WhatsApp Business
Overview
Our team joined the GrowthSchool Hackathon to transform WhatsApp Business into a seamless platform for SMBs in India, enhancing online selling with intuitive features to streamline operations and boost efficiency.
My Role
A collaborative approach drove research, ideation, and user-centric design. The team developed intuitive wireframes, ensured feature feasibility, and refined usability to streamline the design process and enhance the user experience.
Project Goal
Transform WhatsApp Business into a seamless, end-to-end solution for online selling, addressing user pain points and enhancing functionality.
Process
Conducting in-depth user research
We conducted desk research and interviews with six business owners, including bakers, artisans, and café owners, to identify their pain points. Key insights included:
The need for integrated tools to reduce workflow disruptions.
The importance of separating personal and business communication.
User preference for trust-building features like secure payments and professional interfaces.
To validate these insights, we mapped user journeys and highlighted inefficiencies in their current processes
Problems
Disorganised communication: Mixing personal and business chats leads to confusion and inefficiency.
Dependency on external tools: Businesses rely on third-party apps for inventory management, document scanning, and invoices.
Lack of trust: Customers hesitate to transact due to security concerns.
Limited reach: The app primarily depends on existing contacts, limiting customer acquisition.
Proposed Solutions
We designed features that transformed WhatsApp Business into an all-in-one platform for SMBs:
Inventory Management: Enables businesses to track stock, update inventory, and generate sales reports directly in the app.
Document Scanning: Allows scanning of invoices, receipts, and contracts without external tools.
Call Recording: Provides a privacy-consented feature for recording client calls to improve service and resolve disputes.
Enhanced Business Cards: Simplifies professional profile sharing with visually appealing digital cards.
Testing
After the first round of ideation, a peer review was done to understand the gaps in our designs and how clear the usability was. Key findings included:
Users appreciated the simplicity of inventory management and scanning tools.
Call-recording features need clearer consent prompts to ensure privacy compliance.
Enhanced business cards improved professionalism and ease of client communication.
After this, we edited the wireframes and proceeded to make hi-fidelity designs.
Designs
Wireframes
We sketched initial concepts to visualise workflows, focusing on simplicity and functionality.
Hi-Fidelity Designs
Developed polished screens showcasing interactive features, such as real-time stock updates, scan buttons, and call recording controls.
Outcome
Our designs directly addressed user challenges and streamlined business operations:
Improved efficiency: Integrated tools reduce dependency on external apps, saving time.
Enhanced trust: Privacy-compliant call recording and professional profiles fostered better client relationships.
Simplified workflows: Features like inventory tracking and document scanning minimised operational overhead.
These solutions demonstrated WhatsApp Business's potential as a comprehensive platform for SMBs.
Challenges
The project was not without obstacles:
Time constraints: Working within a hackathon’s limited timeframe required prioritising features.
Limited perspectives: Insights were primarily gathered from business owners, with assumptions made about customer needs.
Team expertise variance: Members had differing levels of technical proficiency, which influenced the scope of our final prototypes.
Key Takeaways
This project reinforced the importance of collaboration, iterative design, and user-centred problem-solving. By focusing on real pain points, we delivered practical solutions that balanced innovation with feasibility. It also underscored the potential of digital platforms like WhatsApp Business to empower SMBs.
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