Design of an e-commerce based native app
role Product Designer
duration 2 months
tools Figma, Usability Hub, Illustrator
PROBLEM
Few apps allow giving away items for free, the ones I found were limited to the US and would still involve pricing options, which defeated the purpose of free exchange.
SOLUTION
Create a user-friendly app that promotes sustainable donations of belongings. Enable users to connect with local charities for donations and incorporate notifications and geolocation for enhanced user experience.
I used the design thinking approach to guarantee user-centric solutions:
• Competitive analysis
• User research
• User interviews
• Problem statement
• Personas
• User flows
• MVP
• Low-fi wireframes
• Preference testing
• User testing
• Mid to high-fidelity wireframes
• Usability testing
• Iterations
• Usability testing
• Iterations
• Mockups
Competitive analysis
• Facebook's Free Your Stuff • Trash Nothing • Find It
• useful BUT not a mobile app
• only relevant in the US
• limited functionalities (no filters...)
• pricing options (defeats the goal)
• geolocation is not possible
• filters not possible
User interview
6 users from France, Germany and Spain.
My goal was to understand their ecosystem (financial situation, sustainable lifestyle, goals and frustrations when it comes to find or give away free items) and identify solutions and features of the product.
Problem statement
People need a sustainable solution to look for and/or give away unused items for free, surpassing existing limited options.
User flow
Low-fidelity wireframes
User testing
6 users from France, Germany and Spain.
I tested the navigation and functionalities of the low-fidelity prototype. It felt familiar and intuitive and allowed users not to lose focus on their main goal.
Low to high fidelity Wireframes
Familiar e-commerce patterns combined with a minimal and intuitive design were to be chosen over thinking outside the box.
iOS Human Interface and Material Design guidelines helped me meet the native requirements.
Nevertheless, it was important to search for design solutions, which could give the app a strong identity without contradicting native guidelines and components.
Iteration
User Testing
The initial color palette and dropdown menus didn't impress users. I switched to a warm, vintage palette and changed menus to buttons, enhancing the app's visual appeal and coherence.
One user told me « Contacting charities is great but I should also be able to give them a donation directly. » I thought it was brilliant feedback and immediately added a primary call-to-action button to the page.
Style Guide
