Overview
The company aimed to streamline the procurement of IT equipment by launching an eAuction platform managed by the Purchasing Manager. The goal was to design a mobile app that enables buyers to monitor auctions in real time while allowing invited suppliers to place competitive bids efficiently.
Process
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Assumption mapping
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User journey mapping
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Interactive prototype testing
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Heuristic evaluation
Problem statement
The core problem statement revolves around designing eAuction mobile application journeys.
One journey enables buyer to monitor and manage the ongoing auction and award the most competitive bid.
The second journey is for the supplier, exemplified by Supplier Y, to actively bid in the auction and access all essential information.
Assumptions
eAuction app
The eAuction mobile application design focuses on
real-time supplier ranking with
live bid dynamics to deliver
maximum value with minimal interaction.
Design principles
Simplicity and Consistency
Simple and clean layout that emphasises on core functionality and consistency in design reduces the cognitive load.
Immediate
Feedback
Interactive elements trigger real-time feedback to build user confidence and reinforce action-reaction expectations.
Predictable and Intuitive Navigation
Tab-based navigation structure and each item in a card format for vertical scrolling and easy thumb interaction on mobile.
User Control and Flexibility
The buyer can pause or extend the auction, view insights, while suppliers can update bids or view performance analytics.
Clarity Through Visual Hierarchy
Emphases on important elements by colour and size for better clarity and structure.
Recognition Over Recall
Important status and progress are shown explicitly on each screen to ensure users don’t need to remember it.
Summary
Helps buyer to take informed decision
The buyer can review competitive activity, bids, time left, and supplier engagement and make decisions to award, extend, or pause the auction
Simple, scalable and flexible experience
The interface supports minimal layout and can be scaled without hampering the clarity or intuitiveness, ensuring a smooth experience even with a large pool of suppliers and items
Ease of navigation across flows
Easy and intuitive flows for users through the key elements such as live updates, clean layout, uniform card format, thumb-friendly inputs, and colour coded formatting
Share insights with internal stakeholders
Insights during an ongoing auction provide real-time, data-driven visibility that helps internal stakeholders stay aligned with progress and make informed decisions