Tripplar
Tripplar
OVERVIEW
Tripplar aimed to address the economic challenges faced by small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app created a platform that personalized, socialized, and digitized the "window-shopping" experience, focusing on empowering and supporting local businesses in the San Jose area.
The project involved user research, including a survey, to gauge community interest in supporting small businesses. Drawing inspiration from dating apps like Bumble and Tinder, Tripplar sought to provide a unique way for users to engage with and learn the unique stories behind local stores and retailers. The final product received positive feedback for its intuitive design and features, showcasing the potential for future endeavors in the field.
TYPE
Personal project, Student lead start-up, Mobile app
SOFTWARE
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
TEAM
Cat Dinh, Justin Chan
DURATION
2 weeks (December 2020)
RESEARCH
Defining the problem
Survey
COVID-19 significantly harmed our economy, well-being, and lives. As cases surged throughout the United States, small businesses bore the brunt.
Over 99% of businesses were small, employing roughly half of the U.S. workforce.
California witnessed over 40,000 small business closures, with approximately 20,000 being permanent, ranking the state third in the nation for permanent closure rates.
In the San Jose area, encompassing Santa Clara and San Benito counties, around 9 out of every 1,000 businesses permanently closed, marking the second and fifth-highest closure rates in the U.S.
We released a SURVEY in order to gauge our local community's interest in supporting small businesses and how they currently learn about their local businesses. We received 67 respondents with ages from 18-60 years old.
-
Yes (88%)
No (0%)
It doesn't make a difference to me (12%)
-
Word of mouth (52%)
Social media (23%)
Noticed physical store (passed by it, saw it) (23%)
I don't shop at small businesses (0%)
Other (2%)
-
It is too expensive (17%)
Chain stores are more accessible (43%)
Big brand names are more familiar to me (20%)
Nothing, I shop mostly at small businesses (4%)
Nothing, I don't really shop at small businesses (12%)
Other (4%)
-
I shop at more small businesses now (40%)
I shop at less small businesses now (32%)
COIVID-19 has not affected how much I shop at small businesses (28%)
Other (0%)
-
Pay for their products/services anyways (42%)
Donate money (0%)
Spread the word (word of mouth, social media) (55%)
Other (3%)
With these results in mind, we determined that our audience are interested in shopping small, but find it difficult to discover these local business.
PERSONAS
Meet Jenny
Meet Peter
CHALLENGES: Jenny, owner of a local café opened during the pandemic, faces declining sales and struggles to attract new customers due to the indefinite Stay-At-Order in San Jose.
FRUSTRATION: Jenny desires a more personal connection with customers and seeks a means to compete with larger brands like Starbucks and Peet's.
GOAL: Jenny aims to share her unique story with a broader market, enticing customers to shift their routine coffee shop preference and support her café.
CHALLENGES: Peter, a recent graduate new to the Bay Area, typically purchases furniture and decor from Amazon but aims to shift to supporting small businesses affected by COVID-19.
FRUSTRATION: Peter struggles to discover local businesses that meet his needs, especially given his social distancing practices and limited interactions outside his household.
GOAL: Peter seeks exposure to Bay Area local businesses without relying on word of mouth, aiming to explore and support small enterprises.
INSPIRATION
To stand out from competitors like Yelp, our goal was to ensure each business received user consideration. We prioritized featuring business owners to humanize each establishment, drawing inspiration from dating apps like Bumble and Tinder for a focused, swiping mechanism that engages users with one business at a time.
USER FLOW BRAINSTORM & USER TESTING
Early Draft User Flow
User Testing
Revised User Flow
An initial version of our user flow was designed with simplicity and feasibility in mind, aligning with our engineering constraints for a short development timeframe. Notably, we initially incorporated a socialization aspect, highlighted in blue, but opted to remove it for our first iteration.
Our team conducted user testing with a focus on tasks and post-interaction feedback from 6 participants. The feedback received provided valuable insights:
LIKES:
Intuitive usability
Appreciation for the feature showcasing business owners
Positive reception of the overall concept
WANTS:
Request for more detailed information on each business
Desire for additional filter options for different business types, suggested for both the swipe screen and user profile screen.
These insights played a crucial role in refining our user flow and feature set, guiding subsequent iterations for an enhanced user experience.
WIREFRAME
FINAL DESIGN
Embarking on my first UX/UI project marked a huge milestone, offering valuable insights that will undoubtedly shape my approach in future endeavors. Observing the seamless transition of my 2D designs into an interactive, 3D realm affirmed the tangible impact of user experience. Working closely with our adept team lead, Cat, not only honed my skills but sparked a genuine passion for app development.
The collaborative journey with the engineering team was particularly enlightening. Navigating the delicate balance between ambitious designs and practical compromises unveiled considerations crucial for successful project execution. This experience has equipped me with a heightened awareness of the dynamics involved in turning design concepts into functional realities.
