Mobile app
2023
Designing a Mobile App for a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Leather Footwear Brand.
Background
Athani Artisans is a local business specializing in genuine leather footwear, offering products in categories such as antique, vintage, ethnic, and wedding footwear for men, women, and children. They approached me to design a mobile app that would help them transition from selling through distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) model. The goal was to increase sales and revenue by directly engaging customers through the app.
Tools Used
Figma.
Duration
1 Month
Role
Product Designer
I led this project as the product designer, Journey from initial exploration to final implementation, which included Understanding the brief, conducting research, ideating, designing and prototyping. Throughout, I maintained close collaboration with the CEO and partnered closely with engineers.
Problem
Athani Artisans had been selling their leather footwear through middlemen, limiting their ability to connect with customers and grow sales. They needed a mobile app to sell directly to consumers, build stronger customer relationships, and increase revenue while offering a seamless shopping experience.
Key challenges included:
Limited Direct Engagement: The reliance on third-party sellers hindered direct communication and engagement with customers.
User Experience: The need to create an intuitive and seamless shopping experience for a diverse target audience.
Product Discovery: Challenges in effectively showcasing a wide range of footwear options to cater to varying customer preferences.
Sales Growth: The goal of increasing sales and revenue through direct-to-consumer channels, moving away from dependency on intermediaries.
Objectives
The primary goals of this project were:
Develop a user-friendly mobile app to boost sales through the D2C model.
Create an intuitive interface that promotes easy product discovery and streamlined checkout.
Highlight Athani Artisans' craftsmanship and unique product line through visual and functional design
Target Audience
The primary audience for Athani Artisans consists of men and women aged 20-35 and 45-55, particularly from rural areas. These users have a preference for ethnic, vintage, and handcrafted footwear.
Research & Discovery
Conducted Secondary Research to understand users
Due to time limitations, I conducted secondary research by analyzing user feedback, case studies, and competitor apps in the market. This helped me identify key trends and user needs that informed the design choices, such as the importance of high-quality images, filters, and personalization features.
Information Architecture
The information architecture was designed to provide a clear structure for the app, categorizing footwear into distinct sections such as Antique, Vintage, Ethnic, and Wedding. This organization allows users to easily navigate through product offerings, ensuring a streamlined experience from browsing to purchasing.
User Flow
The user flow was mapped out to guide users seamlessly from opening the app to completing a purchase. It includes steps for browsing categories, filtering options, viewing product details, adding items to the cart, and finalizing the checkout process, all aimed at creating an intuitive and efficient shopping experience.
Style Guide
To ensure a cohesive brand identity, I created a comprehensive style guide that included:
Color Palette: Earth tones (brown, beige) that reflect the natural materials of the leather products
Typography: Clean, modern fonts that were easy to read, with a focus on accessibility.
Icons & Imagery: Minimalist icons that clearly represented services like laundry, dry cleaning, and delivery tracking, ensuring the app was visually appealing yet functional.
Final Design
Lo-Fi Design
The low-fidelity designs focused on validating the app’s flow and interaction patterns. They helped stakeholders understand the user journey and gather feedback before moving into high-fidelity design.
UI Design
In the high-fidelity phase, I focused on refining the user interface by adding detailed visuals, typography, colors, and iconography. The design emphasized ease of use and clean visuals, aligning with Athani Artisans’ artisanal and ethnic brand identity. Features like search filters and wishlist functionality were integrated seamlessly.
Onboarding Screen
For the onboarding screen, I chose to move away from the traditional multi-screen onboarding flow, where users swipe through multiple screens explaining features. Instead, I implemented an introductory video that concisely introduces the brand and its products. This decision was made to offer a more immersive and engaging experience. By showcasing a video, users can quickly understand the unique selling points of Athani Artisans, such as the craftsmanship behind their handmade Kolhapuri Chappals, without being overwhelmed by text-heavy screens.
Other Screens
How did the product perform?
Unfortunately, the product is still under development so I will have to wait for it to go live.
Conclusion
The Athani Artisans mobile app was designed to transition the business into a D2C model, allowing them to engage directly with their customers and boost revenue. The design process, despite its challenges, resulted in a user-friendly, visually appealing app that mirrors the brand’s artisanal identity. Though the app is still under development, the design is expected to provide a strong foundation for future growth and success.
My Takeaways
Designing the mobile app for Athani Artisans taught me the importance of end-to-end ownership in the design process, from ideation to handoff. It reinforced the value of user-centered design and clear communication, allowing me to translate client needs into an intuitive, seamless app experience while navigating evolving requirements.
Thank You
