Figure 1. Mocked-up Obakki’s explore feature
Obakki
Interaction Design
October 2022
tools
Figma
scope
3 week academic project
my role
Visual Design, Content Strategy, Prototyping
team
Ana Lizarraga, Angela Lu, Benjamin Yang, Sabrina Chang, Daniel Castro
01. Overview
An extension of Obakki's existing website. Obakki is a Canadian brand that offers sustainable clothing, accessories, and home decor. The goal of this project was to highlight the stories behind each of their products, and to create a more engaging and memorable experience for customers. By providing storytelling content that deepens the connection between consumers and artisans, we aimed to build customer loyalty and ultimately drive sales for the brand.
02. Framing
Most users are less interested in buying or learning about artisanal products if they don’t know their backstory. Obakki’s current site mixes both editorial and shopping content but is mainly focused on the latter.
We aimed to surface the stories behind each Obakki product in order to strengthen the connection between consumer and artisan, and immerse customers in a more personalized shopping experience.
We aimed to surface the stories behind each Obakki product in order to strengthen the connection between consumer and artisan, and immerse customers in a more personalized shopping experience.
Figure 2. Findings from our user research
03. Research
To develop our approach, I conducted a survey with potential Obakki clients and gathered 42 responses. The survey results revealed that, after price, the story of a product was the most important factor in their purchasing decisions. The survey involved showing an image of an Obakki product without any context and asking participants if they would consider buying it. The majority of respondents said no. However, when a short story of the product was provided, most participants found it more interesting, and a significant decrease in the number of people who said no was observed.
04. Design Solutions
How might we strengthen the connection between consumer and artisan, and immerse customers in a more personalized shopping experience?
- New editorial pages that emphasize the storytelling content
- Implementing tools that help users visualize the products in their space
- Re-thinking the post-purchase experience
The showroom
Users can choose a collection from around the world and browse the catalogue displayed in a showroom style, helping to better visualize the possible uses of the products. I worked on the micro-interactions that happen on mouse hover: a short product description meant to pique the user’s interest.
Obakki in your home
This tool allows customers to upload a picture of their spaces and visualize Obakki products in their potential new home, facilitating the decision to make a purchase. Inspired by IKEA’s Kreativ tool — which allows users to place IKEA furniture and accessories in their own space in lifelike 3D — I suggested the creation of a similar planning solution.
Obakki inspiration board
I designed the interface of this tool, which allows users to find inspiration and to share it with others. Similar to a pinterest board, but full of Obakki’s products only. Users can upload pictures of their Obakki products, or save their favorites to look at later. What better way to shop than seeing what the products look like in action?
I designed the interface of this tool, which allows users to find inspiration and to share it with others. Similar to a pinterest board, but full of Obakki’s products only. Users can upload pictures of their Obakki products, or save their favorites to look at later. What better way to shop than seeing what the products look like in action?
Post-purchase experience
With the intention of building customer loyalty through a post-purchase experience that goes beyond automated emails, I designed a postcard to be sent with each order. This postcard would be signed by the artisan who made the purchased products — a rethought post-purchase experience that aims to add intangible value to the brand.
With the intention of building customer loyalty through a post-purchase experience that goes beyond automated emails, I designed a postcard to be sent with each order. This postcard would be signed by the artisan who made the purchased products — a rethought post-purchase experience that aims to add intangible value to the brand.
05. Reflection
From this project, I learned the importance of examining precedents before embarking on the design process. Precedents not only serve as sources of inspiration but they also provide knowledge about effective design practices. Delving into examples of successful work provided valuable insights into strategies that resonate with other businesses, allowing us to study them and finding ways to integrate them into our own work.
My team and I also learned the importance of communication to ensure everyone’s ideas were heard and taken into account. However, we also learned that sometimes you have to let go of ideas that are not doing much for your project, even if a lot of time has been invested into them.
Finally, I learned that as UX/UI designers, we can craft connections that extend beyond the virtual realm; we possess the ability to shape meaningful interactions in the physical world too. The key lies in understanding your users and a genuine commitment to enhancing their experiences.
My team and I also learned the importance of communication to ensure everyone’s ideas were heard and taken into account. However, we also learned that sometimes you have to let go of ideas that are not doing much for your project, even if a lot of time has been invested into them.
Finally, I learned that as UX/UI designers, we can craft connections that extend beyond the virtual realm; we possess the ability to shape meaningful interactions in the physical world too. The key lies in understanding your users and a genuine commitment to enhancing their experiences.
Figure 3. My teammate Ben inspecting Obakki’s
products during our visit to their warehouse.
products during our visit to their warehouse.