Fresh Finds: The app that “Connects you to small business around you”
I believe that a local shopping app will encourage and help customers support and shop from local businesses around them.
Shopping locally. It’s been something that has been installed in me from a very young age. Coming from a more rural area, most of the things I lived near were small locally run grocery stores that are staples in my community. I’ve always been aware of shopping locally due to my family. But looking at others, I don’t think that is the same mindset. That can be for ranging different reasons, but I think the main one is just lack of awareness of these locations and using the large corporation shopping like Amazon, Target, or Walmart.
When you shop in your local community, the money spent fixes roads retains jobs, and so much more. When small businesses thrive, they can offer more benefits to employees, and invest back into their businesses, employees, and the community. Shopping local is being apart and contributing to your community.
I believe that there is a need for an app like this. While researching this topic the only applications that I could find were in their funding phases, trying to raise money to create the app.
I believe application, where people can put in the items they need and the output, is local shops that have those items will encourage people to actually go shop locally. This application will have the ability to make shopping locally easier so that users’ money is going into their community, instead of a corporation like Walmart.
I created a survey to do some basic need finding to see if their was an actual issue around this and sent it to some of my colleagues asking them to fill it out about their shopping habits.
Here were my questions:
Age *
Occupation *
Where do you get your groceries from? *
Where do you shop for most products? *
Do you shop locally for any of your items? *
if so, what items?
Is there anything that hinders you from shopping locally currently? *
Would you shop locally more if there was an app that showed you where to acquire items on your shopping list? *
I sent out this survey to some of my friends in their undergrad, young professionals in urban areas, and some middle-aged folks who live in a suburb setting. In total, I received about 20 responses. Most of all the respondents shopped for the majority of their groceries and products at large corporations such as Walmart, Aldis, Target, or Amazon. When asked if participants shop locally most said no or not frequently citing that the lack of knowledge of these stores, the price, or lack of transportation. Those few who did shop locally cited that they shop at farmers markets or specialized boutiques. When asked if participants would be more likely to shop locally that showed you where to acquire items on your shopping list all said yes. Some did add-in that they would specifically use the app if it offered delivery service and recommended certain food products that are currently in season.
This app could be marketable to urban areas or at least where transportation is reliable or accessible. One of the main issues I found during my need-finding was a lot of people don’t shop locally due to not only the lack of knowledge of those stores but lack of transportation.
One of the other issues around shopping local in general is the prices tend to be higher at local shops, I’m unsure what this app could do to fix that, but I do believe this app should be marketed to a wealthier audience who may have the luxury of having money to buy locally.
Introducing Fresh Finds!
After reviewing my need-finding, I believe that there is a need for an app that connects you to local businesses in your area, my need-finding was able to demonstrate that the population I surveyed didn’t shop locally due to lack of knowledge of such businesses. So came the creation of Fresh Finds, an app that “Connects you to small business around you”.
UX Personas:
Lia Escobar
Demographics:
- 24, Single
- Grad student studying or her M.F.A. in Theatre Management
- Located in Palm Springs, CA.
- Works as a Grad Assistant and as a part time Barista
- Medium income
When it comes to shopping and running errands, Lia usually stops at department stores or shops at Target, Walmart, or uses sites like Amazon. She would like to be able to start shopping at local shops/markets around Palm Springs, but just does not have the time to research what specific stores have the products she needs. As well as she is a vegan and finds that a regular google search does not provide the responses tailored to her.
Corey Zimmerman
Demographics:
- 32,Engaged
- Art Department Assistant Head
- Located in Brooklyn, NY.
- Medium-High Income
He shops at local boutiques for specialty items that he got recommended to by friends but that is about it. He is frustrated because he is living in the big city with so many family owned businesses but just doesn't have the time to do research and dig through pages and pages of google results. He wants to be able to have a resource where he can look up local shops in his area, and have the ability to save them to be able to go back to. He usually makes a list to be more efficient while he is doing his weekly shopping but wants to be able to do that in an app that is able to find a local business that holds everything on his shopping lists.
High Priority stories and Flows
- Create Account/Log in
- Search
- Log In and View Saved Stores
- Upload Shopping list
While sitting down and starting to visualize it, there were some ups and downs of what I actually wanted the app to look like.
But ended up as this as my prototype…..
https://xd.adobe.com/view/bba8eb42-44e1-4d62-5ea6-c280f2122ac8-cd99/
I could see this app even going further including comparing prices of local businesses to larger corporations in their local area. As well as even adding a blogging feature for your location where people can share top stores/experiences in a centralized location where others could see it from that same zip code.
CRTIQUE
The largest critique I got was just uniformity of buttons and making sure that was consistent throughout the app. As well as skipping out on some navigation. Updated link down below!
https://xd.adobe.com/view/d6dde901-4ad6-49ad-6867-645ab0389b94-a0ec/