Problem
challenges in electronics recommerce
Many refurbishment businesses want to grab a piece of the pie… But going digital is no easy feat:
Solution
fixably refurb
Fixably Refurb tackles the problem of uninformed decision-making within the recommerce sector, particularly for companies selling used electronic devices.
Summary
COMPANY
Fixably is a SaaS company founded in Helsinki, Finland, in 2019. It offers a comprehensive suite of ERP solutions for repair and refurbishment providers, with the mission of reducing global e-waste levels.
CONTRIBUTIONS
During my time at Fixably, I conducted several kinds of UX research, built out and maintained two design systems (UI + marketing), and conceptualized, designed and prototyped product features and user flows.
In addition, I took care of visual design and branding to differentiate Refurb from its competitors. I was aso the sole person responsible for Fixably Refurb's Help Center (a knowledge base for user guidance).
Timeline
concept → MVP LAUNCH
The timeline below shows a high-level view of the pre-launch product development process.
The first roadmap planning sessions took place in March 2023. An MVP version of the software was launched just four months later, in June 2023.
Discovery + Research
Design + Prototype
Build + Deliver
Research
FOUNDATIoNAL RESEARCH
In order to lay the groundwork for this product, I conducted exploratory research into the repair and recommerce markets to better understand prospective users, how they’re using (or not) existing technologies, and their core needs and pain points.
Delivery
mvp feature set
VISUAL DESIGN
Visually speaking, we honored Fixably's commitment to sustainability by setting dark mode as the default setting, given its energy-saving benefits. With rounded edges and a flat design style that drew both from material and human interface design guidelines, we managed to give the product a fresh feel and a friendly personality.
ARCHITECTURE
Please note that I'm still working on this section! Visuals will be added soon.
Our main goal was to keep things simple, and set building blocks for future iterations. Some examples include:
A "system container" for electronics (the Case entity) that went through different statuses as devices were processed and eventually sold. All information about a certain device, notes, etc. gets stored in a Case.
Modules to manage devices across different statuses (Cases), monitor inventory (Stock), and store supplier and buyer information (Customers).
Continuous discovery
user insights
Once we had delivered the MVP, user interviews and screen recordings were instrumental in guiding further product developments.
To identify new development areas, I also set up a custom Notion database where other teams (i.e., support, sales) can leave insights alongside more traditional forms of user research. This turned out to be a really helpful resource for product research.
Recent improvements
online SALES AND RETURNS
In a nutshell, we continued improving the features, and made some crucial additions:
Sales module: a comprehensive feature set to manage online (& offline) listings with integrations into popular online marketplaces Back Market and Refurbed.
Notifications: an in-app notification system, storing data exports, toast messages, and events from integrated marketplaces (i.e., new sale happened).
Returns: new return flows and redesign of other features to accomodate product returns. The refurbishment industry has high return rates and a liberal returns policy, so this was always at the top of our priority list.
Sales channels
Multi-channel sales management & reporting.
Returns
Prioritizing returned devices to quickly react to incidences.
Notifications
In-app notification system for file downloads and more.
Acknowledgements
the refurb team
As a Product Designer, I was lucky to work with a fantastic team, comprised of Fixably's global UX Design Lead, four outstanding developers, and the VP of Recommerce.
Please note that the intellectual property rights for this project belong to Fixably Oy.
The purpose of showcasing these elements in my portfolio is simply to provide a representative sample of my work.
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