BACKGROUND
Nearly 40% of Morocco is unemployed.
This will only increase as Morocco transitions to a more formal economy, where traditional professions, such as craftsmanship, will decline.
Currently, the production of motorcycles is outsourced to other countries, creating a market gap.
If we connect craftsmen with gigs to build motorcycle parts, we shift production back to Morocco, preserve craftsmanship, and work to lower unemployment.
TEAM + ROLE + SCOPE
Time: This was a 10 week client project in the DALI Lab
Role: Lead Product Designer, oversaw 2 other designers
Team: 1 Project Manager, 3 Software Engineers, 3 Product Designers, 2 partners
Tools: Figma, Mural, Google Suite, Slack
SOLUTION
We designed a community and an economy for craftsmen in Marrakech. With our user group in mind, we empathized deeply to create an easy-to-use app that connects craftsmen with gigs to build motorcycle parts.
Build pieces for the Mahjouba Motorcycle. Pieces are recommended to users based on location and preferred materials.
Join the craftsmen community through workshops and learn new skills along the way.
Track your earnings you have made by making pieces for the Mahjouba motorcycle.
Showcase your work and promote your personal brand with your profile page.
ANALYSIS
Competitive Analysis: Morocco has some platforms that connect people with gigs which have proven successful. Getting people to trust these products has proved challenging for these endeavors.
USER RESEARCH
We interviewed 6 craftsmen with the help of a translator.
Questions revolved around how craftsmen found work, how they promote themselves, and what motivates them.
Here's what we found:
PERSONA
The Visually + Audio Based Communicator, a persona for our target user group
Age Range: 30 - 40 years
Limited ability to use technology
Loves Morocco, is very patriotic, and believes that being a craftsmen will make them wealthy
Concerned with craftsmanship becoming more obsolete
Wants a stable job and a better way to promote themself
Speaks Darija and Modern Standard Arabic
USER TESTING
I went to Marrakech to user test the initial hi-fidelity version of our app on craftsmen! Here’s what I learned:
VISUAL INTERFACE
After my visit to Marrakech, we updated our UI and much of our UX to increase the apps usability and the user enjoyment. Here's some features we incorporated into our final product:
Pain point solved: Simplifies way for craftsmen to promote their personal brand through a templated profile page.
Pain point solved: QR code allows for easy sharing of profile. Also, all parts are stamped with QR codes leading to the craftsman’s profile.
Pain point solved: Allows users with low literacy to have the page read aloud to them. Also, an explanation of its functionality at the beginning will assist users.
Pain point solved: Contact Mahjouba feature will alleviate the pervasive lack of trust with newer apps.
Pain point solved: The page tutorial explicitly explains how to use each page, as users did not understand icons and had low literacy.
Pain point solved: Incentivizes craftsmen by tracking their earnings and showing how working with Mahjouba can provide financial security.
Pain point solved: Incentivizes community and solidarity amongst craftsmen and the cause of reclaiming manufacturing. Also, promotes trust by having in person gatherings.
Pain point solved: Reversal of paginations in Arabic. This includes swiping and the navigation bar. Switching paginations is critical for the users to understand the app.
VISUAL INTERFACE
Here’s a quick glance at some elements in our style guide. We chose to pivot to a lighter UI for simplicity. Vector art guides users and can help to explain the purpose of each page.
WRAPPING UP
The team will return to Marrakech to test out our updates we made after our last visit. Here’s what we will do:
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WRAPPING UP
This was my first time mentoring a team. I learned how important it is to get to know my mentee's working styles and delegate tasks that play to their strengths.
Site/partner visits are so helpful and super important. But, always leave a lot of time for error because things will not always go smoothly.
Lastly, I learned that minimal design is good design. Often times the visual aesthetic of a product can detract from its functionality + design should only enhance the user experience. I finally understand Dieter Rams' minimalism!
