A Two-Sided Platform

Launched an online marketplace that connects experts with people seeking advice. This platform allows experts to earn money from their knowledge while helping advice seekers save time.

Context

Who was the audience, and how did they benefit?

  • Audience

    • Experts with skills in various areas like sports, cooking, farming, and trades.

    • People looking for advice who are frustrated by endless Google searches and disappointing YouTube videos.

  • Primary benefits

    • A new way for experts to make money, leverage their existing social media networks, and reach new clients through the platform.

    • A dependable source for prompt advice to solve problems or gain insights from a mentor. They can find, book, and pay with minimal effort.

What was my role?

I was the lead Product Designer. My tasks included:

  • Defining product vision by identifying user types and researching market trends.

  • Working with the client and my team to plan the software design phase.

  • Designing the mobile app experience for both sides of the marketplace, including booking, scheduling, paying, and video call features.

  • Creating a web admin tool to manage user interactions and video chats.

  • Supporting marketing efforts, from app store to collaborating with the client’s marketing team to grow the expert base.

What was the timeline?

This project’s total timeline was a little over 1 year from initial meetup to handoff.

What were some tradeoffs?

Creating a two-sided marketplace is challenging. You must understand both sides thoroughly, continually assess risks and benefits, and switch contexts often. Testing is complex since the infrastructure needs to be ready for calls. While design prototypes help explore ideas, actual testing comes after the app is built. Key lessons from this project include:

  • Build quickly without overwhelming yourself.

  • Test often and listen to market feedback.

  • Use existing workflows for booking, scheduling, and payments; don’t reinvent the wheel.

  • Offer users ethical options to opt out or disconnect from the platform.