Project Brief
The client envisioned a dual-app ecosystem—one catering to vendor businesses and the other to end consumers. The objective was to develop:
A Business App to help vendors create custom service packages tailored to their industries and business domains.
A Customer App to enable users to search for nearby services like wedding planning, photography, travel packages, and more, in a simple and accessible way.
The goal was to bridge the gap between businesses offering diverse services and customers seeking personalized, location-specific solutions.
User Research
To design a solution that meets the needs of both businesses and customers, we conducted detailed research, including:
Competitor Analysis: Studied existing apps and platforms providing similar services.
User Pain Point Identification: Highlighted gaps and inefficiencies in current offerings.
Key Insights from Research
For Businesses:
Apps lacked user-friendly onboarding processes.
Package creation processes were tedious and manual, often requiring text-based inputs.
Vendors were limited to listing a single type of service, restricting flexibility.
For Customers:
Overwhelming options made it difficult to search for relevant services.
Lack of personalized consultation or support to guide decision-making.
These insights helped shape our design and feature prioritization.
Design Approach
1. User Onboarding for Businesses
We recognized that onboarding can be a barrier for businesses, particularly due to verification and documentation requirements. To streamline the process:
Step-by-Step Onboarding: Divided the process into multiple manageable steps to reduce cognitive load.
Drafts Feature: Allowed users to save progress and resume later, making the process less daunting.
Guided Prompts: Added tooltips and in-app guidance for clarity during onboarding.
Document Upload Options: Enabled businesses to upload required documents directly from their devices or cloud storage.
2. Package Creation for Businesses
Traditional manual input methods for package creation were reimagined into an intuitive, semi-automated workflow:
Pre-Defined Options: Businesses selected from predefined categories and filled in details through dropdowns, sliders, or numeric fields.
Customizable Templates: Vendors could start with a pre-made package template and modify it as needed.
Visual Preview: Provided a real-time preview of the package layout as businesses added details, ensuring transparency.
Example:
A wedding planner could create a package by selecting options like venue size, number of guests, catering preferences, and additional services with just a few clicks.
3. Simplified Package Search for Customers
For the customer-facing app, we focused on reducing the complexity of finding the right package:
Dashboard View: Designed a dashboard that visually grouped services and packages into categories, making it easier for customers to browse.
Intelligent Filters: Added filters such as budget range, location, and ratings to refine search results.
Personalized Recommendations: Used customer preferences to suggest packages tailored to their needs.
Example:
A customer searching for a photography package in Mumbai could apply filters for "Budget: ₹20,000 - ₹50,000" and "Service Type: Photography" to quickly find relevant results.
4. Detailed Business Analytics
Understanding the limitations faced by businesses offering diverse services, we introduced a feature allowing vendors to have a bird's eye view to their business finances and growth with detailed business analytics
Vendors can track their reach, package sales, Earnings, interested prospects
Profiles were linked, ensuring unified management while maintaining service-specific customizations.
Track of every debited or credited amount in their account and upcoming payments
Challenges and Learnings
Differentiated User Journeys:
Designing for two distinct user groups (businesses and customers) required a nuanced understanding of their workflows, motivations, and pain points.
Challenge: Balancing simplicity for customers with the complexity required by businesses.
Solution: Created separate UX processes, focusing on minimalism for customers and functionality for businesses.
Consistency Across Apps:
Ensuring visual and functional consistency across the two apps was critical for brand identity.
Leveraged a shared design system to maintain coherence while addressing unique user needs.
Collaboration with Stakeholders:
Frequent discussions with the client and team helped align the product vision with real-world requirements.
Iterative feedback cycles ensured that both apps evolved based on user testing and stakeholder input.
Impact and Outcome
The MVP was successfully designed for both the Business and Customer apps and is currently in development. Key takeaways include:
For Businesses:
Simplified onboarding and package creation processes have been positively received in testing phases.
The ability to manage multiple profiles has been a standout feature for vendors offering diverse services.
For Customers:
Dashboard and filter features have made it easier to discover relevant packages quickly.
Early feedback highlights the value of personalized recommendations.
Personal Growth:
This project provided a unique opportunity to explore the complexities of designing for two distinct audiences.
Gained valuable insights into how businesses function and the importance of user-specific design approaches.
Conclusion
This project has been one of the most enriching experiences in my career. By focusing on user needs and leveraging innovative design solutions, we’ve created a platform that bridges the gap between businesses and customers. I’m excited to see how these apps transform the service industry and simplify the way people discover and book services.