Matchify
A tool to help people make shopping decisions.
Skills
User Research
Wireframes and Prototyping
Visual Design
Usability Testing
Timeline
January 2023 - May 2023
Tools
Figma
Miro
Mural
What is Matchify?
Matchify is web application that is designed to make choosing the right product easier. For products that have technical specifications like TVs or headphones, or products with a wide variety of options like cat food or jackets, it can be overwhelming to find the correct option. We wanted to explore this topic, and ask how users validate their choices, and why a product like this was needed.
Empathizing
Lean UX
The framework for the project was Lean UX, where constant collaboration and iteration was the main focus instead of deliverables. Once we decided what project to pursue, we identified problems found in other sectors of the industry. Notable examples like finding the right MacBook or the right jacket framed our work.
We framed our idea for Matchify using the Lean UX Canvas, as well as typical UX tools such as practical personas, empathy maps, and affinity diagrams to organize user interview data.
Constraints
With the insights learned from user interviews and affinity diagrams, we could define the constraints of the project, another part of Lean UX.
Reduce time to feel confident in product selection.
Accessible to those less tech-savvy
Must incorporate peer reviews.
Allow for customization of preferences
Friendly and patient tone
Story Mapping
Finally, we created a story map that broke down the fundamental flow that the user would take to complete the experience, found below.
Wireframing and Prototyping
Wireframing
We developed wireframes in Miro, and found a fundamental agreement on what parts of the journey would be like.
Mid-Fidelity Prototypes
After a week of design reviews provided by other teams in the class, we created a mid-fidelity prototype in Figma.
Mid-fidelity was the terminology used to describe a prototype with the minimum of what was necessary for the participants in our usability study to experience the flow of the app.
User Testing
The mid-fidelity prototype was used to conduct usability studies with 6 participants and receive feedback and critique, which we then iterated on.
You can access the final prototype here.
What I Learned
Matchify was my first experience working with a team of UXers. It was much different than my previous projects done for my professional certificate, where I was the only one with a hand on the wheel. This experience was massively important for my work moving forward as it showed me how to work in a UX environment with others.
Lean UX is about going beyond deliverables and going fast to learn as much as we can about the users in the shortest amount of time. Instead of the traditional waterfall methodology many teams take, we can accelerate the process by searching for minimum viable product to get our prototypes in the hands of the users as soon as possible.