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JODIE BARR | PRODUCT DESIGNER
Whim
E-COMMERCE APP
Providing transparency and
enjoyable experiences
Online shopping should be fun and simple but a lot times that isn't the case, especially if you a trying a new brand or product for the first time. What should be more of a virtual "window shopping" experience turns into an agonizing hour of searching for an item and then combing through reviews until you finally decide to commit to making a purchase. Then you wait with your fingers crossed hoping that what you purchased meets your expectations. If you're a seller your time is spent analyzing product purchases and trying to figure out ways to increase the amount of units sold. Whim focuses on both of these issues so that both buyers and sellers can make confident decisions.
MY ROLE
UX/UI Design
CHALLENGE
I need to find a solution that addresses consumer and seller needs while enhancing the overall shopping experience. For buyers this would mean focusing on providing a better experience and transparency so they feel secure when making purchases. For sellers this would mean providing ways to reach more potential buyers and understand consumer needs and feedback.
There are 2 user types that will be using this app.
Victor has amazing products for sale...or so he thinks. For some reason sales have been declining and he's not sure if he should focus on improving inventory or marketing.
- To expand reach to more potential buyers
- To better understand what consumers are expecting and if their needs are being met
- To be able to promote inventory
Silvia Shoppes
THE BUYER
Needs
- To be able to purchase goods confidently
- To be able to receive honest feedback on vendors and products
- Unsure whether or not sellers are being honest about product quality and expectations
Pain Points
- It is difficult to assess the quality of products when you can't physically see or feel them
- Unsure whether or not sellers are being honest about product quality and expectations
Goals
Silvia loves shopping online but doesn't always find pleasure in the process or the outcome. Most of her time is spent combing through product reviews and even then sometimes what she receives doesn't meet her expectations.
- To make well informed decisions when making purchases
- To discover reliable brands and vendors to buy products from.
Victor Vendor
THE SELLER
Needs
- To reach more potential buyers
- To better understand his store's product trends
- To understand what consumers are expecting when they buy a product.
Pain Points
- As a seller it can be hard to decipher what factors are affecting sales
- Reaching the target audience can be hard especially for newer store owners.
Goals
People who like shop online often spend a lot of time sifting through store and product reviews in an attempt to lower the risk involved when making a purchase. Bad experiences while shopping online happens often. This can be a result of poor product descriptions, lack of reviews and bad communication. This also affects the buyer and translates into a decrease in revenue. `A successful app will restore trust in the user and provide transparency between buyers and sellers.
QUESTIONS
There are a few questions that need to be answered in order to solve the user's problems. In this case it includes the following:
1.How might we build trust and create a pleasant experience for online shoppers?
2. How might we help sellers reach more potential buyer's?
3. How might we decrease risk for both the buyer and the seller?
How Might We?
PROPOSAL
Stakeholders wanted to include opportunities for influencers to play a role in the marketplace. I thought that a good way to build upon that idea would be to include a market "feed". The feature would have patterns reminiscent of Instagram or TikTok culture. The goal would be to design a feature that encourages users to scroll and discover items. This would create a more enjoyable experience for buyers. Consumers would see content and posts similar to previous purchases and interactions and indulge in an experience similar to window shopping.
Buyers also have the opportunity to follow their favorite stores and brands which would allow them to see more content from them and their influencers. These capabilities helps the seller by providing opportunities to connect with buyers through content versus blatant advertising and the buyer by providing both content and reviews to increase confident decision making.
Encouraging transparency can be done by allowing consumer to interact with each other. Through gamification we can encourage users to leave reviews and to respond to questions or comments from others. Sellers have a motive to sell a product while buyers do not. This gives potential buyers an opportunity to feel a bit more secure in a potential buy.
Proposed Features
- Product discovery feed
- Influencer and brand content opportunities
- Consumer to consumer communication
- Opportunities to tailor feed
Due to time and resource constraints we dived straight into design!
WIREFRAMES
FINAL PRODUCT
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