session. The scheduling of the session should be determined based on their availability.
Interactive Prototype
Objective: Develop a comprehensive interactive prototype that encompasses the chosen user experiences.
Techniques: Employ interactive prototyping methods.
Duration: Allocate a dedicated timeframe of 6-8 days for the prototype development process.
Prototype Validation
Objective: Validate the functionality and user experience of the interactive prototype.
Techniques: Conduct a focus group session involving key users to evaluate the prototype.
Duration: Allocate a full-day session of 8 hours for the validation exercise.
Resources: Engage key individuals, specifically users, to participate in the user experience validation exercise, utilizing the interactive prototype. Schedule sessions based on their availability.
Understand and Define
Our primary focus was to gain a profound understanding of the user journey, encompassing their values, challenges, and limitations. Additionally, we considered the business goals and objectives set by the project management team.
Card Sorting & User Journey
We conducted a card sorting activity with the key objective of identifying the pain points experienced by users. Guiding participants through labeled notecards enabled us to gain insights into their specific struggles during the purchasing process. The User Journey diagram served as a valuable tool for our UX team, allowing us to visualize and comprehend the desired flow of the customer’s purchase experience as envisioned by our client.
User Flow
This visual comprehensively depicts the range of interactions that users should experience within the mobile app. Through careful consideration of user needs, we strategically determined the desired navigation flow for users within the app.
Ideation & Sketching
After analyzing the gathered knowledge and user information from our ideation sessions, we discovered that our users faced challenges in finding time to physically shop with their kids and make decisions together. To address this, we devised a potential solution—a unique online shopping experience that allows parents to set a budget and empower their children to choose their desired items. To determine the ideal platform, we interviewed users and concluded that a mobile app would provide a smoother purchasing process, considering the widespread usage of mobile phones nowadays.
Prototyping
Following the initial sketching phase and user testing, we proceeded to prototype our ideas and conduct further testing. To effectively communicate our solutions, we developed high-fidelity prototypes that accurately represented our design concepts.
Usability Tasks
We conducted a card sorting activity with the main objective of identifying users’ pain points. By guiding participants through labeled notecards, we gained insights into the challenges they faced during the purchasing process. The User Journey diagram played a pivotal role in helping our UX team understand the flow of the customer’s purchase experience, allowing us to align with our client’s desired user experience goals.
