The current UI/UX of the platform is heavily focused on promotions and appears visually cluttered. The business had initially assumed that the platform was adequate and only required a UI update for B2B users. As one of two UX designers on the team, my responsibilities encompassed conducting user research, preparing research reports, conducting usability testing, creating a design system, developing flowcharts, and wireframing. In addition, I made significant contributions to product documentation by crafting user stories and acceptance criteria.
Define
Our research revealed significant differences in the shopping behaviors of B2C and B2B customers. We categorized these behaviors as "Browse Oriented" and "Task Oriented" shopping. The former was more common among consumers and entailed searching, browsing, and seeking inspiration. The latter was prevalent among business customers, who considered shopping a task. For them, the focus was on acquiring a specific product with minimal distractions.
Design
We realized that there were significant distinctions between B2C and B2B that needed to be taken into account. For instance, the overall styling of the site, as well as accounts, PDP, and onboarding, required a complete overhaul to cater to the unique needs of the business user.
On Boarding
In order to address the issue of verification for new B2B users, we developed a strategy to automatically convert existing B2C members to B2B if they had a .gov email. However, we recognized that this solution was insufficient for new users. To further tackle the verification problem, we utilized comparative flows and flow charts to gain a deeper understanding of how we could validate new users. These design techniques allowed us to identify areas for improvement in the onboarding process and develop a more streamlined and effective solution for new B2B users.
Search / PDP
Our research showed that users favored searching by product number as it was the most efficient way to locate a product and reference it in their documentation. Therefore, we made product numbers more prominent on product cards to facilitate quicker access to the desired product.
Accounts
The challenge faced was developing a user experience for businesses that accommodated multiple individuals associated with a single account. A comprehensive UX was created by conducting extensive research to identify the pain points of businesses, their purchasing processes, roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in procurement, and developing features to enable tracking of spending, monitoring expenses, and generating reports for better financial management. The UX allowed multiple individuals to access and manage the same account, with specific roles and permissions assigned to each user. Collaborating with clients resulted in a highly functional and user-friendly UX that made it easy for businesses to manage their accounts and make informed purchasing decisions.
Takeaways
During the initial phase of user interviews, our team stumbled upon a significant insight that led to a breakthrough moment - the realization that there were fundamental differences in shopping behaviors between B2C and B2B customers. This was a pivotal moment for our team as it helped us to understand the unique needs of our B2B users and identify key mental models that could be incorporated into our design.
With this insight, we were able to create an elegant and simple solution that catered to the specific needs of our B2B customers. We focused on designing a UX that enabled users to quickly and efficiently locate the products they needed, with minimal distractions or unnecessary elements. We also incorporated features that allowed businesses to track their spending and manage their accounts with ease.
Our team used a range of design methods and techniques, including user flows, wireframes, and usability testing, to ensure that our design solutions were effective and met the needs of our users. We worked closely with our clients to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments throughout the design process, resulting in a highly refined and user-friendly UX.
In conclusion, identifying the key mental model early in our process allowed us to deliver a solution that was not only effective but also elegant and simple. Our focus on understanding the unique needs of B2B customers helped us to create a UX that was tailored to their specific needs, resulting in a solution that was well-received by our clients and their users.
