Some context on
our approach

We envisioned building Atlica to mirror the journey of its future users—creating a product from scratch with both flexibility and structure. To achieve this, we melded agile and waterfall methodologies, sprinkled with a healthy dose of UX design practices.

Our journey began in the agile realm, a sandbox of sorts where we freely iterated, prototyped, and tested our budding idea. Not unlike a user collaborating with a designer on Atlica, we thrived on user feedback, reshaping and refining our vision.

Upon reaching a satisfactory prototype—akin to a manufacturer receiving a concrete tech-pack on our platform—we transitioned into the waterfall phase. This phase paralleled the user's journey of moving forward with a finalized design. Similarly, we collaborated with a development agency, working from a firmly established plan that permitted only minor modifications.

In essence, we aimed to build Atlica not just as a tool, but as a reflection of the user's journey within it.

Prototype Results :

Prototype Testing: 10 Testers

  • Entrepreneur Tester

  • Sneaker Enthusiast Tester

  • Graphic Design Tester

  • Small Business Owner Tester

  • Tech Enthusiast Tester

  • Marketing Professional Tester

  • 2 designers (1 male & 1 female):

    • Professional Designers with experience in creating digital products & platforms.

  • 2 factory employees (males):

    • Production Managers keen on optimizing manufacturing processes & communication

Task Completion:

  • 70% of testers successfully completed tasks.

  • 7 out of 10 testers completed tasks successfully:

    • All 6 regular users.

    • 1 designer.

  • Task success rate among regular users highlights the prototype's user-friendliness and intuitive design.

Navigation and Understanding:

  • 2 factory testers faced navigation difficulties:

    • 1 factory employee had challenges accessing specific sections due to unclear labels.

    • 1 factory employee experienced delays in finding the appropriate action buttons for task completion.

  • 1 designer struggled with understanding task expectations:

    • This insight underscores the need for clearer task instructions to cater to various user roles.

Agile & UX
Design Process :

  1. Conduct Market research to understand
    user needs, preferences and trends

  2. Perform competitive analysis to identify
    strengths and weaknesses of competitors.

  3. Conduct user interviews to gather
    insight and understand user expectations.

  4. Create empathy maps and user personas based on the gathered data.

  5. Develop a storyboard to visualize user journeys and pain points

  6. Define project goals and objectives based on user research findings

  7. Establish the need to create a c-corp, llc or s-corp for legal entity formation

  8. Discover domain name availability

  1. Create a feature roadmap based on user insights and identified project goals

  2. Conduct card sorting excercises to define information architecture and site structure

  3. Develop a sitemap to outline the navigation and organization of the platform

  4. Generate task flows and user flows to map out user interactions and processes

  5. Create wireframes to visualize layout and functionality of key platform features

  6. Develop branding elements, including logos, colors, typography, and visual styles

  7. Design a responsive ui to ensure optimal user experiences across different devices

  1. Build Interactive prototypes using tools like Invision or Figma

  2. Conduct usability test to gather user feedback on the prototype

  3. Use affinity mapping techniques to identify patterns and insights from user feedback

  4. Iterate on the prototype based on user testing results and feedback

  5. Incorporate design changes and improvements based on user preferences

  6. Finalize and purchase domain names and confirm selection across all social channels

  7. Prepare package of assets to deliver to developer

Project Name :
Atlica MVP Development

Project Duration : 12 weeks
February 1, 2016 - April, 2016

Project Overall Goal :
To successfully develop and launch a functional prototype of the Atlica platform, utilizing agile methodologies to iterate, test, and gather user feedback, ultimately refining the features and functionalities for the final waterfall phase

Project Deliverable :
Functional Prototype: A fully developed and tested prototype of the Atlica platform, showcasing key features and functionalities based on user research and feedback.

  1. Product Backlog :
    · Atlica MVP Product Backlog

  2. Sprint Backlogs :
    · Sprint 1 Backlog
    ·     Sprint 2 Backlog
    · Sprint 3 Backlog
    · Sprint 4 Backlog
    · Sprint 5 Backlog

  3. Risk Management Plan:
    · Risk Management

  4. Communication Plan:
    · Communication Plan

  5. Project Budget : $5,000
    1. Max Budget for domain purchase (Godaddy) : $2,000
    2. Legal Entity Formation cost (Clerky): $1,000
    3. Jira, Figma & Invision software cost : $200
    4. Emergency Funds: $1800

    Role : Project Manager & UX Designer (Research, Visual Design, Interaction Design, User Testing)

Research Plan

Research, to me, is like turning on a flashlight in a dark room. It helps me uncover not only the immediate hurdles users face but also their aspirations, worries, strengths, and constraints. It's the cornerstone for formulating solutions down the road.

Now, to keep the research phase laser-focused and to effectively guide the responsive website design later, it's crucial we map out a research plan beforehand. In this plan, which I've attached here, you'll find our research objectives, key questions we're seeking answers to, assumptions we've made, and the participants we'll be engaging with. Here is the Research plan.

Research Goals :

  • Identify market trends and opportunities in the product development industry.

  • Understand the pain points and challenges faced by designers and manufacturers.

  • Assess the demand for a centralized platform that facilitates collaboration between designers and manufacturers.

  • Analyze the competitive landscape to identify gaps and opportunities for Atlica.

Market Analysis

1.Target Market :
Atlica aims to target individuals and businesses involved in product creation, design, and manufacturing. The platform will cater to a diverse range of users, including:

  • Product Designers: Freelance designers, product design agencies, and design professionals seeking opportunities to showcase their expertise and connect with potential clients.

  • Manufacturers: Manufacturing companies and factories looking for design partners and new product ideas to expand their offerings.

  • Entrepreneurs and Startups: Individuals or small businesses seeking design and manufacturing services for their product ideas.

  • Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Established businesses looking for innovative designs and manufacturing solutions to enhance their product offerings.

2. Demographics :
The target market for Atlica consists of individuals and businesses across various demographics, including:

  • Age: Individuals in the age range of 25 to 45, representing both experienced professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs.

  • Geographic: Primarily in the United States, with potential expansion to other global markets in the future.

  • Industries: Fashion, home goods and more.

Market Trends :
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global product design and development services market is projected to reach $45.5 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 10.2%. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for innovative and cost-effective product development solutions.

Pain Points :
Survey results showed that 62% of designers and manufacturers struggle with communication and coordination issues during the product development process. They expressed the need for a platform that streamlines collaboration and product creation.

Competitive Landscape :
Atlica's competitors primarily focus on either design services or manufacturing solutions, but none offer a comprehensive platform that bridges the gap between designers and manufacturers.

Competitor Analysis

Key Competitors : A Crowded Market?

Toptal :
Strengths:
· Premier platform for hiring top freelance designers and developers
· High-quality talent pool
· Rigorous screening process

Weaknesses:
· Not Focused on Product Creation
· Higher Cost

Upwork :
Strengths:
· Large freelancer network
· Covers various skillsets

Weaknesses:
· Freelancers have limited expertise in product design
· Freelancers have Limited expertise in manufacturing

MakersRow :
Strengths:
· Specializes in US-based manufacturing
· Connects Local supplier network

Weaknesses:
· Limited Design Services
· Higher Manufacturing Cost
· Limited Product Categories

Alibaba :
Strengths:
· Largest global manufacturing platform
· Vast supplier network
· Competitive pricing
· Extensive product categories

Weaknesses:
· Primarily focuses on large-scale manufacturing
· Limited design services
· Quantity over Quality
· Asia Focused

Fiverr :
Strengths:
· Wide range of creative services available
· Affordable options
· Quick turnaround times for small projects

Weaknesses:
· Freelancers have limited expertise in product design
· Freelancers have Limited expertise in manufacturing
· Less suitable for complex projects

Atlica :
Strengths We Want:
· High-quality talent & factory pool
· Rigorous screening process
· Competitive pricing
· Focused on Product Creation
· 1 stop shop for designers & manufacturers

Weaknesses we will have at start:
· No brand recognition
· Limited Product creation categories

User Interview

As we progressed with the Atlica project, it became essential to establish a more profound connection with our target market and gain direct insights through primary research. To achieve this within our allocated resources and time, I chose user interviews as our method.

To ensure the effectiveness of the interviews, I prepared a comprehensive Interview Guide with 13 carefully crafted questions. These questions were designed to avoid leading or double-barreled inquiries, allowing participants to openly share their experiences and stories.

Through these user interviews, we aimed to gather valuable feedback and firsthand perspectives, enabling us to better understand our audience's needs, preferences, and pain points. This valuable data played a crucial role in refining our product strategy and ensuring Atlica met the exact requirements of our future users.

User Interview Summary for
potential users :

  • 10 Participants were interviewed

  • Interviews were based on open-ended questions

  • 4 males, 6 females

  • Age: 24 - 35

  • Duration: 12 - 20 min

  • Interview Questions

User Interview Summary for
potential designers :

  • 10 Participants were interviewed

  • Interviews were based on open-ended questions

  • 5 males, 5 females

  • Age: 20 - 35

  • Duration: 20 min

  • Interview Questions

User Interview Summary for
potential factory :

  • 5 Participants were interviewed

  • Interviews were based on open-ended questions

  • 5 males

  • Age: 40-55

  • Duration: 10 min

  • Interview Questions

Empathy Map

By analyzing the rich qualitative data from user interviews, we crafted an insightful Empathy Map for Atlica. This map highlights a small excerpt of user patterns, uncovers valuable insights, and unveiled users genuine needs.

User Insights:

  1. Users value streamlined and efficient product development processes.

  2. Users seek a user-friendly platform for managing their product creation projects.

  3. Users are motivated to transform their ideas into tangible products.

  4. Users feel frustrated with the complexities of the current product development process.

  5. Users are inspired by innovative and sustainable design practices.

  6. Users desire a platform that understands their unique needs and challenges.

User Needs:

  1. Users need a platform that simplifies and accelerates the product development journey.

  2. Users require easy-to-use project management tools to collaborate with designers and manufacturers.

  3. Users need access to a curated network of talented designers and reliable manufacturers.

  4. Users seek cost-effective solutions for bringing their ideas to life.

  5. Users need enhanced collaboration and communication channels between all stakeholders.

  6. Users value opportunities for personal and professional growth through the platform.

Feature Roadmap

The Feature Roadmap played a vital role in aligning our project goals with the product vision. It provided me with an understanding of the product's key features and their development priorities. Here is a small excerpt of our feature roadmap.

Wireframes

Following the card sorting exercises to establish the information architecture and site structure, we crafted a well-defined sitemap. We then proceeded to develop user flows and task flows, streamlining the user's journey through the platform. To bring it all together, we created wireframes that beautifully showcased the layout and functionality of our platform's core features.

For a higher resolution and more in-depth view of the earlier wireframes I created please click here

Usability Testing

During the Test phase, the mockup from the Prototype phase became an interactive playground for users. In this crucial stage, I collected valuable insights through usability testing, meticulously evaluating, revising, and retesting to refine the product.

Before diving into testing, I meticulously drafted a usability testing plan, it is attached here. Setting clear tasks, methodology and evaluation criteria was paramount.

For testing, I engaged 10 participants both in-person and remotely, a mix of designers, factory owners and interested potential customers, observing their interactions with the prototype. Detailed transcripts captured their mistakes, slips, and expressions of confusion. These transcripts served as the building blocks to analyze patterns in user interaction with the prototype.

Tasks:

Task 1: Navigate to a footwear designers portfolio page

Task 2: Find and chat with a footwear designer

Task 3: Find a footwear manufacturer

Task 4: Sign in as a potential factory

Task 5: Find where files received are stored on chat page

Task 6: Send a user/customer a quote via chat


Head to the next section : Agile Atlica