Making lives of internal employees easy through redBox
Making lives of internal employees easy through redBox
As a product designer my job is to make my customers’s life easy, be it external customers or internal employees. We are generally known for solving problems of external customers i.e., our users but what about internal employees, who will solve their problems. That’s where this project comes into the picture.
As a product designer my job is to make my customers’s life easy, be it external customers or internal employees. We are generally known for solving problems of external customers i.e., our users but what about internal employees, who will solve their problems. That’s where this project comes into the picture.
Problem statement
Problem statement
Design a classified platform for the internal employees of redBus where people can buy/sell their products.
Design a classified platform for the internal employees of redBus where people can buy/sell their products.
Why do we even need this?
Why do we even need this?
This requirement had came from HR team at redBus saying we need a classified platform for the employees.
Every buy/sell email first goes to HR team for moderation. After successful moderation, they only send the same email to all the employees. As they were hiring more and more people, the count of buy/sell emails started to increase. It was becoming even more difficult for them to manage those emails.
From employees’ perspective, their mails also started getting spammed with a huge amount of buy/sell emails. Many of them eventually contacted HR to stop this spamming. For them also, it’s a problem.
This requirement had came from HR team at redBus saying we need a classified platform for the employees.
Every buy/sell email first goes to HR team for moderation. After successful moderation, they only send the same email to all the employees. As they were hiring more and more people, the count of buy/sell emails started to increase. It was becoming even more difficult for them to manage those emails.
From employees’ perspective, their mails also started getting spammed with a huge amount of buy/sell emails. Many of them eventually contacted HR to stop this spamming. For them also, it’s a problem.
PS: Due to NDA constraints, I can’t share the screenshots of the buy/sell emails.
PS: Due to NDA constraints, I can’t share the screenshots of the buy/sell emails.
This project aims to cater the needs of the employees of having a platform where they can buy/sell anything internally.
This project aims to cater the needs of the employees of having a platform where they can buy/sell anything internally.
A little bit of research
A little bit of research
After discussing and then documenting the requirements from VP of HR at redBus, I kick started the project by doing a little bit of research. I went to already existing classified platforms like Quikr and OLX to see how they work.
After browsing their websites for quite a good amount of time and also checking their posting flow, I sat down and wrote all the categories we needed, what will be the flow and a lot of other stuff.
Not much research like user interviews and all was needed for this project because I face the exact same issue in my college as well. So, after talking to a lot of my friends about this problem in the college campus, I exactly knew what people want from platforms like this.
After discussing and then documenting the requirements from VP of HR at redBus, I kick started the project by doing a little bit of research. I went to already existing classified platforms like Quikr and OLX to see how they work.
After browsing their websites for quite a good amount of time and also checking their posting flow, I sat down and wrote all the categories we needed, what will be the flow and a lot of other stuff.
Not much research like user interviews and all was needed for this project because I face the exact same issue in my college as well. So, after talking to a lot of my friends about this problem in the college campus, I exactly knew what people want from platforms like this.
PS: I also want a similar platform in my college as well :)
PS: I also want a similar platform in my college as well :)
Defining the user flow
Defining the user flow
After doing some research, I created a user flow to get an idea of how the user will navigate on the platform. This user flow eventually helped me in making non-ambiguous visual design decisions.
After doing some research, I created a user flow to get an idea of how the user will navigate on the platform. This user flow eventually helped me in making non-ambiguous visual design decisions.
Defining the sitemap
Defining the sitemap
Sitemap was then created to segregate the information where the user expects it to be present. My main goal was to exactly match information hierarchy in users mental model with that of design.
Sitemap was then created to segregate the information where the user expects it to be present. My main goal was to exactly match information hierarchy in users mental model with that of design.
Yes, now it’s the time for visual design
Yes, now it’s the time for visual design
I started off the visual design by creating a basic wireframe of the homepage. Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to create wireframes for other pages. This project had to wrap up in just 5 days (as mentioned by the stakeholders).
I started off the visual design by creating a basic wireframe of the homepage. Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to create wireframes for other pages. This project had to wrap up in just 5 days (as mentioned by the stakeholders).
After creating the homepage wireframe, I was in a good position to discuss it with our head of design (one of the stakeholders). I discussed the design and user flow with him and got the following feedback:
The card layout won’t work as it’s difficult to scan. This layout also doesn’t support the use case when there’s no image.
Location is missing and it’s critical due to the fact that redBus offices are spread across India.
Finally, comes the most awaited part of the story i.e., the high fidelity design.
After creating the homepage wireframe, I was in a good position to discuss it with our head of design (one of the stakeholders). I discussed the design and user flow with him and got the following feedback:
The card layout won’t work as it’s difficult to scan. This layout also doesn’t support the use case when there’s no image.
Location is missing and it’s critical due to the fact that redBus offices are spread across India.
Finally, comes the most awaited part of the story i.e., the high fidelity design.
Homepage
Homepage
I changed the layout from card based to stream based (or feed based) as it’s easy to scan. After going through my LinkedIn and Twitter feeds, I consciously made this design decision.
I also added the location option for the employees to make sure they search for products/services in their city only.
I changed the layout from card based to stream based (or feed based) as it’s easy to scan. After going through my LinkedIn and Twitter feeds, I consciously made this design decision.
I also added the location option for the employees to make sure they search for products/services in their city only.
Post a listing
Post a listing
For posting a listing, users need to login else they can browse the feed without login.
We are showing the contact details of the seller in post a listing modeal to make sure that these will be the details that a seller will see.
After the listing is posted, it will sent to a person who will moderate all the listings. Upon successful moderation, the listing will appear in the feed and the seller will be notified about posting via email.
For posting a listing, users need to login else they can browse the feed without login.
We are showing the contact details of the seller in post a listing modeal to make sure that these will be the details that a seller will see.
After the listing is posted, it will sent to a person who will moderate all the listings. Upon successful moderation, the listing will appear in the feed and the seller will be notified about posting via email.
My listings
My listings
On my listings page, users can see their saved draft (if any) while posting a listing.
Users can also use the “Mark as sold” option to mark a product as sold and it will disappear from the feed. If they don’t do it, the listing will automatically disappear from the feed after one month. This timeline we decided based on technical constraints.
On my listings page, users can see their saved draft (if any) while posting a listing.
Users can also use the “Mark as sold” option to mark a product as sold and it will disappear from the feed. If they don’t do it, the listing will automatically disappear from the feed after one month. This timeline we decided based on technical constraints.
And that’s a wrap
And that’s a wrap
Finally I’ll conclude the story by writing my learnings and constraints I worked under.
Finally I’ll conclude the story by writing my learnings and constraints I worked under.
Constraints
Constraints
Login was a tech constraints in this case. I was very confused between creating our own login portal or fetching details using Google API. After discussing with developer about how the user will login, I created another user flow which you saw in this case study.
As there was no design system suited for web products, I had to create them from scratch.
Login was a tech constraints in this case. I was very confused between creating our own login portal or fetching details using Google API. After discussing with developer about how the user will login, I created another user flow which you saw in this case study.
As there was no design system suited for web products, I had to create them from scratch.
Learnings
Learnings
I learnt how to work in agile environment where I had a very less amount of time for this project. I learnt how to work fast yet produce quality work.
I learnt how to take feedback and which feedback to absorb. It’s not necessary to listen every feedback and commit to it.
I learnt how to work in agile environment where I had a very less amount of time for this project. I learnt how to work fast yet produce quality work.
I learnt how to take feedback and which feedback to absorb. It’s not necessary to listen every feedback and commit to it.
Team
Team
UX Designer: Vaibhav Aggarwal
UX Designer: Vaibhav Aggarwal
Lead UX Designer(my manager): Saranya Remanan
Lead UX Designer(my manager): Saranya Remanan
Head of Design: Netesh Chandra
Head of Design: Netesh Chandra
Developer: Prashanth S P Bhardwaj
Developer: Prashanth S P Bhardwaj
Up next
Up next
