Information Architecture
A seller’s account includes a lot of information, some of which is public, others not. Mapping out all the information and where they lived helped determine the appropriate navigation.
Product Definition
Due to the lack of design processes in the company, defining the product with the team key to the process. Driving consensus around the bigger product goals rather than required features or functions allowed the team to be more objective about reaching the optimal solution.
- For Sellers — Create a storefront editor that allows sellers to update their profile and images, regardless of where that information appears. Develop a clear mental model for where to find what.
- For Staff — Create a streamlined workflow for account managers to approve a seller’s storefront.
- For the Business and Platform — Create an editor that is flexible to accommodate future changes on the consumer facing UI. Create an experience that can be adapted for the other constituents of our site - interior designers and consumers.
- For Brand — Create a new visual design style guide for the seller-facing tools.
Competitive Research
Analysis of similar online marketplaces was conducted to see current trends and best practices.
User Flows
User flows were mapped to ensure that all use cases were covered, and that engineering was able to build the different backend states for draft, pending, and approved.
Wireframes
Wireframes illustrated the difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2, based on what was feasible in the short versus long term.
Phasing Strategy
Existing Page
- For clients — Basic form and uploader, with preview and submit button.
- For staff — Manually log into seller’s account to review information. Make edits themselves, or email or call seller if more information is required.
Phase 1
- For clients — Improved form with some automated fields. Action bar showing progress, tips for creating a good storefront, and clearer call-to-action for submission.
- For staff — Dashboard to see when a storefront has been submitted and whether it needs to be approved. Log into seller’s account to review/edit as needed.
Phase 2
- For clients — WYSIWYG experience allows users to understand how their edits will appear to the public. New visual design language.
- For staff — Ability to assign a storefront to a teammate to delegate review tasks. Leave note and comments for internal staff and sellers when information is lacking.
