The search for the right product-market fit
Background
The problem
Shelfmark is an early stage startup that uses camera footage and the power of AI to drive analytics for inventory management.
Shelfmark’s goal is to create a scalable B2B product that would be sellable to big corporations such as gas stations and grocery stores.
The approach
The goal of my UX work with Shelfmark was to rapidly prototype an MVP that would find the right product-market fit.
UX Audit Summary
Prior to my arrival, the team at Shelfmark had built an MVP to view camera footage that would be eventually used for AI capabilities. I conducted a brief UX Audit and found:
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accessibility issues
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orientation of the user
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poor site navigation
Enhancements to Site Navigation
Following a UX audit, I introduced enhancements to the original Shelfmark app including:
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site mapping
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increasing accessibility of colors
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adjusting site navigation to fit best practices
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building a design system for quick future iteration
Data Visualizations of Machine Learning Insights
I quickly iterated to create responsive data visualizations that were mobile responsive using best UX practices and primary research.
How might we present the data of 20+ stores?
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used a horizontal bar graph to account for long titles
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gave users the control to show as much data as needed through filters
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highlighted top 3/4 pieces of data
How might we efficiently display time trends of 200+ products?
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Used colors to filter products
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Created a responsive filter board
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Used a tooltip to allow a user to investigate
How might we conduct user research when there are no users?
Shelfmark did not have any users but through participating in sales demos to pitch the software, I was able to learn key pain points for our users:
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current ways of managing inventory
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clear simple data is most important
Demo of Shelfmark’s developed product based on designs
Outcome
Shelfmark’s platform grew and gained contracts from companies such as Coca Cola, 7-Eleven, and Wegmans, resulting in a 6x annual revenue increase.
Shelfmark is still expanding as a platform and we are currently developing the next iteration of our product.
Reflection
Cross Team Collaboration
Throughout designing, I used the following for clear communication:
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clean file management on Figma
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extensive documentations for design decisions
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early design review sessions across stakeholders to ensure business and technical feasibility
Rapid Prototyping
In an agile environment, priorities often shifted to meet MVP demands. Having a design system to build and maintain was helpful for quick prototyping.