Overview
About the Project
The concept for Virtual Vendors was developed during HackHERS, a 24-hour, women-centric hackathon hosted annually by Rutgers Women in Computer Science. My design earned both the Best FinTech Award, sponsored by Fiserv, and Best UI/UX Award for its innovative approach and seamless user experience.
ROLE
UI/UX Designer
TIMELINE
Feb 19 - 20, 2022 (24 hours)
TOOLS
Figma and Procreate
TEAM
Myself
The Challenge
Many street vendors, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, faced significant barriers in transitioning their businesses online due to a lack of technical knowledge and resources. This digital divide left them struggling to adapt and sustain their livelihoods in an increasingly virtual marketplace.
The Solution
Virtual Vendors is an online platform designed to empower street vendors and small business owners by helping them quickly set up digital storefronts. The goal of the platform is to provide an intuitive, easy-to-use solution that enable vendors to manage their inventory, interact with customers, and increase sales.
Problem Statement
Street vendors often face challenges when transitioning to digital commerce due to the complexity of existing platforms. Many vendors rely solely on mobile devices and lack the time or resources to create and manage online stores effectively. The goal was to design a user-friendly, mobile-first platform that enables vendors to set up a storefront in minutes while customers can discover local vendors quickly.
Key Insights
- No Commission-Free Platforms: There are currently no commission-free food delivery platforms, leaving vendors with limited options to sell their products online without high fees.
- Underutilized Potential: Despite their importance, street vendors are often underutilized due to a lack of promotion and effective marketing for their goods, limiting their reach and growth potential.
- Scale of Street Vending: With 56,488 street vendors in the U.S. and over a billion globally, they represent a significant part of the urban economy. In New York City alone, there are approximately 20,000 vendors.
- Economic Importances: Street vendors are an integral part of urban economies and play a crucial role in the labor force, especially in developing countries.
Design Process
Empathize & Define
Given the 24-hour timeframe, I relied on secondary research and competitive analysis to understand street vendors' needs.
General Theme
Vendors need an easy-to-use platform that works on mobile devices, requires minimal technical knowledge, and integrates geolocation for finding vendors in real time.
App Requirements
- Mobile optimization is crucial, as many vendors operate solely on smartphones.
- Streamlining the onboarding process and simplifying product uploads would be key to adoption.
- Geolocation and direct communication tools could increase customer engagement.
Ideation & Wireframing
Based on this research, I began sketching out low-fidelity wireframes in Figma. My primary focus was ensuring the platform's ease of use while keeping the design minimal to fit the needs of street vendors.
User Flow Priorities
- Streamlined Onboarding: A quick, three-step process to set up a storefront, making it possible for street vendors to get their products online within 10 minutes.
- Mobile-First Design: Since most street vendors primarily use smartphones, the platform was designed to be fully responsive, ensuring a seamless experience on mobile devices.
- Geolocation Features: Incorporating map-based functionalities to help customers locate street vendors nearby.
I started by sketching out low-fidelity wireframes using Figma, focusing on keeping the layout clean and intuitive. After receiving feedback from friends and family, I rapidly iterated on the wireframes and created high-fidelity mockups.
High-Fidelity Prototype
- Locate Vendors (Geolocation Feature): Customers can view a map to locate vendors near their location in real-time. Vendors can update their location as they move, ensuring customers can find them with ease.
- Explore & Support Vendors: Customers can explore trending and upcoming vendor events, providing visibility to vendors. This functionality helps connect vendors with community events where they can gain more exposure.
- Vendor Profiles & Product Listings: Vendors can create a profile, upload products, and update inventory seamlessly. The platform is designed to accommodate product images and descriptions, making it easy for vendors to showcase their offerings.
- Direct Communication (Chat Functionality): Customers can directly communicate with vendors using the built-in messaging system. This feature helps with custom orders, delivery coordination, and answering product-related queries.
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge 1: Time Constraints
Given the 24-hour limit, I focused on delivering a functional MVP. I prioritized features that would have the most significant impact for vendors, including geolocation, profile creation, and direct messaging.
Challenge 2: Mobile Optimization
The app had to work flawlessly on mobile devices, as many vendors rely on smartphones for business. I designed the app with mobile responsiveness in mind, ensuring an optimal user experience on both mobile and desktop.
Challenge 3: Mobile-First Design
Without the time to conduct formal interviews, I relied on secondary research and competitive analysis to inform the design. By understanding the pain points of existing platforms, I was able to focus on simplifying key workflows like product uploads and customer communication.
Results
The app successfully met the hackathon objectives, delivering a functional and user-friendly platform for street vendors:
Outcomes
- Onboarding Time: Vendors could set up their storefronts in under 10 minutes, allowing them to quickly adapt to digital commerce.
- Geolocation Functionality: Vendors reported that being able to update their location in real time helped customers discover them more easily, driving foot traffic.
- Mobile-First Experience: The mobile-first design was intuitive and allowed vendors to manage their profiles, inventory, and communication without technical difficulties.
Key Takeaways
- Simplicity & Efficiency: Focusing on the most essential functionalities like geolocation and product uploads ensured that the platform addressed street vendors’ immediate needs.
- Rapid Prototyping: Despite the time constraints, I was able to deliver a well-rounded MVP by focusing on core features and ensuring usability.
- Mobile-First Approach: Optimizing for mobile ensured that vendors could operate their businesses effectively using only their smartphones.
Conclusion
Virtual Vendors addresses the critical challenges faced by street vendors by providing a seamless, commission-free platform that connects them to customers and helps them thrive in a digital economy. By simplifying the process of locating, ordering from, and promoting vendors, the app empowers small businesses to overcome barriers, gain visibility, and grow. Through innovative technology, Virtual Vendors bridges the gap between traditional street markets and the modern digital marketplace, ensuring that these vital contributors to urban economies can continue to flourish.