Etsy and the Niche Online Marketplace
UXDI Project Two
When I start a new project I try to wipe the slate clean and begin with a fresh mindset.That is the plan at least, to not let other projects or things going on set the tone for what lies ahead.
It has been an interesting couple of weeks since our UXDI cohort started. Our first project was a solo 100m dash where we ran through an obstacle course picking up skills and bits of information that were then implemented in our designs and presentations.
It has been three weeks since the completion of project one and there has been a slight change of pace. Within those weeks we had a long weekend — happy belated birthday America! — and have digested quite a bit of newfound skills and knowledge. We returned from vacation and entered the world of group projects. If project one was a solo sprint then project two was a tactful Tour de France where each team’s strength heavily relied on the interaction and cooperation of its team members.
Other than now having to work with team members, our new project was not open ended. Not only were we assigned teammates but we were also given a client, a client brief, and a clear task that needed to be solved.
Our client was the unique shop, Etsy. If you are unfamiliar with Etsy, it is an online marketplace used by artisans to showcase and sell their handmade, quality work. Anything from leather jewelry to living room furniture can be found or purchased on Etsy.
Our task at hand was twofold:
- Design a user flow that allows customers to post a product request
- Design a user flow that allows artisans to provide quotes for these requests
Creating two flows for both buyers and sellers was, at first, a simple task that we could wrap our heads around. Once we started to familiarize ourselves with Etsy’s online platforms we realized that Etsy currently has two separate mobile applications: one for their buyers and one for their sellers. This allows sellers to run their shops without the clutter of the buyer marketplace. On the seller application they receive statistics on how their shops is running, order requests, messages from sellers, site activity, and a few other key metrics. The buyers application is pretty straight forward and similar to other brands. Buyers are able to favorite items, get a running list of suggested items based on favorites, a running list of recently viewed items and a relatively simple check out process once they have found the item they like.
Brand Research and Competitive Analysis
We began to immerse ourselves into Etsy’s platforms and figure out who their users were and what they were experiencing once they opened up the website or applications. The online marketplace changes and expands on a daily basis. Nowadays there are too many sites to even count and they all provide similar features. Etsy separates itself from the herd by promising to provide quality items that are handmade by artisans. Anything that is mass produced is explicitly stated on their website as such. They do not avoid having these items on the site but they ensure that their customers are informed and not misguided by sellers. While Etsy does not have the feature we were set to include — a way for fully custom items to be requested and produced — some Etsy sellers do take on custom orders via the existing messages feature.

User Interviews
Once we familiarized ourselves with all things Etsy we began our search for viable interviewees. We used google surveys to generate a screener survey that was posted to classmates, the #takemysurvey channel on slack, and social media. I was also able to tap into my network of ex-colleagues and friends who are in the craftsmanship world. From the screening process we were able to narrow down the pool to five buyers and sellers.
Besides having the right candidates another important key was asking the right questions. Some top questions asked were:
Buyer Questions
- What do you look for when making purchases?
- What comes to mind when you think about Etsy?
- Have you ever ordered something made to order/custom? Tell me about that experience.
Seller Questions:
- What type of items do you make?
- How do clients typically contact you/hear about you?
- Have you ever made something based solely on a client’s design?
Synthesis
Each member of our team could not be present during each interview, we each made sure to take good audio recordings and good notes during each conversation. From each of our notes we decided to extract three key takeaways that stood out from the interviews. These takeaways were then entered into one combined spreadsheet with our interviewees names, ages, and professions. The responses and information we received exceeded our expectations. So much so, that for many of the interviews we had we were able to get more than three takeaways and had to add fourth or fifth important statements. The higher number of information allowed us to create large affinity maps for both the buyer and seller pools. Within each pool we then further distilled the content into categories of user pain points, desires, or preconceived notions.



Our ultimate goal from the affinity mapping was to get to the core of each user base. We wanted to find out what the typical buyer experience was when trying to either buy something online or try to find someone that would help bring their custom idea to fruition. On the seller side, we wanted to know what it would take for them to take on custom projects if they didn’t already do so. And if they didn’t what was the reasoning behind this decision. From our synthesis exercise we were again able to take away three key points from both user groups:
Buyers
- “I will pay more and wait longer for a unique design.”
- “The design process should be transparent and collaborative.”
- “I make purchases based on user reviews and buyer incentives.”
Sellers
- “I need to be able to work closely with my customer throughout the design process.”
- “I would do more custom orders if the project was worth my time and worth my while.”
- “I only want to create for people who really appreciate my work and my process.”
Personas
From our affinity mapping we were able to create two primary personas that emphasized each frustration brought up by our interviewees. Below you can see more about Katie Brennan (Buyer) and John Faye (Seller).


Coming from the custom production world I could really empathize with both Katie and John. As with any type of interaction, having a good communication between the buyer and seller was a topic that was brought up various times with our interviewees. As a former seller, I can speak to the importance of a being able to manage clients expectations especially when working with a product that doesn’t exist outside of the clients head, your hand sketches, and as a line item on an invoice. Since most communication on Etsy was happening in users inboxes we knew that this needed to be updated and enhanced when we introduced a our new feature to the existing platforms.
Problem Statement: “ Buyers and sellers on Etsy need an effective and efficient way to communicate and collaborate during the design process.”
The collaborative process from inception to completion of the project was highlighted by all of our seller interviewees as more than just an important part of the job but also as a disincentive for doing custom work. These users would argue that since the process was cumbersome and frustrating they would not take additional jobs because it would not be worth the added time or stress. Knowing that these users needed something that facilitated their process while also presenting their work to the masses, we took to our sketch books and white boards to start our own design process.
Etsy’s current apps are flooded with redundancies and clutter. To tackle our users needs we decided to remove and combine some features to make room for our new custom option. We took the user icon from the lower task bar and moved it to the top task bar so that it would always be accessible. We created a hammer symbol to take on the role of the new custom capability that Etsy would now be offering. From here we began to iterate a few of the basic screens needed to complete the tasks of either creating or responding to bid listings.
Scenarios and User Testing
Once we had the necessary screens sketched out and a few user flows ready we began our first prototyping in invision. We were eager to test out what we had ready and wanted to get feedback as soon as possible.
Our two main scenarios were:
Seller:
“You have some time in between projects to take on additional work. You want to find a project request on Etsy that fits your particular skill set and place a bid on it.”
Buyer:
“ You were browsing on Pinterest and were inspired by a mermaid crown you saw. You want to create a new listing on Etsy to find an artisan to work with you to bring your design to life.”

From our user tests we were able to discover a few issues with the flow between screens. Users were able to successfully navigate through the custom feature but once they submitted their listings they wanted feedback from the app to know that the listing had indeed been posted.
Another issue in the buyers flow was that users were confusing the new pencil icon on the top right screen as a “send a new message” option instead of a “create a new listing” feature as we had intended. To remedy these issues we added a notification window that immediately followed the submission screen that let congratulated users for successfully submitting their listings. We also added small pop up icons to the pending bids page to let users know that the page had been updated. To fix the “create a new listing” icon we simply swapped it for a typewriter. This icon would conserve Etsy’s symbol aesthetic while also implying that by clicking it the user would be creating a form or typing something.
Prototype
Attached below are links for our buyer and seller prototypes. Our next steps will encompass more than the application experience. We would like to do further research on the payment methods and time constraints that both the buyers and users share. With this additional information we hope to add features on our prototypes that further help track the progress of each project. We will also want to help Etsy establish guidelines or suggested prices so buyers know what to expect before they even receive their first bid.
