CHALLENGE
Create a feature on Etsy that simplifies the Custom Request process by
allowing customers to post a product request and receive quotes from artisans.
SOLUTION
Toggle to Etsy Custom: focused on sharing ideas and skills.
Custom Requests are public (unless otherwise specified) allowing potential buyers to express interest in the creation of a new product and for potential sellers to expand their skillset or practice new skills by proposing and creating new products.
DELIVERABLES
TOOLS
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Design Studio (Rapid sketching)
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Sketch app
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InVision
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Flinto
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Heuristic Evaluation
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
Currently, Etsy does not have a sitewide custom product request feature.
Instead, I found two ways users request custom products:
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Sellers may provide a “Request a custom order” option on any of their individual products.
PRO: Great for requesting small changes to a product, for example measurements or fabric color.
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CON: Not an invitation to submit a new (custom) product idea.
Proposed Solution: Allow shops the option to add a “Request a custom order” directly on their shop profile. However, potential buyers with new product ideas would be limited by directly contacting individual sellers…
Is there a way one request could reach multiple sellers?
2
Within Etsy Community Forums, users open weekly discussions for anyone to post custom item requests.
PRO: A space for the community to connect and discuss ideas.
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CON: By chance your request may be found by an artisan, but most likely not the best person for the job.
Proposed Solution: Create a feature to submit public custom requests and allow artisans to propose design ideas.
And that's what I set out to create. (Scroll down)
INTERVIEWS + SURVEYS
I conducted interviews and created an online survey to connect with current Etsy users and get their ideas about a custom item request feature.
There's a lot I can picture in my head but I can't actually create it.
What do you think about Etsy providing a service for buyers to submit public custom item requests for sellers to respond with quotes and design ideas ?
For projects that are very unique and special, I think a way to evaluate quotes and people who can make items could be useful for buyers!
Might add complications to Etsy itself because why bother looking through pages of content to find what you want when you can just request something and wait for sellers to come to you?
Betsy
"The Unique Shopper"
Dave
"The Novice Shopper"
Kayla
"The Creative Soul"
PERSONAS
Based off of the interviews and survey responses I created the above personas as a representation of the impact that Etsy Custom could have on real people.
RESULTING FEATURES
The responses I received resulted in the following features:
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Detailed fields on the custom item request form
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A smart Etsy Products Suggestions "ad" placed on the Custom Item Request form
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Custom notifications ​for sellers keeping them informed of new projects of interest
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DESIGN STUDIO
To kick off the design process, I and my team conducted a Design Studio in order to rapidly produce our ideas and immediately provide feedback on what works and what doesn't.
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This process was immensely helpful for me and my team to move on to the next stage: Wireframing
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WIREFRAMES + ANNOTATIONS
I very quickly moved from sketching to wireframes with visual design by following Etsy's current design style. The transition between Etsy and Etsy Custom should not be overwhelming; even though the business model is different.
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Check out the Invision prototype to get a feel and download the annotated wireframes to dig into all the details.
ETSY vs ETSY CUSTOM
Etsy Custom serves an entirely different purpose than Etsy. Where Etsy is focused on purchases, Etsy Custom is focused on creating and sharing design ideas and concepts - No purchase necessary (yet).
How to distinguish Etsy Custom from Etsy:
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Etsy Custom Logo I placed the Etsy Custom logo directly next to the Etsy logo. Once clicked, the user will arrive at the Etsy Custom homepage. Each logo is highlighted when the user is within the respected platform.
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Blue Complimentary to Etsy's orange theme, I choose blue to represent Etsy Custom as an indication to the user they are on Etsy Custom.
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No cart Users will not be making purchases through Etsy Custom, so I have removed the cart feature from Etsy Custom's navigation. In order to purchase a custom item request that has been made to completion, the buyer will navigate to the seller's shop within Etsy's main platform.
SMART SUGGESTIONS
Within the Custom Request form, I added a smart product suggestion section. As the user fills out the form and adds more and more details, the product suggestions will continually update and automatically refresh to display the best matching products currently available for purchase on Etsy.
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This feature meets both the user and business goals:
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Business: Sell things ASAP The ultimate goal of Etsy is to sell goods. By displaying current products available for purchase right now, Etsy has a greater chance of creating purchases quicker. If the user publishes the initial request, it could take many weeks or months for the purchase to be finalized.
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User: Own product ASAP The goal of the user filling out the custom request form *ideally* would be to submit a completely custom product request
PUBLIC REQUESTS + PROPOSALS
Although underwhelming, the addition of social features is very important for the success of Etsy Custom.
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Etsy Custom allows anyone to post proposals; whether you are a craftsman or a novice at trade. The persona Kayla represents a novice who wants to try her hand at a new trade! She'll submit a proposal and it will either be accepted or rejected by the requester.
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Even if a proposal is rejected by the original requester, the seller may have gained enough feedback from likes or direct messages that would encourage her to continue with her design to creation!
NEXT STEPS
Continuing this project, I want to complete the flow on the sellers' side (a proposal form) and the flow from proposal acceptance to creation and purchase.
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I strongly believe in the potential for this project and have thoroughly enjoyed the work! If you've enjoyed my work as well, please contact me!