Simplex
eCommerce management web app designed for Amazon sellers to optimize pay-per-click (PPC) marketing campaigns.
What I did: Information architecture, Interaction design
Project goals
Design an application that gave Amazon third-party sellers greater control and visibility into how their keyword pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns were performing as well as create a service platform to allow Simplex to help manage those campaigns for sellers. My role in the project was to create the architecture for the application, design wireframes, write comprehensive interaction rules, and provide product development support.
Information gathering
At the start of the project, I read through the initial written project requirements and held meetings with the product team to gain a better understanding of how PPC campaigns worked, what features were important to users and why, and where Simplex was looking to go in terms of improving the experience for sellers.
I spoke with customers who were using Amazon’s Seller Central application to gain insights into how that tool worked and identified where Simplex could help resolve several pain points they discussed (ie: allowing for more options in categorizing keywords and provide easier ways to know what keywords were negatively affecting their campaigns)
I performed a competitive analysis review on 5 other PPC management applications focusing on documenting what features they offered, navigational patterns, and where Simplex could provide an enhanced experience.
From this research, I wrote user stories that captured the goals for the application’s key features and began planning on how to build out the structure.
Planning
Using the application map and user stories as a guide, I created dozens of task flows for key features. Each task flow was meant to capture the essential steps a user would need to take to accomplish the goal identified in the user story. The flows were also shared with the development team early on the process to give them a head start in planning how they would create the desired functionality.
Designing for growth
Simplex had a series of features it wanted to eventually roll out, however at launch only 2 would be available. An initial challenge in the design phase was to create a layout that wouldn't look too empty at launch, yet allow the application to seamlessly grow overtime. Initial research called out the usefulness of Google applications which led us to adopt a Material Design inspired layout. This provided customers with a familiar feeling application as well as allowed us to use tabs for nesting relevant information.
1. Customers create a request to start receiving quotes from Simplex vendor partners
2. Request details
3. Customers can review requests from multiple vendors
4. Vendors create Tasks once the request is approved and work is ready to begin
Documenting interactions
Key screens that captured the primary goal for a section were designed along with written interaction rules outlining how each section solved a portion of the user stories. These screens were shared and iterated upon and acted as the cornerstones for each section of the application. Once the team felt that fundamental objectives for that section were designed, I went on to create any necessary alternate, empty, and error states.
Final thoughts
I undertook the Simplex project with no prior knowledge of the intricacies behind PPC campaigns or keyword management but quickly learned what customers in that space valued and over the course of 6 months, worked closely with the Simplex team to design a product that addressed the customer needs we identified at the onset of the project.
Throughout the project, certain features were shared with customers and ultimately deemed unnecessary and set aside in favor of other features. If time had allowed, I would have loved to have been able to directly test all the features with customers to see where we could have streamlined the application even further. I left the project feeling confident in my design decisions and was promptly contacted by the Simplex team to undertake a new project involving cyber-security for small businesses.
