Back to Home
LocalPe - For Small Businesses - 2022
Case Study
About this Project
The digital world has brought about increased competition and changing consumer behavior, making it challenging for small businesses to reach and connect with their target audience. This inspired me to take on the LocalPe project, with the goal of addressing these challenges and empowering local businesses to succeed. LocalPe is designed to be a comprehensive solution that not only enables small business owners to network and connect with their customers, but also provides them with the tools they need to grow and thrive. By taking control of their digital presence through LocalPe, small businesses can overcome the challenges they face in today's market and reach their full potential, contributing to the growth and success of their communities.
Duration Allotted: 4 Weeks
Tools Used: Notion, Figma, Miro
Role: Product Designer
LocalPe empowers local businesses to grow and succeed in today's fast-paced digital landscape. It offers a unique and personalized feed that is free from algorithm-driven content structures, giving businesses the ability to connect with their network and reach their customers directly. The app also provides a suite of tools designed to help businesses grow, from networking opportunities to practical resources for business development. LocalPe provides a comprehensive solution for local businesses trying to survive in this digital landscape. Few feature highlights are -
Personalized Algorithm-Free Feed: Customers receive a tailored feed called “Bubble”, free from the restrictions of algorithms.
Delivery: A delivery system to make transactions easier for both the business and the customer.
Seller-First Approach: The app prioritizes the needs and growth of local businesses.
Seller Profile: A platform for businesses to showcase their products and services.
Messaging and Customer Leaderboards: A messaging system for businesses to communicate with their customers, and a leaderboard to reward the most loyal customers.
Looking around
The project was inspired by a need to support local businesses in building their network and growing their customer base. This idea was formed after a discussion with several small business owners who sell through platforms like Instagram or through direct sales on platforms like Amazon and Meesho, or even through their own websites created using Dukaan. These sellers shared their challenges in growing their businesses, including limited time and difficulty in navigating the algorithms of platforms like Instagram. Based on these discussions, the goal of this project is to create an app that helps small business owners overcome these challenges and provides them with the tools and support they need to grow their businesses. The app will allow small business owners to build their network, reach new customers, and expand their business with ease, even if they are running it as a side hustle. The project is still in its early stages and has a lot of room for growth and exploration in the vast and constantly evolving market of e-commerce. Check my Project Presentation → for more info
Information Architecture
After extensive research and consideration (Check miro file →), we developed the information architecture for the app to effectively support small business owners. This information architecture was designed to provide a structure that would be beneficial to sellers and help them grow their businesses. The app was designed with the goal of providing a simple, intuitive, and functional solution for small business owners. The app features four main pages: Home, Orders, Products, and the Bubble (a seller's personal feed). The app provides a range of functionalities to help small business owners manage and grow their businesses. These include:
Network building: The app enables sellers to build their own network and reach new customers.
Content creation: Sellers can post and upload their own content on their Bubble, creating a personal brand for their business.
Messaging: The app includes a messaging feature, allowing sellers to communicate directly with their customers and respond to any enquiries or concerns in real-time.
Store management: The app allows sellers to create and manage their own store pages, displaying their products and making it easy for customers to enquire and purchase.
Inventory management: The app helps sellers keep track of their inventory, ensuring that they never oversell or run out of stock.
Order management: The app enables sellers to keep track of orders and the delivery process, ensuring that their customers receive their purchases in a timely and efficient manner.
Sales analytics: The app provides sellers with detailed sales analytics, allowing them to track their performance and make informed decisions about their business.
These functionalities were chosen to provide a comprehensive solution to support small business owners in their growth journey, making it easier for them to manage and grow their businesses.
Wireframing
The name "LocalPe" was carefully selected after extensive brainstorming to perfectly capture the concept of the project. The name, which is derived from the Mumbai Hindi slang term for "local," which emphasises the idea that sellers will be selling their products within their own local communities. The color palette was thoughtfully chosen to reflect this local connection, featuring a sage green-ish hue called Chalet green, which is complemented by the color orange, reminiscent of the colors of the Indian flag.
The user interface has been designed with minimalism in mind, providing a clean and straightforward platform for users to explore and interact with the product. Although this design serves as a strong foundation for the project, there is always room for further iteration and exploration to refine and enhance the user experience. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, it was not possible to fully explore all possible design avenues, but I am open to future improvements. You can view the design prototype by following this link→
End Thoughts
Working on the design of the LocalPe app was an exciting and fulfilling experience. As a design project, the goal was to bring to life a solution that would help local businesses grow and succeed in a digital world. If i could summarise my learnings, it would be as follows -
Understanding of the challenges faced by local businesses and their need for a comprehensive solution.
Learning the importance of providing a personalised and algorithm-free experience for customers.
The role of technology in streamlining business processes and improving customer satisfaction.
The significance of building a community and fostering relationships between businesses and their customers.
The impact of a seller-first approach in supporting the growth and success of local businesses.
_Like what you’ve seen? Send me an Email