Project goal

My primary goal was preparing the design for a mobile e-shop app that allows Customers to make a quick order using their everyday devices. My Client, based on the market analysis, decided that in the first stage of the project he would like to realize only a mobile app version of the e-shop. The simplicity of the design was a major issue for stakeholders, the lower number of clicks needed to close the order is better. Above the work on the mobile app, I was responsible for preparing a light and simple landing page redirecting Clients into the e-shop app on the app store.

Research & Analysis

Stakeholders

To gather all relevant data, I'm arranging a kick-off workshop meeting with my stakeholders. In the beginning, it's vital to know what the stakeholder are expecting from the service that will be used by his business. Sometimes it's needed to educate Client that not all demands are good ideas or that some solutions may be hard to implement or may have a huge impact on the development stage final price. After the kick-off meeting, I’m scheduling follow-up meetings in shor time period to present new value to the stakeholders and get important feedback on every stage of the project.

Customers

The group that I'm focusing equally to Stakeholders are Customers, they will be using the app and actually generate income for my Client. I need to know needs of that group, what they're prefer, and what they're expecting from the store. I have to take into my scope all age groups and individual preferences.

User stories

Now it is time to obtain vital data and information from my examination groups, I'm gathering all informations on the common backlog. To gather all expectations, I’m using the methods of interviews, quizzes, simple tests, and user behavior monitoring on similar services. That helps me to define and focus on important values for each side's expectations and desires. At the end, it will affect the final shape of the app.

Market

Market analysis is the next important step to take, I'm always checking what is already used in business and what trends can be observed. Also, a very important task is to analyze the market and competitors, what kind of solutions they have, and what works with the Clients and identificate which solution has not gained popularity. I'm often using a radar chart to show what features are the most common in the area that I'm focusing on, it's a simple way to present the gathered data to stakeholders and decide which feature should be implemented.

Sitemap

Ok, now when I've gathered all the necessary data, organized my backlog, it is time to start to plan and create a basic sitemap. At this stage, I'm planning how Clients are going to use the app and how business processes will flow, those input data are application basis.

User flow

At this point, business flow and Customer journey are crucial for the next steps to take. The planning stage must deliver positive value thanks to previously gathered data and analysis, which solution is the best, and how users are behaving. I need to ensure that a Customer will have easy access to all the features that he's looking for. Added value comes from thoughtful and simple-to-use architecture and transparent logic implemented into the service.

Wireframes

Now it is time to create a wireframe, it is important to implement all key values and demands. Also, the feature list must be satisfying for Clients and Stakeholders, but I need to keep in mind technical possibilities and simplify solutions. I'm consulting those possibilities with the dev team to be sure that my solution can be implemented correctly. A proper wireframe is fundamental to deliver good content and a satisfying prototype.

Prototype

For me personally, prototype is the most important phase of the project, now I can gather the next amount of feedback from stakeholders, but also for me, it's a test how result of my work will be received. As a base and outcome of my analysis, research, and concept, I'm implementing the graphical side, building value that will be presented to all stakeholders. That's why the previous steps are so significant and have a direct impact on the prototype.

Interviews with users

Interviews combined with tests conducted with stakeholders and users are vital elements of the whole project. At this stage, with proper priceless feedback, I can implement changes into the prototype and deliver better value for each end-user of the app. My personal preferred method to gain feedback is an interview session with stakeholders connected with demo tests. Observing a person working on the demo is significant to see how they're acting and behaving.

Hi-Fi App Mockup

After all the testing sessions and fixes or corrections, it is time to prepare and present hi-fi mockups for the stakeholders. At this stage, it presents the final shape of the designed solution and gives a view of how the product will look after development phase. Also, properly prepared mockups simplify work for developers.

Hi-Fi Landing Page Mockup