Project Timeline
Aug. 2023 - Now
My Role
Team
Cofounder
UX Designer
UX Researcher
Carina Zhao (Cofounder, PM)
Rachel Lee (Engineer)
Maxine Liu (Engineer)
Sylvana Poon (UXR)
Responsibility
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Conduct user research
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Create digital wireframes, low and high-fidelity prototypes
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Conduct usability tests
Design Challenge
Many students in Claremont Colleges (5C) were frustrated by the current 5C second-hand platform (Facebook group: 7C for Sale). It was disorganized and not efficient enough for both student buyers and sellers to search for or post second-hand information.
If students feel there's a big barrier to deal with second-hand items, a lot of books, furnitures, and clothings will be wasted...
Solution
A well-organized and easy-to-navigate second hand platform for 5C students.
Design Solution Overview
Stories Behind ...
Current 5C Second-hand Platform Observation
Below are 3 of my major observations, which triggered me to take these up and investigate them further.
User Research
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I conducted 10 user interviews to understand users' needs. The primary user group identified through research were 5C students who have bought or sold or done both second-hand items before.
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Using affinity map to identify trends and patterns in their second-hand transactions pain points.
Affinity Map
Research Insights
The user research validated my previous user pain points observation.
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Student buyers expect to have a better filter system to find matching items more efficiently.
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Student sellers need a personal dashboard to organize their selling information, especially when they have multiple transactions.
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Students buyers are unwilling to make a selling PPT themselves and hope to use existing templates.
3
User Persona
I created two user personas to synthesize users' core needs and better define the problems I want to tackle.
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Ideating Solution
How might we design an online second-hand marketplace (website) to help 5C student buyers and sellers to search or post information more efficiently?
Based on feedback from the usability tests, there are 3 major improvements in my design
User Testing and Iteration
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Sitemap
High Fidelity Prototype
Buyers
Browsing and selecting
Buyers
Viewing product details
Ordering product
Sellers
Creating selling listings Managing transactions
Style Guide
Reflection
What I learned
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Always connect back to the primary goal
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Instead of focusing on all feedback from every user, it is more important to grab some of the most important feedback that aligned with your primary goal
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Be process-driven, not solution-driven
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Finding solutions is important, but try to not let solutions limit yourself from brainstorming a wide variety of ideas in the ideation phase
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Think outside the box and explore wild, whimsical ideas are totally OK
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There's never a wrong idea
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Be aware that you are "the fish in the water"
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Designers are always "fishes in the water" and might not be able to easily identify users' real needs
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Avoid making assumptions and try to ask more open-ended questions while talking to users
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Next Step
Develop MVP with engineers and invite a small group of users for testing
Establish metrics to measure success
Balance design goal and business goal