My role
UX Designer / UX Researcher / UI Designer
Date
January 2021 → November 2022
Project Type
Responsive Demo Marketplace
Tools
Figma / Notion / Confluence / Mirakl Platform / Baymard institute
Overview
Context
During 2 years, I've been working as an UX/UI Designer in the Mirakl's Solution Consulting Team. Mirakl is a software company that provides implementation, technology and support for B2C and B2B players in the eCommerce industry. Its main product is the Mirakl Marketplace Platform, by connecting to the CMS and adding new functionalities it allows any player to create its own marketplace.
Problem statement
Within the Solution Consulting team, which helps customer teams to implement Mirakl software efficiently, one of the major problems was to give material and train customer design and development teams to explain front-end impacts of Mirakl features, both on desktop and mobile.
Indeed, the shift from a "retail" to a "marketplace" business model implies a large number of UX and UI changes due to the addition of many new features, but there was no documentation and no workshops to explain it.
A way was needed to train effectively these customer teams to increase both the speed and accuracy of Mirakl Platform implementation, ensure an optimal launch of the customer marketplace and propose the best marketplace customer experience.
Solution
Design a responsive prototype showcasing all of Mirakl Platform functionalities related to Mirakl APIs, as well as documentation and workshops detailing the page-by-page changes that appear when moving to a Mirakl powered marketplace.
So I drew up a schedule to spread the work over a year. By carrying out design sprints based on the design thinking methodology for each section impacted and created by the Mirakl technology. I finally created a fully functional responsive marketplace prototype based on Mirakl Platform capabilities and the related workshops to explain it the right way.
My Role
I was the only designer in charge of this project. I conducted user research, created wireframes, conceived prototypes, documentation and workshops. Also evaluate my designs through usability tests and surveys with the targets of these deliverables, the Mirakl SC team and customer teams.
Design Process
I carried out a 6 weeks design sprint based on the design-thinking methodology, which comprises 5 steps: empathize, define, idealize, prototype and test. I optimized the deliverables according to Mirakl software updates.
I used this methodology for each marketplace section, starting with the most important ones to ensure flexibility and real-time delivery to quickly support my team ans customer teams.
1/ Empathize
User interviews / Shadowing / Documentation
→ To develop a rich understanding of the main issue in my team and in customer teams, I conducted user interviews with 5 people of each teams.
→ Than, I did shadowing during customer workshops already proposed by Mirakl solution consultants to bring a solution that fits their behaviors and knowledges.
→ Finally, I put myself into existing Mirakl APIs and features documentation to understand the software and know more about UX and UI eCommerce best practices thanks to Baymard institute.
2/ Define
Affinity map / User personas
→ To organize research findings, I used an affinity mapping technique. I put down each insight on one sticky note, found patterns, and grouped them together.
→ With no surprise as a result, I got 2 main user groups. For each user group that I’ve discovered, I developed a persona.
3/ Ideate
Brainstorming / Mind mapping / Benchmarks
→ After a long brainstorming, I came up with the idea of a functional marketplace prototype and its related documentation and workshops. Something that can be shown and given to the customer, and easy to support by the Mirakl consultants.
→ Than to evaluate the trends and get more accurate ideas at the ideation stage of the design-thinking process, I conducted benchmarks, based on Baymard institude recommendations.
4/ Prototype
Drawings / Wireframes / Prototypes
→ I designed low-fi wireframes, followed by hi-fi with Figma, so I can test out ideas with my team and customers. I had to conceive something that shows the functionalities in a simple and effective way.
→ I used a meticulously chosen Figma eCommerce library which I was able to improve and complete as the project progressed.
5/ Test
Usability testing / User surveys
→ To see how people interact with the prototypes and whether the product idea meets their expectations, I conducted several iterations of usability testing with my team.
→ Than at the end of each workshops, Mirakl consultants had to propose surveys to customer teams. It allowed me to have a permanent return of my work to improve it.
6/ Optimization
Feedback / Software updates
→ I continuously refined the livrables based on teams feedback to enhance the overall implementation experience.
→ I had to keep up to date with Mirakl software developments to offer deliverables that corresponded to the latest versions.
Reflexions
Outcomes
I’ve successfully designed a responsive Mirakl Powered marketplace prototype and the related documentation / workshops to help both Mirakl SC team and customer teams during the software implementation phase.
I got a lot of positive feedback from my team and customers teams. Moreover, my team noticed a more efficient and faster software implementation phase thanks to the implementation workshops. And the customers teams get a good understanding of the software and its features according to the user surveys.
Takeaway
Running an important project like this, as I was just a Master's degree student (working 3 weeks a month in this company) was very challenging. My team trusted me and supported me as best they could, even though they were not familiar with user-centered design and its methods. They taught me a lot and introduced me to the world of eCommerce and marketplaces for 2 years.
The fact that the impact of my work is international motivated me, it was the first time that I worked in English, sometimes with customers teams on the other side of the world. It was intense and challenging at the same time.
I've noticed that the research phase is the more important phase in UX Design. During the first design sprint, I felt blocked because of the technical and business requirements that I didn't have, but it's a part of the designer work. I had to learn and adapt myself to this new environment.
