DEFINING PERSONAS:

There will be two kind of users for this app: the buyer and the seller (farmer)

I conducted video interviews with 10 users (5 farmers and 5 potential buyers) to develop a rich understanding of their shopping habits and problems. I completed the research with surveys in order to obtain the best idea as possible about the user’s behaviour, preferences, habits, characteristics, etc.. and empathise with them.

After the interviews and surveys, as well as my personal observations,  I obtained the necessary information to define the “personas" or archetype of the two types of users that will use the app.

USER 1: THE FARMER

A first group formed by modern and technology-friendly farmers who want to open a new line of business or just make extra money selling their quality products in their area.

A perfect prototype of this kind of user could also be people tired of the stress of cities who left their jobs to achieve a calmer and more relaxed lifestyle in the countryside and rural areas dedicated to agriculture.

Name: Francisco

Age: 52

Status: Married

Education: Second Grade

Job: Farmer

USER 2: THE BUYER

On the other hand, the other group of users would be consumers aware of the negative impact of chemicals and intensive agriculture in the environment, as well as the importance of eating quality ecological fruits and vegetables to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

These kinds of users would have a remarkable social and environmental awareness.

Name: Sara

Age: 28

Status: Single

Education: University Degree

Job: Ambientalist

HOW DOES THE APP WORK?

The app will work in a similar way as Tinder, Uber or AirbNb, using geolocation to define an area near to these users seeking to buy eco products directly to the farmers, being the area close enough to pick the goods at the farmers place with their own car. Delivery could also be an option with an extra fee 

The idea behind this process is to create a positive and empowering interaction between the urban customers willing to buy top quality vegetables and fruits at fair rates, and the local/rural producers near them, which are an slightly conservative economic sector in terms of work and commercialization procedures, that has historically been left behind in terms of digital technology and innovation. 

This solution would aim to empower this collective taking advantage of technology to help them to fight against abusive intermediary costs and very low and unfair prices paid by major corporations and supermarkets. 

This solution, would also allow the customers to see the fields where the products are grown, checking its quality, its origin, etc…(the idea is not just to buy stuff, but to become a kind of experience itself for those people who are sick and tired of ultra-processed food, additives, etc and want go back to the roots) and in the other hand, would avoid the inconvenience of delivering the goods, which is one of the main handicaps the farmers face when they want to sell their products.

Both, the customers (people willing to buy products) and the farmers, will create a profile on the app where they will describe clearly their goals, value proposals and preferences. After that, the main action to be taken within the app, will be to create a link between these two groups in order to meet supply and demand in a direct, frictionless and fair way, where both parties will win.

CREATIVE PROCESS

IDEATION AND SKETCHING

In this initial phase, We spent a few days building the basis of the project. After researching the more detailed info as possible about the potential users, competitors, functionalities, and other features, here We decided what the main structure of the app would be and how the whole process would work.

In this initial stage, Sketching  was a simple yet super effective method of putting thoughts to paper, whether it was when describing thoughts to colleagues or brainstorming new solutions individually and as a group. 

One of the main challenges I faced in this phase, was at the very beginning with the login functionality. I had to decide whether the app should have a unique sing up form for both the users (buyers and sellers) or differentiate both roles initially offering two different forms.

This was a key decision since it would affect and modify the whole structure of the app dramatically, and We had to make sure that the right and smartest approach was the one we chose. 

In the beginning, our premise was that the possibility of splitting the users at the very beginning could make the subsequent usage of the app easier and simpler for each user/role. We also thought that it could be a good idea, since we could categorize and tag certain characteristics and preferences of each user, making the whole experience more accurate.

In order to decide which path to follow, We carried out the sketching of both basic roads, carefully compared them, as well as researched competitor's decisions in this sense.

After analyzing the pros and cons of each option, We discovered that the unique sing up form option has become almost an industry convention, and would be the more convenient option for the users and for us as designers, since it would simplify the process a lot. It would also offer more versatility and contemplate the possibility for the user to acquire both roles eventually, allowing him/her to purchase/sell products within the same profile.