We conducted a comprehensive e-commerce design process - from market analysis of the business model (Business Model Canvas + Service Design), through naming and branding, to UX and UI design along with implementation guidelines. The project won the main Design award at the e-Commerce Poland Awards competition.
How to launch a new brand in Poland, targeting both individuals and professionals? How to design an e-commerce platform that will present a completely new quality and steal the hearts of customers, in a heavily ossified, competitive environment? This is the challenge we took on in building a completely new brand for a distributor of decorative lighting, so far operating only in the traditional channel (mainly B2B).
Before we commenced our project activities, we advised the client to conduct a thorough analysis of the competition in both online and traditional domains. As a result, we compiled an extensive report delving into the lighting market in Poland. We considered not only the product range, pricing, promotional channels, and marketing budgets of individual competitors but also aimed to identify the barriers to market entry, both financial and image-related. The material gathered served as the foundation for the company's management to kickstart the project and undertake the monumental task of introducing a new brand to the market – and it began.
To better understand customer expectations, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews (IDI) with both individual customers and interior designers, a crucial group influencing the purchasing decisions of the former. These interviews were complemented by field surveys conducted nationwide with potential customers visiting stores specializing in decorative lighting. The data collected became the springboard for designing an intuitive, visually appealing, and functional store where customers would feel at home. Insights from conversations with customers revealed how the passivity of competitors in meeting their needs influenced price to become the decisive criterion in selecting specific lighting. This was pivotal information for us, guiding the development of the e-store, which prioritizes creating customer needs, not just selling. The amalgamation of market analysis and company management's insights formed the basis for a series of project-business workshops, laying the groundwork for both the sales platform's construction and the envisioned development direction, defining the success factors of the entire venture.
Drawing from the results of the IDI interviews and the client team's expertise, we crafted model user profiles (user personas) and journey maps during workshops for two target groups – individual customers and professionals (architects and interior designers). These artifacts provided clarity on the decision-making process related to lighting selection and highlighted stages particularly challenging for users.
The category structure of the emerging store was tailored to the specific product search approach of both primary target groups. Individual customers expect advisory support in selecting fittings for specific spaces – hence, we proposed a division by rooms (living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc.). Conversely, professionals indicated a need for a more technical division (ceiling lamps, floor lamps, outdoor lighting, etc.).
At the conclusion of the Define stage, we compiled a document summarizing the key insights from previous work. Its primary objective was to centralize guidelines for designing individual screens, ensuring that all project stakeholders need not scour through numerous documents in later stages.
Armed with the collected guidelines (as part of the UX Foundation document), our UX designers embarked on preparing wireframes. In the initial phase, to promptly verify the validity of planned functionalities, these were what we call lo-fi wireframes - with a low level of detail. The decision to create wireframes was based on the results of previous research and analysis, which underscored the necessity of introducing non-standard functionalities previously unseen in stores within this industry.
Designing a platform with such innovative features and meeting the needs of all target groups posed a considerable challenge for our multidisciplinary team of UX Designers. The initial results were swiftly subjected to verification by representatives of the target groups, who participated in specially prepared prototype testing. They were tasked with a series of exercises using the lo-fi wireframes. This allowed us to ascertain whether the wireframes we designed were fully intuitive for prospective clients, thereby minimizing the risk of creating a solution unsuitable for visitors to the designed platform.
Our client's aspiration was not only to excel in terms of functionality but also to stand out visually within the industry. Therefore, our graphic designers opted for a strongly contrasting color scheme - black and yellow.
A package of dedicated icons was devised to illustrate the categories.
The data gathered from client interviews also facilitated our approach to the process of creating a name for the new brand. We aimed to craft a name universal enough to be easily remembered and simultaneously adaptable with various additions and suffixes. Thus, the name "iluve" was born, which, owing to its high universality and multitude of interpretations, positively influences the perception and development of the brand. The final stage in the Double Diamond model involves delivering the finished solution - a functional online store - and entrusting it to the clients. At this stage, the development team played a pivotal role through their close collaboration with the designers.
