HUG E-Commerce

the work

As HUG evolved from a platform for artist reviews to an artist portfolio hub and an open call center, it became increasingly clear that the artists using the platform needed a unified space to sell both digital and physical items. This case study outlines the process of researching, designing, and implementing a comprehensive ecommerce experience that caters to the diverse needs of artists across all mediums.

the objective

HUG had grown significantly, expanding its offerings to include artist portfolios, open calls, and more. However, a crucial gap remained: artists had no integrated way to sell their work directly through the platform. The goal was to design an ecommerce experience that would allow artists to sell digital and physical items in one place, while maintaining the platform’s commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and artist empowerment.

research and discovery

Platform Research: The goal was to understand the existing capabilities of the HUG platform and identify areas for enhancement. To ensure we were in alignment with artist needs, I conducted an in-depth analysis of the current platform features, focusing on how artists interacted with their portfolios and how buyers discovered new art. This research highlighted the need for a seamless e-commerce solution that could integrate with existing functionalities.

Competitive Analysis: Through a competitive analysis I was able to benchmark HUG’s offerings against competitors in the art and e-commerce spaces, and identify the gaps that other platforms were not able to deliver on. I analyzed leading art platforms and ecommerce sites, focusing on their user interfaces, transaction processes, and artist support features. This analysis provided insights into best practices and potential areas of differentiation for HUG’s ecommerce experience.

User Interviews: In order to gain a deep understanding of the needs and pain points of HUG’s primary users—artists and buyers, I conducted user interviews that focused on understanding the ways in which artists want to sell their work, and the things buyers are looking for from their favorite artists. These interviews revealed a strong demand for an integrated e-commerce solution that would allow them to sell both digital and physical items without managing multiple platforms.

Buyer Persona Development: It was clear that while HUG had focused a lot on the Artist persona, that we still had a lot to uncover in the Buyer journey. In order to do that, I first created personas to help guide the story behind each journey and enable us to identify potential pain points in the shopping experience.

Buyer Journey Mapping: Before getting to design, the last step was to understand the user journey from both the artist’s and buyer’s perspectives, to inform the builder for the Artist to create their shop and create a seamless buying experience for the consumers. I mapped out the user journeys for each persona, from the initial platform interaction to the final sale. This process highlighted critical touchpoints, such as the need for easy uploading of art, clear categorization of products, and a smooth checkout process for buyers.

design process

Wireframing: To visualize the e-commerce experience and gather early feedback from key stakeholders, I created low-fidelity wireframes that outlined the core functionalities. These included a simple product upload process for listing both digital and physical items, dynamic product pages that clearly distinguished between digital downloads, NFTs, and physical items, a streamlined shopping cart that supported mixed purchases, and a secure, user-friendly checkout process with multiple payment options like credit cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrency.

‍User Testing: Next, I conducted usability testing with a group of HUG users to validate design assumptions and refine the e-commerce experience. The feedback led to key refinements, such as simplifying the product categorization process and enhancing product views for buyers, ensuring that the platform met the diverse needs of its users.

Visual Design: To develop a cohesive visual identity for the e-commerce experience, I designed high-fidelity mockups based on existing platform components that aligned with HUG’s brand and allowed for a quick deployment process to quickly roll out features for a growing product in it's early stages.