What if you could browse and buy handmade products from small businesses with complete confidence and trust?
Presenting Discover:
Ready to Dive into the World of Small Businesses?
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What was the Big Idea Behind Our Shopping Adventure?
Duration - 4 weeks
Team - Team Project
Tools
What did I do?
Market Study
User Journey
Lo-Fi Design
High-Fi Design

Project Goals-
To create a trusted platform for small businesses to sell handmade products and for customers to purchase them with confidence.
Target Audience-
Small business owners selling handmade products and customers looking to buy unique, handcrafted items.
Key Features-
User-friendly browsing, secure payment options, business verification, and customer reviews for a reliable shopping experience.
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How Did we Shop for Solutions?
To understand the problem better, an online survey was conducted. We spoke with business owners operating through WhatsApp, Instagram, and home-based businesses, as well as customers who prefer personalized gifts from small businesses. The insights revealed significant challenges faced by both parties, highlighting the need for a secure and reliable platform.
Why Are Business Owners Missing Out?
91.7%
business owners experience potential customers inquiring about prices but not making purchases.
58.3%
often face issues of cheating when collaborating with other small businesses.
Why Are Shoppers Holding Back?
62.5%
strongly agree that product quality often differs from what is shown in photos.
69.6%
customers emphasize the need for secure payment processes.
How Did we Unpack the Problem?
I aimed to empower small homegrown and handcrafted businesses by creating a professional app that guarantees verified services. By addressing their core challenges, like building trust and operating efficiently, we designed a platform to support their growth and boost customer confidence in their offerings.
Who Are Our Ideal Shoppers?
Ashwini Singh
22 years
Occupation:
Engineering B.Tech Student
Traits: Ambivert, shopaholic, believes in self love
Goals: Shop confidently through verified accounts without being duped.
Pain Points: Struggles with finding a platform to buy quality products from small businesses.
Rajesh Mehta
32 years
Occupation:
Marketing Manager
Traits: Extrovert, tech-savy, values convenience
Goals: Find reliable small businesses for personalized products.
Pain Points: Concerned about payment security and product authenticity when shopping from small vendors.
How Did we Map the Shopping Journey?
The user registers on the app to search for a personalized gift.
They explore various products from small businesses, finding detailed descriptions.
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Impressed by product photos matching actual quality, they decide to buy.
Pleased with multiple payment options, they complete the purchase.
Transparency in contact information reassures them.
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They scan a QR code to learn about the artisan and share a positive review.
What Features Are in Our Shopping Cart?
1. Easy Navigation
Products are categorized for convenient browsing.
Small businesses on Instagram can't categorize their products effectively, forcing users to search via brand hashtags and limiting their ability to browse products from different brands.
2. Verified Accounts
Verified business accounts enhance transparency by providing customers with clear information about the business owner, ensuring trust and reliability in transactions.
Shows seller credits for recognition
Option to explore additional products from the same seller
Displays verification status and date to build buyer trust
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3. Secured Process
Customers can buy products from their wishlist or make immediate purchases. They also have the option to contact the owner directly if there are any issues with their order.
If there are major issues with a product, buyers can contact the owner directly for resolution.
Customers can shop products from multiple brands at once.
Buyers can browse their saved items during checkout.
4. Hands of Handmade
The product package includes a QR code that buyers can scan to learn about the artisan behind the product, giving well-deserved credit to the creators.
Scanning the QR code opens a webpage with information about the artisan behind your purchased product.
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What’s in Store for the Future?
1.
Connect with more artisans to support their businesses financially.
2.
Revive indigenous products in the mainstream market.
3.
Raise global awareness of traditional Indian crafts.
4.
Build greater trust between buyers and sellers.
5.
Local artisans to set up their own accounts on the app.
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What Did I Learn at the Checkout?
1.
Gained a UX designer's perspective, shifting from a product design approach.
2.
Appreciated the role of comprehensive research in driving user-centric design solutions.
3.
Realized the critical importance of understanding the user's perspective.
4.
Mastered diverse research methods to achieve desired outcomes.
It looks like you've reached the end of our shopping adventure!
I hope you enjoyed exploring the features and insights as much as I did creating them.
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