SIMPLIFIED SMB EXPERIENCE
Simplified SMB ECommerce Experience
Role: Lead UX/UI Designer / Project Lead
Project scope:
Phase 1 (UX Research & discovery, UI for multiple features) 8 weeks
Phase 2 (Wireframing & prototyping for multiple features) 2 weeks per feature
Phase 3 (High fidelity mocks and user testing) 6 weeks
Phase 4 (UX/UI Acceptance testing and updates) 4 weeks
Phase 5 (Release and user issue remediation) 2 weeks
“The design of everyday things is in great danger of becoming the design of superfluous, overloaded, unnecessary things.”
Don Norman
THE CHALLENGE.
Designing an SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business) user-centric shopping and management experience that prioritizes the streamlined execution of essential tasks for swift and efficient task completion:
Project title: "SMB-Centric Ecommerce & Management Platform"
Introduction: Our SMB-Centric Business Operations Platform has been meticulously crafted to empower small and medium-sized businesses with a simplified, user-centered approach, ensuring rapid and efficient task execution.
Key Features:
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Intuitive Account Dashboard: A clean, user-friendly account management dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of account settings, payment info, and address information enabling users to monitor and manage their account effortlessly.
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Product Details Page (PDP): The platform offers an enhanced product information visualization system, meticulously designed to empower users with the precise details required not only for informed purchasing but also for the confident selection of the right product by providing rich product descriptions, high resolution imagery, reviews, stock availability, and price.
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Order Management: Simplified procurement process with a user-friendly interface, allowing users manage orders quickly and efficiently, from time of order to delivery.
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Invoice Management: The Invoice Management feature is designed to provide clients with a streamlined and intuitive interface, placing a strong emphasis on delivering critical information necessary for effective payment tracking and effortless item reordering.
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Transaction: A pivotal aspect of this project was the simplification of transactions and order placement. By eliminating unnecessary complex enterprise features, our clients can swiftly adjust their product selections and place orders with ease.
THE DISCOVERY.
Since this project was broken up into multiple case studies, we had to approach the discovery in feature phases with simplicity of the SMB experience being the main goal of the entire project.
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During User testing, more than half of our SMB clients stated that the site was overly complex for their needs, with multiple features never being utilized.
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Most users had become frustrated with the difficulty of use in the key areas of this project.
Defining User Needs through Extensive Test Sessions
In our pursuit of creating an optimal user experience, we conducted extensive user sessions aimed at identifying both the strengths and weaknesses of our design. Through this process, we aimed to pinpoint the aspects that were well-structured and beneficial, while equally addressing those that proved unintuitive or unnecessary.
Data Analysis and Persona-Based Themes:
Upon gathering this data, we meticulously reviewed and categorized it into overarching themes based on distinct user personas. These themes serve as our baseline, guiding our team's efforts toward identifying the most pressing user needs and highlighting areas where improvements are paramount.