Case Study for E-commerce
Focus on buyer item details design (2023)

Background
About Mercari
Mercari is a Japanese e-commerce platform established in June 2013. It offers a wide range of second-hand market products and services. functioning on a marketplace model.

Mercari aims to revolutionize the e-commerce landscape by providing a user-friendly and innovative platform that connects buyers and sellers, fostering a vibrant marketplace where people can easily buy and sell a diverse range of products and services.

Problem
Buyers can't easily discern the actual condition of the products

It started when my younger sister, who is studying in Japan 2023, once complained to me about the difficulties she encountered when trying to purchase second-hand items when she was using the Mercari app. She mentioned how it was often challenging to discern the actual condition of the products. Intrigued by her concerns, I decided to explore the app she was using. 

Soon enough, I realized that while the app offered a diverse and extensive range of products, it often left users uncertain and perplexed about the true condition of items listed on its product pages.
It became clear at that point that the app needed a major upgrade in terms of user experience.

My role

Approach

Main design solution

Process

Part 1 - Identifying
Identifying the Issue

In this Part 1 segment, my focus is to comprehend the current information hierarchy from the perspective of the buyer when navigating through the page. The goal is to grasp the existing user processes and contemplate how to design and present information more effectively

After considering the user journey, a list of questions was planned to incorporate into the upcoming user interviews. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding from the user's standpoint regarding the challenges encountered in the current shopping experience.




Part 2 - Researching
3 Interviewees and Market research

In the second part of the research phase, two key areas were explored:

First, searching for potential user interviews, and second, conducting a competitive analysis.

 To unearth valuable insights, three in-depth user interviews were conducted with potential users. By delving into their experiences with second-hand shopping apps and examining the factors they prioritize when making purchases, the goal was to achieve a deeper understanding of user needs.

Additionally, market research was carried out to identify popular second-hand shopping platforms currently in use. Analyzing the product pages of these platforms allowed me to grasp how similar markets present their products and sellers, providing valuable insights for our own platform. 

2 major for buyer concerns
Clarity in product information & Trust in sellers

In summarizing the research process, two major pain points for buyer users emerged: 

1. Unclear product information
2. Trust in sellers

Inadequate information in product descriptions can create uncertainty in the decision-making process, leading to buyer hesitation. 

Additionally, concerns about seller credibility, stemming from incomplete or unverified profiles, contribute to buyer apprehension and doubts about the reliability of the listed products.

Insight 

Buyers depend on item images to gather information about the items, but currently, the quality of photos depends on the seller. Providing images with text might help buyers build trust.

 🤔 "When I see the item images, I still need to scroll down to see the text description from the seller.” - Interviewee A

😰 “Some of the item images' quality isn't good, which doesn't help buyers understand the details.” - Interviewee C



Product descriptions rely on seller input, and understanding the product often involves constant cross-referencing between images and text.

 🤔 “Some product descriptions can be ambiguous, leading to a lack of understanding and clarity about the product details.” - Interviewee C

😵‍💫 “At times, product descriptions need to be matched with images to provide a complete understanding.” - Interviewee A


🤨 “Product information is important to me as well, but I have to scroll down after viewing the details to see the information. Some content should be readily available upfront.” -  Interviewee B



Seller reputation can help buyers trust the product more, and other reviews can also have a positive impact.


 😤 "When I see the item images, I still need to scroll down to see the text description from seller.” - Interviewee B

🤔 “Some of the item images' quality isn't good, which doesn't help buyers understand the details.” - Interviewee  A

👀 “Some of the item images' quality isn't good, which doesn't help buyers understand the details.” - Interviewee C



Challenge statement

How might we help buyers easily understand items and build trust to make faster decisions while shopping ?

Part 3 - Ideation

Optimizing display,  Boosting trust

In the ideation phase, I focused on redesigning the page based on the two identified directions from our research: improving product display information and enhancing seller reputation content. I sketched out ideas on how to make it quicker and clearer for buyers to view products while highlighting the credibility of sellers. During the divergent design proposal stage, I presented the pros and cons of each idea, leading to the convergence phase for refining the concepts.

Part 4 - Design Polishing

Development into design, use pros and cons choose the ideas

Refining the converged designs from sketches, I transitioned into digital visual page creation, developing simple prototypes to showcase the overall browsing experience.

Item description

In proposal A, my main focus was adding labels to item pictures. I found out from user interviews that buyers get wary and untrusting when products are unclear. So, I'm putting text descriptions together with labeled tags on product images. This helps buyers quickly grasp more details about the product and decide whether to proceed with the purchase, aiming to boost the chances of them buying the product.



Seller reputation reviews

In proposal 3 design, my main focus was adding a seller reputation section to the page. Through user interviews, I found that buyers are particularly concerned about seller information, such as the absence of genuine user images or unverified seller accounts, which can lead to distrust. Therefore, by displaying seller reputation and information prominently on the product page, I aim to reduce buyer distrust, ultimately increasing the conversion rate for the product.

Design Polishing

Information Assistance
Providing textual content in Images Enhances buyer understanding of details

When buyers initially express interest in a product, providing additional product information immediately can help users save time toggling between images and seller descriptions, enabling buyers to quickly understand the product and enhance their trust in it.


Item description

Visualized Information
Using clear elements to aid comprehension and easy navigation can enhance decision-making

When buyers show interest, they typically scroll down to view more product details. Placing icon elements in front of captions can help them quickly understand the description content.

Item content detail

Information transparency
Presenting seller credibility and insights from other buyers' transactions can boost confidence in the purchase

Providing a quick overview of the seller's reputation, including transaction experiences and reviews from other buyers, helps buyers assess trustworthiness and make informed decisions while avoiding potential issues.

Seller reputation reviews

Final product 

Before the product launch, we conduct promotional activities to attract potential users. These activities involve inviting prospective users to sign up for product testing and offering incentivized rewards to encourage user participation.

Conclusion + Lesson Learned
What I'd differently next time

Considering the seller's journey
The majority of a product's detail page content is determined by the seller. descriptions and compare with images. Offering more assistance to the seller in optimizing their details page can enhance the overall product experience.

Rapid user testing
After the final design delivery, conducting a user focus group or testing interview can help quickly determine whether the problem statement has been resolved or not.



Seller - Centric Variation with design impact
Sellers have significant freedom in creating product detail pages, resulting in a wide variety of content, including text, images, and layouts. Design can assist sellers in effectively communicating the unique qualities of their products, ultimately influencing buyers' decisions positively.


Visual and textual balance
Buyers’ needs depend on the product category, and it’s crucial to maintain a balance between visual and textual elements. This balance allows for presenting the product’s visual appeal and providing textual support for functional details, both of which significantly influence buyers’ purchasing decisions




Mercari Item Detail Page Design Task - Audrey Lee