Marketplace: UX Approach
11—May—2020, by Roleplay
How our consortium is collaborating towards a user-focused MVP
The facts
Opertus Mundi is about building a digital marketplace where owners can trade and consumers can explore and purchase geospatial data. The team at Roleplay is dedicated to transforming the platform engine architecture and business logic into a usable interface that makes sense for these two user groups. In pursuing the specific goal of achieving an MVP, Roleplay will make the most out the information provided by the partners.
The approach
Roleplay is employing an agile methodology to maintain a good overview of all aspects of the project. The focus is on the following layers:
- Layer 1: Research + Best Practices
- Layer 2: User Scenarios
- Layer 3: UX Wireframes
Layer 1: Research + Best Practices
Taking on a design challenge first requires an understanding of the relevant market. The necessary research includes locating and documenting UX patterns from (a) direct competitors, (b) data marketplaces, and (c) other popular marketplaces.
Layer 2: User Scenarios
While the engine architecture focuses on the systems, this layer attempts to translate the systems’ functions into specific user flows. While following four (4) of the most common user journeys, we pinpoint the touchpoint screens, necessary calls to action, and platform auto-responses. This makes it possible to identify the numbers and types of interactions between the platform and the user. It thus represents a first step towards ensuring a curated user experience throughout the platform.
Layer 3: UX Wireframes
Once the relevant market has been acquainted with the platform and the main user groups have been identified, it’s time to put the necessary screens of the MVP into action.
We are employing a collaborative prototyping tool (Adobe XD) to develop raw UI components and iterate based on the partners’ comments, which they can make on a clickable prototype.
This will allow for a smooth transition to the UI while maintaining a connection to potential iterations and improvements to the business logic.
Next steps
A user survey of geodata consumers and owners & producers is under way in order to gain further insights into user requirements. The goal is to incorporate these findings into the UX of the platform and sprint to a realistic and functional MVP within the next several months. Stay tuned!
