Halfprice: My first client project

Results from 10-weeks of UX training

Hanny Yeung
Jul 24, 2017 · 8 min read

Halfprice is a platform for timed-service businesses to fill their idle times with 50% discounts, and for customers to discover nearby deals happening in 6 hours.

Introduction

My key responsibilities in a team of 3:

  • All documentations (agendas, minutes, client reports, questionnaires, participation agreements)
  • User interviews: Field research
  • Low-fidelity prototype (Balsamiq)
  • Usability test: Tasks & flow design
  • High-fidelity prototype (Sketch)
  • Product demonstration

Backstory

Customers have struggles using platforms such as Groupon — random discounts, fine-prints, credibility issues... A better solution would focus on simplicity and immediacy when looking for services.


Case study contents

As students, we made countless mistakes. But I always asked: “How can this be better?” This gave born to reflection sections at the end of chapters.


Chapter 1: Team & client communications

Example of timebox-planning

Precision to me is most important in client communications, and preparation is the key to achieve that. Before kickoff, our team developed a system for internal reviews before every communication with client, and assigned one of us as the single point of contact.

Too many screens to organise

Screens checklist

Chapter 2: Field research

“If you can spare 15 minutes answering some questions, your business can have 1 year of free advertising opportunity on the platform after its launch.”

We had a high success rate because instead of randomly visiting businesses, we scoped down on targets by collecting leaflets on the streets and looking for discounts online — they were in need of a marketing boost , and would more likely be attracted by our incentives.

Map of targeted businesses in Central and Causeway Bay

Reflection: Research process

  • Interview businesses before customers. We let customer-interviewees choose their preferred services (beauty, hair, etc.) for their answers because we didn’t know the target industries. By first identifying the more in-demand industries, our interview protocol would be more focused.

Chapter 3: User-driven design

Merchant — Independent professionals

Decision: Throughout the app, use the word “merchant” instead of “business”
Features: Skippable address while onboarding; deal-specific locations

Onboarding // Address input // Create new deal

Merchant — Business owners

Decision: Report to client about business findings
Features: Reusable deal templates; quick publishing

Flow: saving template and quick publishing from template

Customer — Roamers

Decision: Because their goals align with our values, mark persona as primary
Features: Map view with my location; time & price filters; fast checkout

Map & filter views // 2-step checkout

Customer — Planners

Decision: Because price may not be their main concern and our product may not appeal to them, mark persona as secondary
Features: Location search; ratings & reviews; merchant profile; favourites & sharing

Deal details // Merchant details

Chapter 4: Usability validation

Tasks for merchants included create new deal, schedule deal for multiple continuous slots and changing the date/time for a slot.

Tasks for customers included book a service and review a merchant.

Tasks & flows in usability tests (left: buyer, right: seller)

Critical task: Hamburger switch

To maximise screen estate for the map view, I took the hamburger approach. All users landed on customer mode, and we expected merchants to do the extra work by finding the switch in the hamburger menu.

We also decided to introduce onboarding for merchants to collect information on first launch.

Drafted flow for hamburger menu & seller onboarding

Reflection: Usability tests

  • Unsatisfying merchant recruitment. We only did usability test with 3 merchants. We couldn’t validate trends based on frequency of occurrence. We should’ve utilised the cold visits in user interview stage to also recruit and schedule for usability tests.
  • Lack of independent professionals. We identified this persona but tested with none. As a result, no validations, design iterations or suggestions were made based on this persona. This can be easily avoided by using personas instead of type (merchant & customer) as a basis for recruitment.

Chapter 5: Design iterations

Goodbye hamburger

Sacrificing some screen estate for the map view, a bottom tab bar is now used. We also added a global first-launch screen to choose modes.

Bottom: Global first-launch screen // New locations for mode switch

Time slot management system

Original time slot management screens

Originally, the merchant defined time slots available for the deal, and customers would choose one from the list to book.

But what if a customer’s preferred time (e.g. 2:30 to 3:30) overlaps multiple predefined, available slots (2:00 to 3:00 and 3:00 to 4:00)?

After many redesigns, we arrived on a system that prioritises flexibility for customers:

New time slot management system

No compromises were made for the new design and I think it is the best solution. Merchants who prefer more control (like the original system) can define multiple opening periods that can only fit 1 session each. Then, customers will be forced to a single start time when they book.


Chapter 6: Going beyond

Empty states

Empty states and empty forms with hints

Preview feature for merchants

Edit and preview merchant details

Instant-adjustment system for future iteration

Instant colour adjustment

Chapter 7: Outcome

Our client was impressed by the product, especially with the merchant template flow (see chapter 3) and time slot management system (see chapter 5).

We also convinced the client to loosen the restriction on 50% discounts. We proposed that it simply won’t work with businesses that can’t afford their practitioner’s commission fee. A possible model would be to allow a range of fixed discounts, e.g. 50%, 40%, 30%…

Reflection: Presentation


Epilogue

As UXers, we approach problems with an open mind. We are the barricades keeping our client from arriving on a predominant solution, and I think we did that brilliantly. All decisions were supported by research, and we believe that the product is one that users will truly love.



Let’s have a conversation 👋

Hanny’s Portfolio

My work, naked.

Hanny Yeung

Written by

UX/UI Designer with a Psychology background. Touching people’s hearts and making them smile. www.linkedin.com/in/hannyyeung/

Hanny’s Portfolio

My work, naked.

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