Fair Share
Client
BG | USA
Role
Lead UX Designer
Timeline
16 Weeks
Team
Two Designer
Year
2022
A dynamic online platform that connects users to exclusive deals on electronic gadgets. By utilizing a retail buying group model, it enables users to purchase items from various retailers, send them to the platform’s warehouse, and receive payment along with benefits. This approach leverages collective purchasing power to secure better prices while benefiting users.
Responsibilities
As a lead UX designer, my key responsibilities were:
Competitor research
Creating User Flows
Prototyping
UI Design
Problem
As business expanded, buying without commitment results in challenging inventory management. Users could over purchase, leading to excess stock, increased returns, operational inefficiencies.
Outcomes
30%
Improved Inventory Accuracy
20%
Less Returns
15%
Increased Users Satisfaction Score
20%
Faster Warehouse Processing
Challenge
How can we implement a commitment system that allows users to purchase a specific quantity of items, ensuring that
- we do not exceed the desired inventory levels
- decreasing the rejections and returns
- providing a user-friendly experience?
It was crucial but challenging to develop a solution where users have to first commit a quantity before buying however users were allowed to buy and ship any quantity, previously.
Research
As there wasn’t any Qouta system in any competitor’s platform so I jumped straight into user research phase involving Analyzing Demographics, Heatmap Tracking, Conducting Surveys, & Current User Flows & Journey, to gather insights about our users’ needs and behaviors.
Demographics:
Analyzing the demographics clarified that more than 90% users access the platform within USA, using chrome as their most favorite browser, mostly uses the desktop or laptop, & scpend more time on the deals page to grab deals quickly
Existing User flow
Existing user flow was so simple that they don’t have to commit to any deal, they just send any quantity related to a deal mentioned in the deals page
User Journey Mapping
Synthesized the journey map from the existing user flow by looking into session recordings, of more than 15 active users, consisting average 20 sessions each user
Survey
We sent out a questioner as a regular feedback routine & we got response from 87 users & most common responses were:
- Users wanted clear guidelines on commitment limits and restrictions. Step-by-step instructions were highly requested, especially by new or occasional buyers, to reduce confusion
- Frequent users asked for additional features like progress reminders, especially at key stages (e.g., after committing and for tracking ID submission)
- 65% of respondents preferred receiving both in-platform and external notifications (e.g., email, SMS) to stay updated on commitment status
- Most users viewed quantity limits based on purchase history as fair, though some Average Buyers felt they might be disadvantaged
- Users expressed nervousness about tracking order statuses, especially if they needed to submit order and tracking IDs manually. Many suggested integrating reminders to guide them in providing required information properly
- Some respondents suggested having a summary dashboard to view all active commitments, tracking statuses, and past submissions at a glance, anticipating easier management of multiple deal commitments.
Surveys | See Questioner ↗
User Personification
The above exploration revealed that there are 3 distinct user types so I personified the audience as:
Problem Reframing
Rapid growth in business and “first-come, first-served” model introduced challenges in managing deal purchasing quantity efficiently. While users expect access to larger quantities, a fair system with predictable outcomes, prefer simplicity and occasional engagement without complex procedures.
Goals
- Ensure the committed quantity aligns with actual inventory needs, preventing overstock
- Implement deal limits based on user history to ensure equitable participation among all user types(segments)
- Provide transparency around available deals, individual limits, and clear updates throughout the commitment process
- Encourage larger commitments with rewards, bonuses, and priority access for high-performing users
- Streamline the steps for committing to deals, submitting order numbers, and tracking shipments to avoid confusion
- Limit the quantity of items sent to the warehouse as per user commitments
Constraints
- Limited quantities may be claimed quickly, leading to competitive pressure among users
- Each user’s quantity Quota depends on their purchase history, requiring real-time calculation and display
- Units exceeding the committed quantity must be rejected to maintain inventory control, even if users send extras
- Users must rely on external retailers for availability, which can impact their ability to meet commitments
- Notifications and updates must reach users across different channels (email, In-app) without overwhelming them
- Users may abandon buying for the business if the process is too complex, so simplicity must balance the commitment system
Designing the Solution
Proposed User Flow
With the user insights in hand, I crafted a user flow that clearly outlined the commitment process, detailing lean step users would take. The proposed commitment flow included the following steps:
Effects on Information Architecture
There was a major effect in terms of hierarchy hence IA, as it added more data layers along with several pages:
Wireframing & Prototyping
Wireframing
After finalizing the basic flow and IA with the PM and stakeholders, we all were clear on the layouts and steps so rather sketching manually I directly jumped to Wireframe Sketcher and started curating the layouts in Hi-fidelity(with sythesized data)
Prototyping
With the screens as wireframes defined, I transitioned into the prototyping phase using Wireframe Sketcher. I developed interactive mockups showcasing the user journey through the commitment process. These prototypes included the following key tasks:
Task 1: Commiting to a deal
Task 3: Confirming a purchase
Task 4: Shipment Tracking
Testing
Conducting usability tests with selected group of participants from user except the bulk buyers segment(as it wasn’t the part of the project scope) yielded valuable insights:
- Decreasing the steps could be a great deal
- More views to the deals page rather then only a single(Thumbnail View)
- Date Filter is missing but needed
- Very less time for order confirmation, leads to miss the deadline frequently so affects the individuals compliants to commitment
- What if we sent a purchase by mistake?
- Wanted clearer guidance on submitting tracking IDs and order confirmations to avoid confusion
- Needed reassurances, such as reminders about pending commitments, to encourage them to engage more fully
Iteration & Refinement
Incorporating the user feedback, I made several key enhancements to the design:
- Increased timer for Order Confirmation
- Returning a wrong item shipped by mistake
- Improved Warning Notifications
- Commitment History Visibility
- Enhanced Notifications
These iterations aimed to create a more cohesive and satisfying user experience, tailored to the unique needs of each user segment.
Visual Design
The UI design for the commitment feature emphasized simplicity and transparency, guiding users through each step—quantity selection, order confirmation, and tracking submission.
Outcome & Impact
Post-implementation, the commitment flow significantly improved operational efficiency and user satisfaction:
- Inventory Accuracy Improved by 30% because only the necessary quantities were received at the warehouse, preventing overstocking
- User Satisfaction Scores Increased by 15% becasue of a better experience navigating the commitment process, highlighting the clarity and transparency of the new system
- Warehouse Processing Time Decreased by 20% because of streamlined verification and tracking submissions leads to quicker processing times, reducing delays in payment and enhancing overall operational efficiency
Reflection and Future Considerations
Looking back, this project (commitment flow) not only resolved immediate issues but also established a foundation for future enhancements. As Business continues to innovate, I envision integrating personalized dashboards for users to track their commitments more effectively, alongside advanced analytics to refine user segmentation and improve targeting for future deals.
Future enhancements could also explore integrating a loyalty program for top buyers, offering them additional benefits for their commitment levels and purchases, curating a type of community and engagement within the platform.
