04 — UX/UI & DIGITAL PRODUCT DESIGN
ArtisanCrafts — Research-Led Marketplace Design
User Research · Journey Mapping · Prototyping
Introduction
ArtisanCrafts is a conceptual handmade-goods marketplace created for the IBM UI/UX Designer Professional Certificate capstone project.
The challenge was to translate an existing pop-up market and social-media presence into a responsive ecommerce experience that feels authentic, trustworthy and easy to use.
The project focused on helping customers discover products, understand their craftsmanship, verify the maker and complete a confident purchase across desktop and mobile.
My role covered brief analysis, research, competitive analysis, information architecture, user flows, feature prioritisation, responsive wireframing, prototyping and usability testing.
Project Snapshot
Project type | Academic UX/UI capstone |
Product | Conceptual handmade-goods marketplace |
Primary audience | Conscious shoppers and gift buyers |
My role | UX research, strategy, information architecture, wireframing and prototyping |
Core challenge | Balancing efficient ecommerce with maker storytelling and trust |
Screen constraint | Four responsive screens |
Project status | Tested academic prototype; not a launched marketplace |
Project Goals
No. | Goal |
01 | Create an intuitive handmade-product discovery experience. |
02 | Communicate the stories and processes behind independent makers. |
03 | Build trust around authenticity, materials and premium pricing. |
04 | Design a clear journey across desktop and mobile. |
05 | Prioritise the most important screens within the project constraint. |
06 | Create an accessible and scalable interface foundation. |
07 | Prepare clear design documentation for future implementation. |
Research & Strategy
The project began by separating confirmed brief requirements from assumptions requiring further validation.
Research area | Question |
Audience | Who is most likely to purchase handmade products online? |
Authenticity | What evidence helps customers trust an unfamiliar maker? |
Product detail | Which materials, dimensions and care information are required? |
Premium pricing | What helps customers understand the value of handcrafted goods? |
Storytelling | How much maker information supports rather than interrupts shopping? |
Discovery | Which categories and filters help customers find suitable products? |
Checkout | What information is needed before customers feel ready to purchase? |
Research Findings
Finding | Design implication |
Authenticity is the primary trust signal. | Show the maker, process, materials, imagery and credible reviews. |
Discovery must support inspiration and intent. | Combine categories and collections with practical filters. |
Product detail reduces uncertainty. | Include multiple images, dimensions, materials and care information. |
Artisan profiles create emotional value. | Provide a visible route to the maker’s biography, process and collection. |
Checkout trust is part of the product experience. | Use a clear, familiar and secure-looking purchase journey. |
The research was limited in scale, so its findings were treated as directional rather than representative of a complete customer population.
Primary Persona
Olivia Carter | Conscious gift buyer |
Goals | Find meaningful gifts, verify authenticity and support independent makers |
Motivations | Sustainability, transparency, craftsmanship and emotional connection |
Behaviour | Browses categories, filters by price and material and explores maker profiles |
Information needs | Images, dimensions, materials, care, reviews and sourcing |
Frustrations | Generic imagery, vague descriptions, missing maker context and complicated checkout |
Primary device hypothesis | Mobile |
The persona was used as a decision lens throughout the project:
Does the interface reveal the real maker?
Does it provide evidence of authenticity?
Does it support discovery without overload?
Does checkout feel clear and secure?
Problem & Opportunity Definition
Problem | Design opportunity |
Customers cannot easily verify authenticity. | Present maker identity, process, materials and supporting evidence. |
Poor navigation disrupts discovery. | Combine structured categories with curated and filter-led exploration. |
Premium pricing can be difficult to justify. | Connect product facts with craftsmanship and sourcing information. |
Checkout friction damages trust. | Maintain clarity and reassurance through the purchase journey. |
Competitive Analysis
The competitive review considered Etsy, Uncommon Goods and Pinterest Shopping.
Adopt | Avoid |
Strong product imagery | Crowded navigation |
Search and practical filters | Ambiguous handmade status |
Related-product discovery | Mixed-quality product information |
Visible reviews and policies | Fragmented checkout handoffs |
Maker stories and process information | Storytelling that obscures purchasing |
Curated collections | Excessive recommendation volume |
The opportunity was to combine Pinterest-style discovery with the product evidence, maker identity and checkout confidence expected from a dedicated marketplace.
Information Architecture
Area | Content |
Discovery | Categories, collections, search, filters and gift occasions |
Product | Images, specifications, materials, care, reviews and delivery |
Artisan | Directory, profiles, process stories and product collections |
Purchase | Basket, checkout, delivery, payment and confirmation |
Supporting information | Saved items, tracking, contact, returns and policies |
User & Task Flows
Primary Purchase Flow
DISCOVERY → SEARCH OR BROWSE → PRODUCT RESULTS → PRODUCT DETAIL → TRUST EVALUATION → CART → CHECKOUT → PAYMENT → CONFIRMATION
Product-Filtering Task
OPEN CATEGORY → OPEN FILTERS → SET PRICE → SELECT MATERIAL → APPLY → REVIEW RESULTS → SELECT PRODUCT
Decision point | User question |
Item in mind? | Should I search directly or browse? |
Relevant options? | Do the results match my requirements? |
Enough trust evidence? | Can I verify the product and maker? |
Ready to purchase? | Should I add the item or continue exploring? |
Feature Prioritisation
Priority | Features |
Quick wins | Categories, filters, product specifications, reviews, artisan previews and Add to Cart |
High-impact investment | Secure payment, full artisan profiles, responsive accessibility and sourcing information |
Secondary | Related products, product video, maker journal and recently viewed items |
Future consideration | Personalisation, direct messaging, virtual tours, registries and loyalty |
The initial experience remained focused on discovery, authenticity, trust and purchase completion.
Responsive Screen Design
Screen | User goal | Priority content |
Home & Discovery | Find a relevant handmade product | Search, categories, collections, filters and featured makers |
Product Detail | Assess suitability and authenticity | Images, price, specifications, reviews, maker preview and Add to Cart |
Artisan Profile | Verify the maker and process | Biography, studio, materials, sourcing, ratings and collection |
Checkout | Complete the purchase confidently | Order summary, guest checkout, delivery, payment and confirmation |
Each screen was designed in desktop and mobile formats. The mobile layouts use touch-friendly controls, stacked content and a reduced visual hierarchy.
Prototype & Interaction Design
Interaction | Prototype behaviour |
Browse | Move between categories and featured products |
Filter | Refine products by price and material |
Evaluate | Review imagery, specifications and trust information |
Explore maker | Open the artisan profile and return to the product |
Purchase | Add the item and progress through checkout |
Interface states | Demonstrate default, hover, pressed and disabled controls |
The prototype simulates the selected journey but does not process real payments, stock changes or orders.
Usability Testing
A moderated test was completed using the mid-fidelity mobile prototype.
Task | Result | Next validation step |
Discover a product | Completed independently; browsing was described as intuitive. | Test filter feedback with additional participants. |
Assess authenticity | Product, artisan and trust information was located successfully. | Confirm trust-cue prominence without prompting. |
Continue to purchase | Add-to-cart and checkout progression were completed smoothly. | Test form labels and completion with more participants. |
No immediate high-severity issue was supported by the session. Because the evidence came from one participant, additional testing is required before drawing broader conclusions.
Accessibility Considerations
Requirement | Design consideration |
Hierarchy | Clear headings and predictable content order |
Navigation | Descriptive labels and logical task sequencing |
Controls | Sufficient touch targets and visible interaction states |
Forms | Consistent labels, validation and recovery messages |
Colour | Readable contrast and alternatives to colour-only indicators |
Keyboard use | Navigable controls and logical focus behaviour |
Tools & Methods
Area | Tools and methods |
Research | Brief analysis, user interview and competitive review |
Definition | Persona, problem statements and opportunity questions |
Structure | Sitemap, information architecture and user flows |
Prioritisation | Feature classification and impact-versus-effort analysis |
Design | Responsive wireframes, UI components and style guide |
Prototype | Connected Figma interaction flow |
Evaluation | Moderated usability testing and severity assessment |
Tools | Figma and FigJam |
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge | Response |
The brief did not define a detailed audience. | Separated known facts from assumptions and developed research questions. |
Commerce had to coexist with maker storytelling. | Integrated artisan identity into the product journey. |
Only four responsive screens were permitted. | Prioritised discovery, product detail, artisan profile and checkout. |
The catalogue could make discovery difficult. | Introduced categories, collections and practical filters. |
Premium pricing required stronger evidence. | Added product specifications, sourcing, process and reviews. |
Desktop and mobile needed the same essential journey. | Created paired responsive designs with adapted hierarchy and controls. |
Project Outcome
Completed output | Value |
Research foundation | Defines audience needs, assumptions and validation requirements. |
Information architecture | Organises products, makers and purchasing information coherently. |
User and task flows | Connects discovery, trust evaluation and purchase. |
Prioritised features | Keeps the experience focused on evidence-backed needs. |
Responsive screens | Demonstrates the principal journey on desktop and mobile. |
Interactive prototype | Enables realistic task-based evaluation. |
Usability findings | Provides initial evidence and future testing priorities. |
As this is an educational capstone, it has not been launched as a commercial marketplace and no commercial-performance results are claimed.
Key Deliverables
Research & Strategy | Design & Testing |
Brief and scope analysis | Desktop and mobile wireframes |
Research-question framework | Interactive Figma prototype |
Interview insights | Style guide and UI components |
Persona and empathy map | Usability-testing plan |
Competitive analysis | Testing findings |
Problem statements | Severity assessment |
Sitemap and information architecture | Accessibility considerations |
User and task flows | Developer-focused documentation |
Prioritisation matrix | Success metrics |
Skills Demonstrated
UX research · UX strategy · User interviewing · Persona development · Competitive analysis · Information architecture · User flows · Task flows · Feature prioritisation · Responsive wireframing · Ecommerce UX · Interaction design · Prototyping · Usability testing · Accessibility
Conclusion
ArtisanCrafts demonstrates a research-led approach to designing a responsive ecommerce experience.
The project connects product discovery, maker storytelling, authenticity and purchase confidence within one coherent customer journey.