Product Design
Building a B2B Marketplace from 0-1
Heuristic UX development for a carbon neutral supply chain
On a systems level, the current wine supply chain's carbon emission levels do not support a sustainable future, but new EU Circular Economy regulations are pushing logistics companies to develop and reduce emissions. As Founder and Lead Designer, I developed a B2B logistics model to decrease emissions levels by improving the wholesale wine purchasing process for oversees clients. The results were a reduction in wholesale shipping emissions, increase in customer signups, satisfaction and engagement.
Solution
A B2B wholesale supply platform for regenerative wine, aiming to reduce emissions through the entire distribution chain.
CONTEXTUALISING OUR INQUIRY
Circularity vs. Greenwashing
I led an in-depth discussion about the meaning of circularity in our business solution. Research showed Europe's newly implemented Anti-Greenwashing Guidelines met our ethical and moral standards, which in our case means:
no carbon credits to offset emissions
do not claim sustainability on products or processes unless certified or otherwise proven with relevant paperwork that indicates how emissions are reduced
offer product integrity, where the sum as well as its individual parts and processes, have the potential to reduce or eliminate emissions completely to achieve net zero
ONLINE SURVEY & USER RESEARCH
An expanding market with a broad user base.
My initial investigation offered strong evidence that the online regenerative wine market boasts remarkable figures and is expanding quickly. It became evident the platform should focus on a combination of e-commerce and logistics in this space.
Deconstructing the end-end process.
Understanding the end-end process of wine production to consumption gave me a deeper understanding of the stakeholders involved and allowed me to formulate questions for potential problems areas.
Confirming need and opportunity.
Presenting my findings to the team, we discovered our opportunity was to enter the market as a cooperative overseas container system for shipping wine directly to businesses (B2B).
DATA ANALYSIS
Reviewing the data, I designated the essential Jobs To Be Done.
My interviews focused on issues relating to functionality, data accuracy, and fulfilment of needs. I found that there were striking similarities across the board and this helped me to organise and focus their needs and frustrations. From these interviews, I was able to create a clear set of JTBD to kick start the team's ideation process.
IDEATION
During the team's workshop meetings, I pitched a systems-based idea that focused on improving user behaviour and ecosystem awareness.
Using a circular systems approach, I defined the jobs to be done and pillars to stick to while building our product:
User-Centered Systems: Understand how our design fits into a person’s life and how it impacts their interactions with the environment, other people, and technologies.
Ecosystem Awareness: Think about how users’ actions within our platform affect other systems—like the environment, resource consumption, or even social equity.
Sustainable User Behavior: Encourage users to make sustainable choices, repair or recycle products, or participate in shared or subscription models that extend a product’s lifecycle.
With these pillars in mind, potential solutions included:
CONFIRMATION OF VIABILITY
My solution addressed the needs of all stakeholders, for our business and the user experience.
✔️ Reduce shipping costs
✔️ Reduce waste/carbon emission
✔️ Energy-efficient
✔️ Promote sustainable behavior
✔️ Social connectivity
ITERATIONS
Sketching and testing functionality gave clearer insights on how we might offer a shared container option.
I tested several iterations of the user journey through a rapid prototype with a focus group, and gathered data on its effectiveness and satisfaction level. We made adjustments to clarify the CTA, visual data display, and user preferences.
CHALLENGES
Simplifying the MVP help us to reach the launch phase faster.
Reorienting our solution to a simplified MVP focused on the second pillar, Ecosystem Awareness, proved to be a more feasible and practical approach. If we launch with an interactive social network, this strategy allows us to support low emissions, simplify logistics, reduce costs, and engage customers more effectively for the long term, with the option to build on additional circular aspects in the future.
✔ Lower Implementation Costs
✔ Simplified Logistics
✔ Regulatory Ease
✔ Immediate Customer Value
✔ Scalability and Flexibility
Impacts
This model effectively connects the global wine community by participating in climate-positive actions and purchases that support low-intervention winemaking. Our beta testers have provided overhwelmingly positive feedback, and have used the platform to successfully connect and promote natural wine. I was aiming to hit several targets, some of which are still in process as we prepare to launch. Some key achievements we've already hit include: