Role
Product Designer | Researcher | UX/UI Designer
Individual Project (Case study)
Methods and Tools
Desk research, CSD Matrix, Quantitative survey form, User Interviews, Competitive Analysis, Service Blueprint, User flow, Wireframes, High fidelity prototypes, Usability Studies
Design Toolkit
Context
To better understand the growth of e-commerce and the acceptance of buying secondhand products online in Brazil, I conducted some desk research and found out that this segment indeed has very good potential. Here are some of the data that showcase it:
Ebit/Nielsen: According to the Webshoppers 42 report, the revenue of Brazilian e-commerce in 2021 was R$ 133 billion, representing a growth of 30.3% compared to 2020. In addition, the number of orders grew by 20.5%, totaling 256.8 million orders. According to ABComm, the revenue of Brazilian e-commerce in 2020 was R$ 126.3 billion, representing a growth of 68% compared to 2019. In addition, the number of orders grew by 56%, totaling 194 million orders.
Enjoei, one of the main recommerce platforms in Brazil, grew 107% in the first quarter of 2021. The GMV (gross merchandise volume) reached R$ 172 million in this period."
39% of Brazilians have already bought used products, according to a study conducted by OLX. 45% of them made the purchase for the first time during the pandemic.
A GlobalData survey showed that the secondhand market is expected to reach $64 billion in the next five years, surpassing the traditional sales segment by 2024.
Project Overview
Children often outgrow clothes and other items quickly due to their rapid growth and development, resulting in a high turnover rate of items in excellent condition. If these items were to be bought by another family, avoiding the purchase of new ones cold be an opportunity for saving financial and environmental resources.
In light of the positive prospect for Brazilian e-commerce shown in the data and the strong hypothesis about the life cycle of kids' products, I have decided to conduct more specific research to answer the design question:
" What are the gaps in the used kids' items online purchase and selling experience, and how can this be improved and made easier for parents of children between 0 to 6 years old? "
Process used
I followed the HCD (Human-Centered Design) approach, adapting the methods to the specific needs of this unique project. The methods I used were carefully chosen based on their relevance in each step of the process.
User Research
CSD Matrix
To organize my research efficiently, I utilized the CSD Matrix to analyze and organize information based on three key dimensions: Certainties, Suppositions, and Doubts.
To proceed, I classified the assumptions and doubts in order to determine the best methodology for investigating each one. The appropriate interrogative pronouns such as 'what', 'how', 'which', and 'why', indicated the most suitable research methods for each question.
Survey
To obtain more reliable results, I chose to focus on a specific region of Brazil, as it is a very large country. Specifically, I targeted parents with children between 0 and 6 years old who reside in the Southeast and South regions of Brazil. These regions currently have the highest revenue in online purchases.
Based on the information above I elaborated a form, using Google Forms.
Results
Insights
For both buying and selling used children's products, more than half of the people surveyed stated that they use social media instead of dedicated selling platforms. Whatsapp was the clear leader for both types of transactions and I decided to investigate this behavior in the qualitative interviews, as it is a platform not specifically designed for sales, potentially leaving room for usability gaps.
Toys, furniture, and books were found to be very promising, even for reaching a parent audience that does not purchase used children's clothing online. Clothes often have a low price and are donated by 78.3% of respondents, highlighting that clothing should not be the only focus.
The way transactions are currently conducted does not cause insecurity for the majority of people, and the reported insecurities provide an opportunity to improve the purchasing experience.
Semi-structured qualitative interview
As a result of the survey findings, the focus of the study on used children's clothing expanded to include toys and books, which were the first and third most purchased categories of used products, respectively, according to the survey. Although furniture was the second category, I chose to focus on books because they were closely related to toys and I hypothesized that a more specific solution could be developed.
Compilation
Motivations for buying used children's items: Economy, as they are items that are sold almost unused and her children will also use them little; environment; having access to high-quality products in great condition at a lower price.
Specific and used books in good condition are harder to find, but it becomes easier if you're not looking for a specific title. Even after being read many times, books tend to remain in the family's library. All interviewees claimed that they are not interested in selling the acquired children's books, but all except one have bought good used children's books, leaving us with the certainty that there are people interested in selling used books. One of them subscribes to Leiturinha and receives monthly books, and she contributes with donations to a children's library for people in need.
When they want a specific toy for their children but can't find it used, they end up buying it new. Children receive a lot of gifts, so they don't buy much and usually donate after a while (an average of 6 months to 1 year). Some children lose interest in toys quickly, while others don't. Apparently, parents whose children lose interest faster have a higher chance of buying used toys. It is a common pain not to find specific products, as children start to ask for specific things at a certain age.
Older children tend to use clothes for a longer time, which results in more wear and tear, making it harder to sell used clothes in good condition.
Some people have an interest in specific brands and are likely to acquire a used product in good condition, even if it is still larger than their children's current size.
The ease of pickup/delivery, not having to wait for a longer shipping time, the possibility of investing less money and getting a nearly new and very good product, putting clothes in great condition back in circulation, and benefiting the environment are the main pros cited.
The main cons mentioned were: Not being sure if the photo corresponds to the actual product in terms of its condition, sometimes receiving very dirty products, not finding specifically what one is looking for, and having to keep up with the groups in order not to miss something that may be of interest.
Competitors analysis
Monetization
WhatsApp: WhatsApp Business, API WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp Pay Brazil.
Facebook: Advertising, Games, and Products sold on the platform.
OLX: Advertisements, Sponsored listings, and products featured more prominently on the platform.
Enjoei: Commission on sales, Fees for withdrawals in some cases, and Enjupro(Their team is responsible for the entire process).
Delivery
WhatsApp, Facebook and OLX: The delivery of products is arranged between the buyer and the seller, without the platform's intermediation.
Enjoei: Has a partnership with Correios (the national postal service in Brazil), allowing sellers to generate a personalized shipping label directly on the platform. This way, the seller can print the label at home and take the packaged product to a Correios agency to be sent to the buyer.
Features
Design Requirements
After collecting and analyzing all the data, I identified the project's key objectives to align with users' needs and desires, address gaps in the current user experience, and provide a competitive advantage by offering what is missing in the main competitors' products.
Ideation
Service Blueprint
This blueprint represents the primary flow of the customer journey. I created it while iterating ideas and features that were seen to be important but were not in a "timeline", creating this was very helpful in order to understand the happy path and identify areas where the experience could be improved.
User flow
To gain a better understanding of the necessary screens, their organization, and the possible navigation paths, I created a user flow for the entire application. The user flow was developed from the perspective of a guest user, a buyer user, and a seller user
Sketch: brainstorming
Once I had gained a comprehensive understanding of the application and its content, I created some quick sketches as a brainstorming section. These sketches allowed me to explore different design concepts and ideas, here is an image of the version I deemed clear enough to begin the actual wireframe.
Wireframes
Having gained a comprehensive understanding of the application's content, flow, and features, I proceeded to Figma to begin structuring the screens in more detail, to establish the layout and placement of various components.
User Evaluation
Usability tests
As the application was not too large and I had already conducted extensive research with users, I decided to offer a more realistic experience in the usability test. Therefore, I created the high-fidelity prototype in Figma. I recruited users with the corresponding profile and created a script that could be executed in an average of 30 minutes. I also included some questions about the flow and interface.
Script
Results
Final design
Feed of followed categories and sellers
Opening PDP
Feed explore - non-followed categories and sellers
Creating an ad
Marking as sold
Favorites
Final considerations
This project is a case study, and therefore it is not possible to measure the impact it could generate if it were a real product. However, I want to outline the success metrics that could be applied to evaluate its impact if it were to be developed further. Despite the extensive research I conducted to build this first version, there are still risks to mitigate and improvements to be made, which can only be discovered through analyzing usage data.
One of the major risks of the MVP is the decision to position the app as a complement to WhatsApp based on the data gathered from surveys and interviews, which showed that the experience of communicating directly with the seller, organizing pickup or delivery, and making payments did not require immediate improvement. However, there is a possibility that this approach may not work, and in that case, an in-app chat and an exclusive payment solution would need to be developed. The question that needs to be answered is whether the app could replace WhatsApp selling groups or be used alongside them to enhance the experience of purchasing used kids' items.
The key question is: Can this app replace or complement WhatsApp selling groups to improve the experience of buying and selling used kids' items?
The most significant impact would be enabling parents to find specific products to buy used instead of buying them new if someone is selling them. This would make the transaction more cost-effective and eco-friendly. The second significant indicator of success would be if parents with good products to sell can find buyers for them quickly and at a fair price.
Try the prototype