The Project

As an individual hungry for social change, I strive to spend my money consciously and support companies who positively contribute to the causes I care about. However in such a fast-paced world where we can order something in just a few clicks, few people will take the time to research a company’s values and ethical standing before purchasing. Yet, it is so crucial that as consumers, we are aware of who and what our money is supporting.

Problem

Information about companies’ values and ethical standing are not easily accessible to consumers.

Solution

Make company values more accessible to consumers. Create a Google Chrome extension tool encouraging ethical consumerism by notifying users on the moral standing of the companies they support.

Discovery

Why is ethical consumerism important?
‍Shopping ethically supports consumers values in the short term, and it also paves the way for brands to shift to more ethical practices down the road! The more demand we create for ethically made products from great companies, the more supply there will be.

Identifying key stakeholders in the early stages of the project as it allows us to understand their perspectives and create a solution that aligns with their needs.

Research

To better understand the need and varying perspectives around ethical consumerism, I conducted user and industry research through surveys and interviews. Below are some highlights from the research.

Ideation

Personas

After understanding the users and the consumer market through quantitative and qualitative user research, I created reliable and realistic representations of the key audience segments for reference.

Journey Mapping

Next, I created a journey map of the user experience before and after installing Ethishop. Mapping out the process before Ethishop allowed me to further understand specific pain points users faced. Modelling this journey against the experience with Ethishop, I was able to identify where my solution can make the shopping experience smoother for ethical consumers.

Defining Key Features

I was aware that I could not adequately represent Ethishop's potential users. For this reason, I held a session to brainstorm potential features that could help consumers shop ethically. Through this process I was able to lead insightful discussions to gain a stronger understanding about which features people found most valuable. Next, I shortlisted the features and sorted them into three categories; Onboarding, Home, Profile.

User Flow

The purpose of conducting interviews was to gain quantitative data and have the opportunity to ask open-ended questions and capture he participants candid emotions.

Design

Wireframes

While creating the wireframes, I was able to direct my focus towards the functionality of the app rather than the visuals choices. This process also allowed me to test ideas and quickly change placements without going back and altering too many details.

Design System

High-Fidelity Mockups