Product

  • Add a feature to an existing app

Timeline

  • 1 month as solo student project for Designlab UX/UI bootcamp

My role

  • UX/UI designer

Problem

It all started from a discussion I was having with my friends about second hand shopping and which app we were using to find great bargains online. A few names came up but the number one app used by all was Vinted.

We all agreed that it was the app with the best selection of clothes but that compared to other apps, it was missing a couple of crucial features. Mainly the ability to search for items in your vicinity when you are in a rush and need the article asap.

Solution

Adding a “closest to me” option in the sort by section to allow Vinted user to search for items in their near vicinity.

Competitive Analysis

Based on my assumptions that a location feature would be beneficial, I conducted a competitive analysis to know who Vinted’s main competitors in Europe were and if they already had that feature in place.

Desk Research

I followed with a bit of desk research by reading the reviews left by current users to have a first look at their pain points and challenges while using the app.

User interviews

I conducted user interviews to gain knowledge on stress and pain points that people buying and selling second-hand items online can experience

My interview pool was:

  • Avid users of the Vinted app

  • People who prefer not to buy second-hand items online

With my findings, I created an affinity map followed by an empathy map to categorize all the insights I gathered.

Based on the trend in my affinity map, I divided the collected

insights into the following groups :

  • Positive habits

  • Needs and desires

  • Pain points

  • Ideas and suggestions

This gave me a better understanding of the struggle involved in

socializing with a niche interest and helped me create my persona.

Empathy Map

The empathy map really helped me define the needs and pain points of Vinted users to later integrate them all in my persona, Mae-Lin.

Persona

Design

I started with deciding on which flow I wanted to test then moved on to sketching 3 different options for how this new feature could take shape. Once the decision made, I started working on the high fidelity wireframe and prototype on Figma ready for testing.

Task Flow

Sketches

High-fidelity Wireframes

Usability Testing & Iterations

2 major improvements in my design

The goal of the usability tests were to evaluate the usability of the new location based search feature, to gather user feedback and improve the feature's functionality and to gain insights on whether or not the additional feature blends seamlessly with the existing design. These were the main takeaways:

  • Participants were all very familiar with the Vinted app and found that the additional feature blended well in the original design

  • The task flow was well received and users had no real issues completing the task

  • All 5 of them thought the flow and the questions asked made sense to reach the goal of buying an item via the app and collect it in person

  • All 5 testers agreed that they would appreciate the app even more if this feature ever became available

  • One user felt that the app asking for your exact location was a bit intrusive and uncomfortable

  • 2 out of 5 users commented that they think it would be easier to have the physical location of the meet already set before buying the item to avoid a lot of unnecessary back and forth between seller and buyer

  • One user found confusing that the “in person delivery” option was already selected once you arrived on the page delivery method page

Based on various feedback from usability testing participants as well as my mentor, I iterated my design which resulting in these 2 main improvements:

Location safety

  • I made the location feature more anonymous by allowing the buyer to add an area of search without the app knowing their location

Simplify buyer/seller communication

  • I made it possible for the buyer to choose a delivery point in advance to avoid unnecessary back and forth with the buyer

The Final Product

Conclusion & Lessons Learned

Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way with this project :

  • Iterate, iterate, iterate! I fully got into the iterative design process with this project gathering feedback from my peers and my mentor. It allowed me to refine and improve this new feature continuously and it’s very rewarding to see how each iteration brings the platform closer to meeting the users’ need!

  • Putting users first is key! I might repeat myself but this project reinforced the importance of putting users at the center of the design process. By empathizing with Vinted’s users pain points and frustrations, I was able to create a feature that really addresses their needs.

Next Steps

  • Work on the next feature that came out during the research and find a way to create alerts when a desired product you want to buy comes online.

✨ For work inquiries (or for a little chat), do email me at: m.mabounda@gmail.com ✨

Thank you for reading !

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Thank you for reading ! 〰️