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Ashley León

UX/UI Designer

UX Researcher

UI Designer

Psychologist

Ashley León

UX/UI Designer

UX Researcher

UI Designer

Psychologist

Case study – Mercado libre

  • Date: January - February 2024
  • Made for: Laboratoria
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Mercado Libre
About the project
Mercado Libre

In this project, I've chosen the Mercado Libre mobile app to identify areas for improvement using Design Thinking. During testing, we found that users had difficulty locating the seller’s profile. Together with my team, I developed a solution that, after moderated testing, significantly enhanced the user experience.

Main Responsibilities
  • Analizing business objectives
  • Evaluating usability
  • Conducting user testing
  • Design of low, medium and high-fidelity wireframes
Empathyze

Business Understanding

For this part of the project, we reviewed Mercado Libre's guiding principles, emphasizing transparency as the key to building trust. Their code of ethics highlights the importance of clear communication, fair practices, accountability, and ethical conduct. Aligning with these values helped us focus on improving the app's user experience while staying true to Mercado Libre’s commitment to integrity and transparency.

Heuristic Analysis

In our analysis of the Mercado Libre mobile app, we identified several areas for improvement. Addressing these issues will improve user experience, making the app more intuitive and user-friendly.
Visibility of System Status

The app lacks clear shipment notifications and estimated delivery times.

Recognition Rather Than Recall

Purchase summaries are too brief, causing uncertainty and delays in the buying process.

User Control and Freedom
The Android version lacks an easy way to return to the home screen, unlike iOS.
Efficiency and Flexibility

No tutorials are available for users.

Error Recovery

The "listing ended" message is unclear when products are sold or removed.

Help and Documentation

The app lacks tutorials.

Benchmark

Amazon
Amazon
Both Android and iOS have a bottom navigation bar, clear categories, trending offers, secure transactions, a wide product catalog with many reviews, and fast returns. Seller profiles are easy to find.
eBay
eBay
Includes special offers and a categories section, but prices lack clarity. Does not prioritize showing local products, though it specifies product locations.
AliExpress
AliExpress
Bottom navigation bar, product feed, easy-to-find seller profiles, and simple commenting system. Product organization could be more detailed.
Shein
Shein
Bottom navigation bar, new products section, and easy access to seller profiles and comments.
Conclusions
  • UI Consistency: All platforms feature a bottom navigation bar, improving user experience.
  • Seller Profile Accessibility: Amazon, AliExpress, Shein, and eBay make seller profiles easy to find, building trust.
  • Product Information: Amazon excels in product clarity and reviews, while eBay needs better price transparency and product organization.

Poll

We created a poll and conducted it through Google Forms. The sample consisted of ten users who had at least some knowledge about Mercado Libre.
Conclusions
  • Users are delaying their purchases due to insufficient information about the seller's profile, presenting an opportunity to enhance this area.
  • Users have difficulty finding the seller's profile; they can easily locate the rating but not the profile itself.
  • They also express frustration with the organization of the profile, as products are not clearly organized.

Moderate Usability Test

We conducted a moderated usability test with 6 users (3 beginners and 3 experts) who completed the following tasks:
Tasks
  • Buy men's pants and visit the seller's profile.
  • Find promotions or deals.
  • Purchase a second-hand dining table.
  • Search for a blender, ask a question, visit the seller's profile, browse kitchen items, attempt a purchase, and return to the home screen.
Conclusions
  • Difficulty finding the seller's profile.
  • Questions section is hard to access.
  • Insufficient seller information.
  • Lack of product reviews.
Define

Learning Card

Ideate

Moodboard

Ideation Matrix

Paper Sketches

Check

A/B Testing

We tested the Mercado Libre app by asking users to find the seller's profile and gather information like reviews, sold items, and ratings. Then, we repeated the test with our proposed design. Users found our version more intuitive, with easier access to the seller's profile and information.