Prüfengel Institute

How I designed a customer portal to streamline the certification process and enhance user experience
Product
A customer portal for a product certification company
project type
Freelance project
duration
November 2023 - March 2024

Introduction

Prüfengel Institute, a product certification company specializing in Amazon sellers, needed a customer portal to streamline their certification process. My task was to design an intuitive and efficient interface to help users easily navigate and manage their accounts. My main focus was creating a product overview page with quick access to essential functionalities.

In this case study, I will outline the design process, the challenges faced, and the solutions implemented to meet the needs of Prüfengel Institute and its clients.

My role

In this freelance project, I played a pivotal role in shaping the user experience for Prüfengel Institute’s customer portal. Collaborating closely with a software developer and a UI designer, I contributed to:

  • Persona Discovery: Defined user personas based on data provided by the company.
  • Ideation Stage: Led the ideation process to brainstorm and develop innovative solutions.
  • Information Architecture: Structured the information architecture to ensure intuitive navigation.
  • Wireframing: Created both low-fidelity and high-fidelity wireframes to visualize and refine the design.

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Design process

the problem

Amazon sellers encounter challenges in managing their certification process with Prüfengel Institute due to the lack of a streamlined platform for accessing documents and managing subscriptions. This fragmentation leads to inefficiencies and complications, highlighting the need for a user-friendly solution that simplifies document access and subscription management.

the goal

To equip Amazon marketplace sellers with a user-friendly customer portal, enabling efficient management of the certification process for their expanding product lines.

USEr research

For this project, I based my user research on data provided by Prüfengel Institute, which included key insights into the description and behaviors of our typical users. Due to time limitations and the company's approach, I did not conduct additional primary research with users. However, the existing data provided valuable overview of user requirements. By analyzing this data, I was able to identify essential user needs and effectively tailor the design process to address them. This approach allowed me to focus on creating a user-friendly customer portal that met the specific demands of our target audience.

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Which helped me discover this persona

Martin is an Amazon marketplace seller, who wants to efficiently manage the certification process for his expanding line of products, so that he can gain new customers trust and maximise sales.

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competitors analysis

To enhance the design of Prüfengel Institute's customer portal, I conducted a benchmarking analysis of customer portals on various websites. I drew inspiration from world leaders like HubSpot and Slack, examining their user interfaces, features, and overall user experience. This analysis provided valuable insights into best practices that could be adapted to our project. With these inspirations in mind, I began generating new ideas using one of my favorite tools, the "How Might We" technique, to foster creative and user-centric solutions.

How might we help sellers save time while using our customer portal?

  • Provide a comprehensive knowledge base and FAQ.
  • Implement a dashboard that offers an overview of all important functionalities.

How might we make the process more transparent?

  • Offer live tracking of the certification process.

How might we ensure that customers feel supported?

  • Provide a knowledge base and FAQ.
  • Enable quick access to the help center with a history of all previous chats.

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USer flow

In the initial phase of designing the customer portal, the top priority for my client and his customers was the ability to easily download invoices. To address this, I started by creating a user flow specifically for the task of downloading an invoice or a certification seal and opening a test report.

After developing the initial user flows, I consulted with both the client and the software developer to review and refine the process. Based on their feedback, we made adjustments to optimize the user flow. These adjustments were then implemented into my wireframes, ensuring that the final design met the needs and expectations of both the client and the end users.

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Papaer wireframes

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Low-fi wireframes

Then I created in Figma low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the basic structure and layout and discuss them with the team.

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Usability study

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High-fi wireframes

After discussing my initial wireframes, I created high-fidelity wireframes and iterated on them with our UI designer. In the gallery below, you can see my high-fidelity wireframes, and the video showcases the final result.

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Final result

Lessons learned

Reflecting on my experience with the Prüfengel project, my first commercial UX project, I've gathered several key lessons that have significantly shaped my approach to UX design:

  1. Embrace flexibility in the design process: I discovered that design processes are not always linear. Each project can have unique constraints and company requirements that necessitate adapting and revising the process. Being flexible and open to changes is crucial for navigating these challenges effectively.
  2. Value close collaboration with developers: Collaborating closely with developers was a critical factor in the success of this project. This experience taught me the importance of clear and effective communication with technical teams, ensuring that design goals and technical feasibility are aligned.

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Phone number: +49 1516 8488502
E-mail: karolina.wojnicka2312@gmail.com

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