PROJECT : E-COMMERCE WEB PLATFORM

El Locale

I collaborated with three fellow Springboard UX Designers on an industry design challenge for El Locale, a progressive startup focused on promoting local shopping through its seamless e-commerce platform.

MY ROLE

Product (UX/UI) Designer

TEAM

Leah Kusumalayam : UX Designer

Joy Curth : Director of IT & Founder

Gregory Kimbrell : Team Lead & UX Designer

Stephanie Hua : UX Designer

Gautam Reddy : UX Designer

PROJECT CONTEXT

UX Team project
5 week project duration
Enhanced design solutions for El Locale, an e-commerce startup
An Industry Design Project (IDP) with a startup company, contracted through Springboard

DURATION

September 2024 -October 2024

TOOLS

OVERVIEW

BACKGROUND

This project was completed for El Locale - the startup e-commerce platform that connects users with local shops and artisans. The company wanted to enhance the usability of its platform by refining its UX and UI to create a more intuitive and seamless shopping experience for users, while supporting local businesses.

PROBLEM

Local businesses often struggle to compete with larger e-commerce platforms, limiting their ability to reach customers who want to support their community. Shoppers, on the other hand, face challenges in finding a convenient and reliable way to discover and purchase from local artisans, shops, and entrepreneurs. El Locale aims to bridge this gap by providing an easy-to-use platform that connects consumers with a curated selection of local businesses, making it simple to shop local while supporting the community. However, the platform’s user interface and experience must be optimized to ensure seamless navigation, discovery, and purchasing to maximize user satisfaction and business support.

SOLUTION

El Locale provides a streamlined, user-friendly platform that makes it easy for consumers to discover and shop from local businesses. By refining the UX and UI, we will enhance the platform’s usability, allowing users to quickly find unique products, one-of-a-kind gifts, and everyday essentials from local shops and artisans. Through a more intuitive design and optimized navigation, the platform will better connect shoppers with their community, promote local businesses, and simplify the process of supporting the local economy with every purchase.

DESIGN PROCESS

I focused on refining and enhancing the user interface and user experience. My team's work involved updating and organizing Figma files, conducting customer research to gather feedback, and implementing key UI/UX improvements to create a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. We refined the existing designs, analyzed user feedback, and developed actionable recommendations to enhance the platform’s overall experience. The final deliverables showcased these updates and demonstrated how the improvements aligned with El Locale's mission of making local shopping easier and more accessible.

This project was completed over a 4-week period and involved developing high-fidelity Figma screens for a seamless website application experience. Throughout the project, I also received valuable mentorship in UI/UX best practices from the IT founder, gaining real-world experience in design.

VIEW THE FULL CASE STUDY

To view the full case study and explore how El Locale makes local shopping effortless, view the report here. Discover how the design solution enhances the user experience by refining the platform’s interface, allowing users to easily connect with local shops, artisans, and entrepreneurs. See how this approach improves navigation, streamlines product discovery, and simplifies the overall shopping journey for customers, all while supporting local businesses.

DELIVERABLES

Explore some of the final project deliverables and discover how El Locale connects users with unique products from local businesses and artisans. Click below to expand.