Margaret Darcher
User Experience Designer
Stocked
Mobile Inventory Management System
Project Scope
My Role
UI/UX (Shared with Matthew Sherman)
Prototype Development with Proto.io
Responsive Web Design & Development
Overview: Solve a problem by designing a physical device that is connected to and controlled by a smartphone.
Problem: Microbusinesses — especially those selling on online market places such as eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and Shopify — need an inventory management system to efficiently organize their SKUs in a cost-effective way.
Solution: An inventory management system called Stocked. It consists of two parts — a mobile application and a wireless barcode printer connected to the smartphone. The app is synced with the users’ online marketplaces to keep a real-time inventory list for improved business management and accounting.
User Research
Matthew and I conducted extensive research and determined that there is a substantial need for an affordable inventory management product for small home businesses. The research indicated that the majority of users would be women earning between $1,000 – $12,000 from their businesses. This information influenced the development of user personas, task flows, and content architecture.
Personas
Julia Hernandez
- 27 years old, with a bachelor’s degree in communications; is a full time adminsitrative assistant to a corporate executive, making $38,000/year
- Has been handmaking jewelry for friends and family, for years and has started to take her designs to an online marketplace to make extra income. She has grossed $1200 so far this year
- Is tech savy, and owns a smartphone, tablet, and a laptop. She enjoys cooking and nights out with friends.
Erica Williams
- 30 years old, with an associates degree in apparel design; is a part-time stylist and fashion blogger earning $20,000/year.
- Has been picking vintage clothing and reselling it on eBay and Etsy for about 18 months, and her business is growing rapidly. She has grossed $5000 this year.
- Is tech savy, and owns a smartphone and a desktop pc, and has recently been using the eBay app on her smart phone for effecient listings. She loves costume parties and going out for Sunday brunch.
David Martin
- 42 years old, with a highschool degree. His employment background includes working at record shops, promoting local bands, and managing merchandise on concert tours.
- He has been selling licenced music merchandise and novelties on Amazon and eBay for 3 years. His business is now his fulltime job, earning $25,000-35,000 annually.
- He just bought a smartphone, and, he usually works on his desktop pc. He enjoys pizza, beer, and going to shows.
Content Architecture
Matthew and I developed the information architecture by first conducting a thorough content inventory. It was influenced by microbusiness needs, tax requirements, the creation of user personas, and more robust inventory management systems. Next, card sorting was executed. The architecture was revised after user testing indicated that the main actions or tasks should be on the start screen, not the activity screen as initially thought.
Wireframe Sketches
I sketched these wireframes quickly, following a task flow screen by screen. This process was insiteful, as it helped to flesh out and revise the task flow. I then used these sketches to develop a wireframed prototype on the proto.io platform.
Task Flows
This is a revised task flow Matthew and I created after user testing a wireframed prototype. It shows how a stock item would be added into the Stocked inventory management system. It takes into account items that have existing barcodes as well as those that require new ones. It includes confirmation messages as well as error handling. Matthew and I created the content of these flows together, and Matthew executed their illustration.
Screen Designs
The user interface was heavily influenced by the iOS7 human interface guidelines. Because of the complex nature of the task flows, we used a minimal visual design treatment to maintain simplicity and ease of use. Matthew executed these skins on the proto.io prototype.
Activity Screen
Item Listing Screen
Export Report Screen
Print Options Screen
Responsive Landing Page (Visit Site)
I built the responsive landing page as a one-page site in WordPress. It focuses on explaining how the inventory management application and wireless barcode printer work in tandem. It also highlights the affordability, features, and benefits of the product from the customer perspective.
Commercial
Matthew and I researched promotional videos for products such as Square, LightSpeed, and Red Laser. We wanted to create a video that spoke from the customer’s perspective and felt authentic. We worked together on the script, Matthew created the storyboard and sourced the talent. On set Matthew directed, and I ran sound. Matthew edited the video.
Customer Journey
We created the customer journey to indicate how customers would discover, purchase, and engage with the Stocked Inventory Management System.
Presentation/Pitch
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