Odyssey E-commerce Responsive Website
Supporting Local Made Easy: Achieving a 70% Retention Rate and 15% Conversion
Since March 2020, the physical world went offline due to the pandemic. Local businesses had a tough time staying open because fewer people were coming to their stores.
It was during this challenging time that the founders of Odyssey approached me to collaborate on building a product together. We ask ourselves: HMW find a way to help local shops survive and make it easier for people to buy from them online?
ROLE
Founding Product Designer
TIMELINE
June 2020 - Oct 2020
DELIVERABLES
Strategy, User research, Information architecture, User flows, Wireframes, High fidelity UI, Prototypes, Design systems, Final specs
Customers want to support local businesses, while local businesses face difficulties in establishing a strong online presence.
To gain insights into ways of supporting local businesses, I conducted surveys and 15 interviews with 7 local residents and 8 shop owners to understand their needs and challenges.
Using the site map to define our product framework
To convey the project scope to the team, I created site maps, prioritizing and referring back to our MVP concept to manage scope within the timeline - one of the project's key challenges.
Sketching options and testing them with user to get feedback
After we’ve defined product framework, I started sketching different options for key screens both for desktop and mobile versions. I presented the options to the team to get early feedback and buy-in.
To validate the design, I recruited 5 target users for usability testing. I iterated design based on the feedback, then moved on to creating hi-fi design.
Solution
HOMEPAGE | DESKTOP, TABLET, MOBILE VERSION
STORES PAGE | DESKTOP VERSION
PRODUCT PAGE | DESKTOP VERSION
SHOPPING CART | DESKTOP VERSION
The launch and Afterthought
After navigating through all the ambiguity and chaos inherent in an early-stage startup, we successfully launched the Odyssey website pilot on time, featuring over 15,000 items from 16 shops in San Jose, California. The launched product helped us gain attention from investors and receive more than 5,000 orders from local residents. We maintained over 2,500 active daily users with a 70% retention rate and achieved a 15% conversion rate.
However, before we could scale the business, circumstances changed. The shutdowns eased, vaccines arrived, and people began missing the experience of shopping in person at local stores. This shift in consumer behavior presented great challenges for our digital platform. Ultimately, the founders decided to shut down the business.
This journey has been a great learning experience for me. It highlighted the importance of adaptable pivoting. Navigating the dynamic startup environment demands more than a clear strategy; it requires the agility to pivot swiftly in response to evolving circumstances.