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ReStore - A Marketplace for FIP Businesses
CLIENT
Witness to Mass Incarceration
TYPE OF CLIENT
Non Profit + Ecommerce
CATEGORY
Research & Website Design
BRIEF
Our client - Witness to Mass Incarceration approached to collaborate for The MAP Project where they wanted to create a marketplace to showcase products and services provided by businesses owned by formerly incarcerated people (FIP).
TEAM
Mehika Singhal + 3 UX Designers
RESULT
We built a storytelling marketplace in which FIP businesses can promote and sell their products and services. Specifically, reSTORE is:
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A service for customers to connect with businesses, and for businesses to connect with customers.
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A space for learning about FIP stories and building community, as well as breaking stigmas.
Bold Design & Branding
Client Introduction and The MAP Project
Witness to Mass Incarceration places the voices of formerly incarcerated women, LGBTQIA2S+, black, indigenous and people of color at the forefront of the movement for alternatives to mass incarceration while working to restore safety, dignity, and respect in facilities, and reducing barriers to successful reentry.
Project Goals
Witness focuses on building an actionable resource for finding and showcasing FIP led businesses. This project aims to design an eCommerce platform to support the businesses of formerly incarcerated people.
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Continue to support FIP-led business
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Break stigmas associated with incarceration
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Create an e-commerce space depicting reentry of FIP into the world
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Tell the stories of these business owners
Of the FIP & For the FIP
Organizational Principles
Humanize FIP
Through storytelling, visual imagery, and language
Support Key Stakeholders
FIP, FIP Businesses, FIP families and Allies with their distinct journeys
Partners
Partner with FIP and non-FIP to achieve goals
UX Designer
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Designed the wireframes, prototype and Search flow of the website.
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Engaged in an iterative design process for continuous improvement.
UX Researcher
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Conducted thorough analysis of competitive websites.
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Identified inconsistencies and variations in design elements.
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Informed the creation of reStore by understanding Witness's unique design requirements.
UX Manager
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Oversaw the overall UX process, ensuring alignment with project goals.
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Coordinated between different UX roles for seamless collaboration.
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Provided strategic insights for the creation of reStore to meet Witness's needs.
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Monitored the iterative design process, ensuring quality and consistency.
UX Writer
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Documented the FIP stories for storytelling.
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Ensured clear and accessible language in the documentation.
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Communicated the advantages and challenges of using CMS.
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Contributed to the storytelling aspect of the case study.
My Roles
Introducing ReStore
Ecommerce Website
Building a storytelling marketplace in which FIP businesses can promote and sell their products and services. Specifically, reSTORE is:
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A service for customers to connect with businesses, and for businesses to connect with customers:
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Customers can search and learn about businesses, and buy
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Businesses have a streamlined registration process
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A space for learning about FIP stories and building community, as well as breaking stigmas
to identify key players, services being offered as well as relationships within the organization
Ecosystem Map
to examine the IA and key flows of current website (especially the Map Project page) and identify potential opportunities for improvement
Technical Analysis/Site map
to understand what competitors are doing on their websites and generate insights for our design solutions
Competitive Audit
to learn from case studies addressing similar issues
Literature Review
to learn the mental models, behaviors and motivations using Witness website from both FIP-led business and customers
Interviews
to understand how each stakeholder interact with the Witness website and uncover potential issues
Usability Testing
Understanding the Users
Research Methods
Research Goals
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To gain a deeper understanding of stories of FIP and FIP-led businesses and find an effective way for storytelling.
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To identify how different stakeholders interact with key flows on the current Witness website
1/3 adults are FIP
Literature Review
“If You Paid Your Debt to Society, You Should Be Allowed to Work.”
The New York Times, Aug 4th 2021. Jamie Dimon.
1/3 adults — more than 70 million people — have some type of arrest or criminal record. To put this in perspective, about the same number of Americans have college degrees right now.
Balance is the key
Technical & Competitive Analysis
Current Website has little storytelling elements for FIP as it is now:
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All stories are siloed to the “blog” navigation page
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Blogs are in standard article format
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Map project storytelling is effective - graphic, lists out in phases
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Finding a business can be difficult for users
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Map icons are confusing and needs a refresh/clarification
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Lack of humanizing (imagery, quotes, etc)
Competitive Audit:
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None of the competitors are doing exactly what Witness aims to do
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Avoid excessive scrolling text - break up into sections
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Balance storytelling by using mix of text, graphics, key data highlights, imagery
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Make filters relevant and understandable
Your Story, Business, Customers & Future
FIP Business Owner Interviews
Key Takeaways
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Users consider their criminal background an essential part to their journey to becoming business owners.
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A source of motivation for business owners is giving back to the community
Your Awareness, Habits & Motivation
Potential Customer Interviews
Key Takeaways
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3/3 were unfamiliar with mass incarceration but willing to support.
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Stigmas associated with FIP but knowing the backstory and reading reviews increase trust and willingness to buy.
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Convention for eCommerce is the base of things and you can take off from there.
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Knowing the backstory increases willingness/interest to buy.
How might we?
Design Principles
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Utilize eCommerce mental models in search filters to help users find FIP businesses within the resource of Re-Commerce?
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Encourage purchase by humanizing FIP through images/videos of FIP business owners, quotes, and graphics like timelines on the business landing page (dynamic storytelling)?
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Create a sign up flow for FIP businesses that’s easy and quick for the businesses to fill out and for the admin of the site to implement. Consider FIP literacy and technical skills?
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Prioritize UX writing and content strategy to effectively create community and break stigmas for FIP?
Understanding the Stakeholders
Design Systems Diagram
Understanding the Flow
Site Map and Flow
Retaining the Witness Branding
Style Guide
Hands on Prototype
Check out these flows:
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Buy a pair of sneakers under the products section.
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Book a haircut appointment under services section.
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Register your business on the ReStore website.
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Donate to support Witness and affiliate businesses.
Oh! Don’t forget to check out the business and FIP stories!
Tips & Tools to Shopify
How to implement these designs into Shopify model using templates
Our client - Witness to Mass Incarceration expressed interest in Shopify as a medium to implement these designs. Hence, to achieve the goal, we researched into Shopify’s elements and extensions and proposed the mentioned.
Shopify Extensions
Business Registration form
Donation
What’s Next?
Future Stakes for this project
Integrate the MAP Project into ReStore
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Interactive map - explore the businesses on reSTORE
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Visually represent the entrepreneurial successes of FIP
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Tie reSTORE more closely into The Map Project and Witness (requires a separate custom coding project within Shopify)
Product/Service Focused Homepage
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Product carousel or photo animation
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Cater to people outside of the FIP community
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Emphasize that it’s an eCommerce site
Regular Updates
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Updated weekly to make sure more business gets preference
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Product highlights require consistent updating, but Witness currently doesn’t have the bandwidth
Booking Services
WHAT’S NEXT STARTS HERE.
Get in touch at apex.mehika@gmail.com