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UW Finds

Addressing the UW Community's Need for a Centralized Platform to Buy and Sell Used Items

My Role

User Research Usability Testing Product Design

Team

Becca Gulbrandsen Mandy Wu Simar Khanuja Hanara Nam (Me!)

Timeframe

10 weeks

Tools

Figma

PROBLEM

Challenges with Centralized Buying and Selling of Used UW-Specific Items in the Community

The UW community can experience having an accumulation of things they no longer need or are seeking UW-specific materials, and lack a centralized platform where they can easily sell or buy used products.

SOLUTION

Simplifying Buying and Selling of Used UW-Specific Items on Campus

UW Finds is a platform that lessens the barriers in buying and selling second hand items around campus by providing relevant and accessible opportunities and resources for members of the UW community.

INTERVIEW INSIGHTS

Prioritizing Convenience, Affordability, Safety, and Efficiency in Material Transactions

CONVENIENCE when purchasing materials is a top priority for users

A key motivation for buying second hand materials over brand new ones is AFFORDABILITY

SAFETY in conducting transactions with strangers is important for users

Users want to dispose of unused items EFFICIENTLY without hassle.

Each member of our team conducted an interview with potential users, resulting in four interviews total. Through these interviews, we gained the following insights:

CONVENIENCE when purchasing materials is a top priority for users

A key motivation for buying second hand materials over brand new ones is AFFORDABILITY

SAFETY in conducting transactions with strangers is important for users

Users want to dispose of unused items EFFICIENTLY without hassle.

View Interview Questions and Transcript

USER PERSONAS

Optimizing App Design with User Personas and Journey Mapping

Based on insights from user research, we developed personas that capture user experiences, goals, and pain points, guiding the identification of key app use cases and features like communication and usability.

USER JOURNEY MAP

Mapping Emotions to Design Needs: Understanding User Experience through Claire's Journey

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

Our key design requirements are features that our design must have, which shaped and informed our lo-fi prototype.

Allow sellers to easily list a variety of used items for sale, including product details such as a title, description, category, and image.

Encourage users to provide ratings and review sellers after they complete a purchase.

Facilitate communication between buyers and sellers regarding item pickup and transaction details.

Store user information within the app: Name, ratings, transaction history, location, and proof of verification.

Allow sellers to easily list a variety of used items for sale, including product details such as a title, description, category, and image.

Encourage users to provide ratings and review sellers after they complete a purchase.

Facilitate communication between buyers and sellers regarding item pickup and transaction details.

Store user information within the app: Name, ratings, transaction history, location, and proof of verification.

View Interview Questions and Transcript

STORYBOARDS

Two Storyboards: Buyer and Seller Perspectives

The storyboards depict user journeys in specific scenarios, illustrating interactions with our product. Inspired by personas and the user journey map, they provide a realistic view of user experiences with our product.

LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

3 Main Flows: Upload Listing, View Listings and Seller Profile, Chatting Feature for Seller-Buyer Communication

We created a gray-scale, low-fidelity interactive prototype on Figma, making sure to include all components we wanted to include in our app.

FLOW #1 - UPLOADING A LISTING

FLOW #2 - VIEW LISTING & SELLER PROFILE

FLOW #3 - CHATTING + PURCHASE

INFOMRATION ARCHITECHTURE

Mapping Pathways and Functionality

The diagram organizes and visualizes our design's pathways and subcategories, clarifying component connections. It serves as a comprehensive roadmap for our final hi-fi prototype, capturing our product's complete functionality.

USABILITY TESTING

Evaluation Plan

METHOD:

Introduced product goal and functionality, provided task scenario.

Gave low-fidelity interactive prototype to complete tasks.
Observed navigation, prompted verbalized thinking during tasks, and noted actions and live reactions.
Conducted post-interview for feedback on difficulties, likes, dislikes, desired features, and additional thoughts.

TASKS:

Uploaded a listing: Create and upload an old textbook listing, evaluated completion based on button usage and ease/difficulty.
Viewed a listing and its seller: Navigate to view listing and seller profile, evaluated completion based on navigation.
Messaged seller to purchase: Message seller about purchasing a listing, evaluated completion based on successful purchase and communication experience.

USABILITY TESTING INSIGHTS

Enhanced Seller Profile Access, Improved Chat Feature, Accessible Action Buttons, and User-Friendly Navigation Options

Users would like to easily access the seller profile to view their information.

Streamline the chat feature to better facilitate purchases

Action buttons need to be more accessible

Users found it useful to have the option to search, filter, or just scroll through all the options

Full Evaluation Report

Users would like to easily access the seller profile to view their information.

Streamline the chat feature to better facilitate purchases

Action buttons need to be more accessible

Users found it useful to have the option to search, filter, or just scroll through all the options

FINAL SCREENS

The final product

REFLECTION

Bringing our course project to life and tackling a real problem in the community

Our project deepened our understanding of user-centered design, emphasizing the importance of iteration in refining our research and prototyping. Given more time, we would have conducted additional rounds of testing to iterate further and expand our design with new features like package lockers for seamless transactions.

A major challenge was implementing key features, especially in transaction flows, leading us to opt for a communication-based platform for transactions outside the app.

Despite challenges, our high-fidelity prototype came together swiftly with iterations and visual design, showcasing the power of iteration in product development.

That is the end of this case study

Hop on to the next ᕙ •̀ ᗜ •́ ᕗ

That is the end of this case study

Hop on to the next ᕙ •̀ ᗜ •́ ᕗ

That is the end of this case study

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Let's collaborate & create something together!

I'm always up for a chat, especially about design related topics : )

EXPLORE

Home

About

Work

Resume

Let's collaborate & create something together!

I'm always up for a chat, especially about design related topics : )

EXPLORE

Home

About

Work

Resume

Let's collaborate & create something together!

I'm always up for a chat, especially about design related topics : )

EXPLORE

Home

About

Work

Resume

UW Finds

UW Finds

Addressing the UW Community's Need for a Centralized Platform to Buy and Sell Used Items

Addressing the UW Community's Need for a Centralized Platform to Buy and Sell Used Items

Addressing the UW Community's Need for a Centralized Platform to Buy and Sell Used Items

Challenges with Centralized Buying and Selling of Used UW-Specific Items in the Community

The UW community can experience having an accumulation of things they no longer need or are seeking UW-specific materials, and lack a centralized platform where they can easily sell or buy used products.

Simplifying Buying and Selling of Used UW-Specific Items on Campus

UW Finds is a platform that lessens the barriers in buying and selling second hand items around campus by providing relevant and accessible opportunities and resources for members of the UW community.

Prioritizing Convenience, Affordability, Safety, and Efficiency in Material Transactions

CONVENIENCE when purchasing materials is a top priority for users

A key motivation for buying second hand materials over brand new ones is AFFORDABILITY

SAFETY in conducting transactions with strangers is important for users

Users want to dispose of unused items EFFICIENTLY without hassle.

Each member of our team conducted an interview with potential users, resulting in four interviews total. Through these interviews, we gained the following insights:

CONVENIENCE when purchasing materials is a top priority for users

A key motivation for buying second hand materials over brand new ones is AFFORDABILITY

SAFETY in conducting transactions with strangers is important for users

Users want to dispose of unused items EFFICIENTLY without hassle.

View Interview Questions and Transcript

Optimizing App Design with User Personas and Journey Mapping

Based on insights from user research, we developed personas that capture user experiences, goals, and pain points, guiding the identification of key app use cases and features like communication and usability.

Mapping Emotions to Design Needs: Understanding User Experience through Claire's Journey

Our key design requirements are features that our design must have, which shaped and informed our lo-fi prototype.

Allow sellers to easily list a variety of used items for sale, including product details such as a title, description, category, and image.

Encourage users to provide ratings and review sellers after they complete a purchase.

Facilitate communication between buyers and sellers regarding item pickup and transaction details.

Store user information within the app: Name, ratings, transaction history, location, and proof of verification.

Allow sellers to easily list a variety of used items for sale, including product details such as a title, description, category, and image.

Encourage users to provide ratings and review sellers after they complete a purchase.

Facilitate communication between buyers and sellers regarding item pickup and transaction details.

Store user information within the app: Name, ratings, transaction history, location, and proof of verification.

View Interview Questions and Transcript

Two Storyboards: Buyer and Seller Perspectives

The storyboards depict user journeys in specific scenarios, illustrating interactions with our product. Inspired by personas and the user journey map, they provide a realistic view of user experiences with our product.

3 Main Flows: Upload Listing, View Listings and Seller Profile, Chatting Feature for Seller-Buyer Communication

We created a gray-scale, low-fidelity interactive prototype on Figma, making sure to include all components we wanted to include in our app.

FLOW #1 - UPLOADING A LISTING

FLOW #2 - VIEW LISTING & SELLER PROFILE

FLOW #3 - CHATTING + PURCHASE

Mapping Pathways and Functionality

The diagram organizes and visualizes our design's pathways and subcategories, clarifying component connections. It serves as a comprehensive roadmap for our final hi-fi prototype, capturing our product's complete functionality.

Evaluation Plan

METHOD:

Introduced product goal and functionality, provided task scenario.

Gave low-fidelity interactive prototype to complete tasks.

Conducted post-interview for feedback on difficulties, likes, dislikes, desired features, and additional thoughts.

TASKS:

Uploaded a listing: Create and upload an old textbook listing, evaluated completion based on button usage and ease/difficulty.

Viewed a listing and its seller: Navigate to view listing and seller profile, evaluated completion based on navigation.

Messaged seller to purchase: Message seller about purchasing a listing, evaluated completion based on successful purchase and communication experience.

Enhanced Seller Profile Access, Improved Chat Feature, Accessible Action Buttons, and User-Friendly Navigation Options

Users would like to easily access the seller profile to view their information.

Streamline the chat feature to better facilitate purchases

Action buttons need to be more accessible

Users found it useful to have the option to search, filter, or just scroll through all the options

Full Evaluation Report

Users would like to easily access the seller profile to view their information.

Streamline the chat feature to better facilitate purchases

Action buttons need to be more accessible

Users found it useful to have the option to search, filter, or just scroll through all the options

The final product

Bringing our course project to life and tackling a real problem in the community

A major challenge was implementing key features, especially in transaction flows, leading us to opt for a communication-based platform for transactions outside the app.

Despite challenges, our high-fidelity prototype came together swiftly with iterations and visual design, showcasing the power of iteration in product development.

That is the end of this case study

Hop on to the next ᕙ •̀ ᗜ •́ ᕗ

That is the end of this case study

Hop on to the next ᕙ •̀ ᗜ •́ ᕗ

That is the end of this case study

Hop on to the next ᕙ •̀ ᗜ •́ ᕗ