ROLE - PRODUCT DESIGNER
RESPONSIBILITIES
UX Research
Marketplace Strategy
Information Architecture
Wireframing
User Flows
UI Design
TEAM
Product Manager
Developers
Business Stakeholders
The SME Marketplace was designed to enable businesses and consumers to buy, sell, manage, and redeem gift cards through a secure digital ecosystem.
The platform served multiple user groups, including buyers, sellers, administrators, and partner organizations, requiring a solution that balanced simplicity with operational complexity.
THE CHALLENGE
Many SMEs faced limitations with traditional payment methods, creating barriers to growth and financial flexibility.
The organization identified an opportunity to create a marketplace that could serve as an alternative payment ecosystem while building trust among buyers and merchants.
The challenge was to design a platform capable of supporting:
Buyers purchasing gift cards
Merchants managing transactions
Marketplace administration
Secure payment processing
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Research Activities
User interviews
Stakeholder workshops
Competitor benchmarking
Marketplace analysis
WHAT WE LEARNED
Trust was the biggest adoption barrier
Users needed reassurance that transactions were secure and transparent.
Sellers lacked operational visibility
Merchants wanted easier ways to manage inventory, earnings, and transaction history.
Buyers wanted simplicity
Users preferred straightforward purchasing experiences with minimal friction.
Marketplace ecosystems require balance
Success depended on creating value for both buyers and sellers simultaneously.
DEFINING THE OPPORTUNITY
The goal was to create a marketplace that felt simple for users while supporting the complexity of a multi-sided platform.
Design Principles
Build trust through transparency
Simplify transactions
Empower merchants
Create balanced marketplace experiences
SOLUTION STRATEGY
The solution focused on three interconnected experiences.
Buyer Experience
Streamlined gift card discovery and purchasing.
Seller Experience
Tools for inventory management, earnings tracking, and transaction monitoring.
Administrative Experience
Controls for marketplace governance and operational oversight.
DESIGNING THE EXPERIENCE
Simplifying Gift Card Discovery
Users could easily browse, compare, and purchase available gift cards.
Empowering Sellers
Dedicated dashboards provided visibility into earnings, transactions, and inventory management.
Supporting Marketplace Operations
Administrative tools enabled effective marketplace management and monitoring.
OUTCOME
The platform successfully established a foundation for alternative digital payments within the SME ecosystem.
Business Impact
Expanded payment flexibility
Improved merchant participation
Increased marketplace transparency
Supported financial inclusion initiatives
User Impact
Easier gift card transactions
Improved trust in digital payments
Better visibility into marketplace activity
Simplified seller operations
REFLECTION
Designing marketplace products requires balancing the needs of multiple user groups simultaneously.
This project reinforced the importance of ecosystem thinking and demonstrated how successful marketplaces are built through trust, transparency, and mutual value creation.
