The Challenge

The world today is a digital-first one and because of this, small businesses face a daunting challenge. They need to establish a strong online presence, manage customer relationships, process payments, and handle marketing - all while running their day-to-day operations. Tappi aimed to solve this by creating a comprehensive SAAS platform that would empower small businesses to thrive in the digital world.

My Role

As the Principal Product Designer, I shouldered the entire user experience design process. My responsibilities included:

1. Conducting in-depth user research

2. Developing user personas and journey maps

3. Creating the information architecture

4. Designing the UI for all platform features

5. Developing a comprehensive design system

6. Designing Tappi's marketing website

7. Conducting usability testing and iterating on designs

The challenge was immense: create an intuitive interface that could handle complex operations without overwhelming users. It required a delicate balance of power and simplicity.

Deep Dive Into User Needs

To truly understand our users, we employed a multi-faceted research approach:

1. Contextual Observations: We shadowed small business owners, observing their daily operations and pain points firsthand.

2. In-Depth Interviews: We conducted 50+ interviews with a diverse range of merchants, from salon owners to restaurateurs.

3. Quantitative Surveys: We gathered data from over 500 small business owners to validate our qualitative findings.

Key Insights Derived

• Time is their most precious resource. Every feature needed to save time, not consume it.

• They're experts in their field, not in technology. The platform needed to be intuitive enough for tech novices.

• They need a unified solution. Juggling multiple tools was a major pain point.

• They crave actionable insights. Data without context was seen as useless.

Persona Development

Based on our research, we developed three key personas:

1. Sandra (Salon Owner): Ambitious and customer-focused, she needs tools to build relationships and streamline operations.

2. Reema (Restaurant Owner): Data-driven and efficiency-oriented, she requires detailed analytics and automated processes.

3. Dennis (Dentist): Quality-focused and traditional, he seeks to modernize his practice while maintaining a personal touch.

These personas guided every design decision, ensuring we never lost sight of our users' needs.

To further understand the user journeys, we mapped out the end-to-end experiences of these personas, from initial customer acquisition to post-purchase engagement and retention. These visual representations identified opportunities for improvement and informed the design of optimized user flows.

Design Process: From Concept to Reality

Tappi's visual identity was carefully crafted to evoke a sense of innovation, vibrancy, and user-centricity. The product team collaborated closely with the branding team to create a cohesive and compelling visual language.

1. Color Palette: A vibrant yet harmonious palette was curated, blending bold, attention-grabbing hues with softer, more soothing tones, creating a dynamic and energetic ambiance.

2. Typography: Clean, modern, and highly legible typefaces were selected for optimal readability and accessibility, while complementary display fonts added visual impact and brand expression.

3. Iconography and Illustrations: A comprehensive icon library and vibrant, abstract illustrations were integrated throughout the platforms, serving as visual anchors and enhancing overall usability and brand recognition.

4. Layout and Visual Hierarchy: The platforms' layouts and visual hierarchies were thoughtfully orchestrated to ensure a seamless and engaging user experience, with strategic use of whitespace, content prioritization, and visual cues.

The Tappi Solution: A Comprehensive Platform

Tappi needed to be more than just a tool - it needed to be a digital partner for small businesses. I designed a suite of integrated features:

1. DIY Website Builder: Small business owners can create professional websites without coding skills.

2. Social Media Ad Campaign Manager: Users can create, manage, and track social media ads all in one place.

3. Integrated Payment Processing: Seamless payment collection for businesses, hassle-free transactions for customers.

4. Review Management System: Businesses can monitor and respond to customer reviews across platforms.

5. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Businesses can easily manage customer data, interactions, and feedback.

6. Analytics Dashboard: They also get actionable insights on sales, customer behavior, and marketing performance.

Extending the Brand: Tappi's Marketing Website

The Tappi platform was just one piece of the puzzle. To drive adoption, we needed a compelling marketing website. I led the design of this crucial touchpoint, focusing on:

• Clear, benefit-driven messaging

• Interactive product demos

• Compelling customer success stories

• A streamlined sign-up process

The website design applied the design system I created, ensuring brand consistency while optimizing for conversion.

Crafting the Email Experience

In addition to the platform and website, I took on the crucial task of designing Tappi's email templates. Email communication is a vital touchpoint for user engagement and retention, so I approached this with the same user-centric mindset I applied to the rest of the project.

Key aspects of the email design process included:

1. Consistency with Brand Identity: I ensured the email designs aligned perfectly with the design system I had created, maintaining brand consistency across all user touchpoints.

2. Responsive Design: I crafted templates that would render beautifully across various email clients and devices, from desktop to mobile.

3. Tailored Templates: I designed a variety of templates for different purposes, including welcome emails, transaction confirmations, product updates, and marketing campaigns.

4. Accessibility: I paid close attention to accessibility standards, ensuring the emails would be readable by screen readers and optimizing for color contrast.

Implementation was a collaborative effort. I worked closely with our development team to implement these designs using Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), an email marketing and automation platform. This collaboration involved:

1. Providing detailed design specifications and assets

2. Advising on HTML and CSS best practices for email

3. Conducting thorough testing across different email clients

4. Iterating on designs based on technical constraints and user feedback

This process not only resulted in visually appealing and effective email communications but also strengthened my ability to collaborate with development teams and work within technical constraints.

Impact and Results

My user-centric design approach paid off significantly:

• 40% increase in customer acquisition for businesses using Tappi

• 25% boost in completed sales transactions

• 30% improvement in customer retention rates

• 50% increase in organic traffic to Tappi's website

• 30% boost in sign-up conversion rate

Reflecting on the Journey

Leading the design of Tappi as the prinicpal designer was a transformative experience. Key learnings include:

• The power of truly understanding your users. Our in-depth research was the foundation of our success.

• The importance of systems thinking in design. Creating a comprehensive design system allowed us to work more efficiently and consistently.

• The value of cross-functional collaboration. Regular communication with development, marketing, and business teams was crucial.

• The need for continuous iteration. User feedback drove constant improvements, resulting in a product that truly met user needs.

Looking Forward

As Tappi continues to evolve, we'll explore AI-powered features to make the platform even more powerful and user-friendly. The foundation we've built - both in terms of user understanding and design systems - will allow us to innovate rapidly while maintaining a cohesive user experience.

This case study demonstrates my ability to:

• Lead complex, multi-faceted design projects from conception to launch

• Conduct thorough, multi-method user research and translate insights into effective designs

• Create intuitive, user-friendly interfaces for complex systems

• Develop comprehensive design systems that ensure consistency across products

• Design cohesive experiences across product interfaces, marketing materials and email communications

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to implement designs across various platforms and technologies

• Iterate and improve designs based on quantitative and qualitative user feedback

• Deliver measurable business impact through strategic design decisions