Enhance E-Commerce Sales
with AI-Powered SaaS for Retailers

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CONTEXT

Seak, a start-up, aiming to help small business retailers from Southeast Asia specialising in lifestyle products to grow sales and open the market in the U.S. and other developed markets. I was brought on to the team to lead the MVP design of the SaaS Platform and validate the product ideas through concept testing.

TEAM

Solo designer working with 2 founders, 1 Product Manager and 1 Engineer

TIMELINE

July - September, 2023

SCOPE

Lead the end-to-end design of the SaaS platform

IMPACT

0 to 15 buyers
with 100 in the pipeline attracted

98%
User satisfaction from 35 user testing

PROBLEM
How to help Southeast Asian retailers build a scalable and repeatable export channel?

Khun May seeks to enter developed markets like the U.S. and offer curated lifestyle products to retailers like Elizabeth

Khun May's PROBLEM

01. Lack of Info

Inability to make informed decisions about inventory management, marketing strategies, and product development due to a lack of actionable data

02. Limited Sales

Discovery is limited to occasional social media interactions, with products suffering from low visibility and weak search functionality

03.  Alien Market

Struggle with adapting to cultural differences, navigating foreign regulations, and clearly communicating the brand's value to new market

HMW help Khun May navigate
unfamiliar markets at scale

SOLUTION

An AI-driven SaaS Platform helps Khun May export to foreign markets

Problem 1 - Lack of Info

Solution
Product Overview gives retailers detailed insights into product performance, helping them make informed decisions for better market alignment

Problem 2 - Limited Sales

Solution
Distribute Product Listings to various B2B marketplaces seamlessly to increase discoverability

Problem 3 - Alien Market

Solution
Utilize AI for optimizing listings, including customizable and searchable titles for better SEO score

ITERATION

AI Optimization Exploration

Starting with market research and a competitive audit on AI use, and then incorporating feedback from discussions with cross-functional stakeholders, I had 2 major design changes accordingly.

HOW TO PRESENT AI

A. Floating Window

Engineer: complex coding for dynamic positioning, independent styling & stacking
PM: less predictable user interface, potentially leading to confusion

B. Symmetrical Layout

Engineer: easier to code while elements are arranged in a mirrored pattern
PM: straightforward responsiveness helps reduce friction

HOW TO SHOWCASE AI BENEFITS

Before

1. AI Benefit Showcase: Users expressed uncertainty regarding the source and relevance of the suggested uplift
2. Action Feedback: After selecting 'Accept,' the modification to the product name is not readily apparent, as the attention is drawn more to the transformation of the button itself

After

Information Layout: The 'Estimated SEO score' directly below the product name offers instant feedback, aiding informed decision-making
Consistency and Feedback: There is a clear cause and effect displayed - the suggestion is made with the specific outcome of improving SEO, providing clear and immediate feedback.

UI STYLE GUIDE
REFLECTION

Connection to Business Goals

At MVP stage, it's imperative to prioritize features that not only address the primary user needs but also have the potential to drive key business metrics such as user acquisition and activation rates. In hindsight, a more rigorous validation of feature impact on these metrics could have further optimized our MVP for business success.

Team Collaboration

In a start-up, balancing speed and quality is essential. We need to iterate quickly while keeping the user experience in focus. Going forward, I'll push for regular, structured team syncs and use agile frameworks to align design and engineering efforts.