Improving Project Management for Interior Designers
Product: eporta marketplace
Role: Product Designer
Summary
User problem & opportunity
eporta was initially developed as a unique marketplace specifically designed to supply FF&E (furnitures, fixtures & equipment) for interior designers and architects. The next objective of the business was to extend the possibilities of the platform into a comprehensive solution that could support interior designers in procuring, buying, and overseeing their projects through a unified platform.
Although our marketplace had proven to be a valuable asset during the sourcing and procurement process for our users, we identified a gap in supporting them once they have made their purchases. Only a small percentage of our users have relied solely on eporta's scheduling table to manage their projects, often opting to use other tools like Excel, Google Sheets, and Estimac alongside it.
The opportunity was to provide a solution within the platform which could replace or reduce the usage of external tools to manage their projects. Our advantage was having a large catalog that users were already shopping from and a direct connection with our suppliers - which could allow more real-time updates and clarity on the status of fulfilment
The team
Scope & Constraints
As the lead product designer on this initiative, I scoped the overhaul of the schedule/project management table in collaboration with my team consisting of three engineers and a product manager. Our efforts were part of a larger initiative at eporta, where two squads were focused on enhancing project management across different themes.
Our project ran over a six-week sprint, with a two-week timeframe designated for creating the foundational structure of the table. Our objective was to develop a new version of the table parallel to the current one, gradually replicating its basic features. Once we achieved this, we planned to transition all users to the new version and continue refining it. A risk we’d identified, we were unable to complete the table within the initial two weeks, but after an additional four weeks, we had a functional version ready for internal testing.
Process & Design
As this was a tool for designers, my goal was to create an MVP that was clean, comprehensible and visually appealing. The initial design of the project management schedule required numerous rounds of feedback testing with both our internal procurement team and our existing eporta users. Additionally, we carefully analysed feedback received from our customer support team to gain greater insight into areas requiring immediate attention. I ensured that the table incorporated basic expected functionality and adhered to UX best practices.
I leveraged our initial research and feedback to generate several preliminary concepts for review with users. During this phase, a few unexpected issues arose. Notably, users expressed concern with the pricing columns and summaries in the table, which were unclear and caused distrust in their accuracy. To address this, we could improve the sequencing and transparency of these numbers. Additionally, users had differing expectations for how they wanted to view their projects, such as by project stages, areas of approval, or separate tables. While I initially explored creating table templates, I ultimately decided that the simplest solution was to allow for easy filtering and scanning based on the stage of the project, allowing the user to personalise their experience.
We also observed how users were utilising other project management tools for interior design management, and their actions confirmed our suspicions that we needed to offer a quick overview of item status and location in the process. This would allow designers to efficiently manage their projects while also completing other tasks. Based on the feedback received thus far, I began building a Figma prototype incorporating the most effective elements from previous designs.
I asked two interior designers to sketch out their process, in order to gain a better understanding of how they think about sourcing and procurement. This allowed me to gain insight into their mental models.
User research
We selected a group of users to interview and gather feedback on my new schedule prototype. Our interviews were a mix of in-person and remote sessions, providing valuable insights into their software preferences, design and management processes, and the effectiveness of our new design ideas. Our primary focus was on developing a viable MVP, which required us to prioritise the most impactful features.
During our testing sessions, one of the most commonly mentioned improvements was a minor update to the project navigation. This simple change significantly increased users' understanding of the various tools available on eporta and how they could access them. As a result, we decided to include this in our MVP.
We generated numerous ideas for incrementally enhancing the tool's value through new features. To prioritise their development, we conducted a session and prioritised:
Implementing sticky header(s)
Introducing item, payment, and proposal "states"
Enabling inline editing
Incorporating filtering and row reordering capabilities
Outcomes
Our initial schedule iteration received a favorable response from clients who reported a significantly improved user experience and fewer support calls for assistance. Working closely with the sales team, we were also able to enhance adoption rates. This marks a significant milestone towards achieving our goal of capturing more buyers' purchases and effectively managing projects.