A digital platform to connect local producers and consumers

Problem

Consumers are increasingly looking for sustainable and local shopping options but often don’t know where to find fresh products directly from farmers. At the same time, farmers need an accessible platform to manage their production and connect with customers without middlemen. The lack of a centralized solution makes this connection difficult and limits access to local goods.

Solution

EcoPunt is a digital platform that facilitates the purchase of fresh, sustainable products by directly connecting consumers with local farmers. Through a mobile app and website, users can explore nearby markets, reserve baskets, and receive information about seasonal products. With an intuitive and accessible interface, EcoPunt promotes a more sustainable lifestyle while supporting the local economy.

Role

As the UX/UI designer, I was responsible for user research, wireframing, prototyping, and design iteration based on usability testing. I also worked on the information architecture and accessibility strategies to ensure an inclusive and efficient experience.

Timeline

The project development spanned approximately 12 weeks, including research, ideation, prototyping, and usability testing phases. Multiple iterations were made to refine the user experience before final delivery.

Understanding the User

Research

Objective

The goal of this research was to understand the needs, expectations, and behaviors of EcoPunt’s key users—an initiative that connects local farmers with urban consumers in Barcelona. We aimed to identify barriers in the buying and selling of local products and opportunities for improvement to design a platform that enables efficient, sustainable interaction between producers and consumers.

Research Methodology

A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative research. First, in-depth interviews with farmers, consumers, and citizens were conducted to explore motivations and challenges. Then, contextual observation in local markets helped analyze interactions and buying behavior. Finally, quantitative surveys gathered data on shopping patterns, interest in local products, and perceptions of sustainability.

Demographic Profile

The participants were divided into three main groups:

• Local farmers: Small-scale producers of fruits, vegetables, and other goods, aged between 30 and 60, with varying levels of experience in direct sales.
• Urban consumers: Barcelona residents (ages 25–50) interested in fresh and sustainable products, with high engagement in online shopping.
• General citizens: Individuals with moderate interest in responsible consumption (ages 40–60), seeking information about local markets but not necessarily making regular purchases.

Recruitment

A total of 55 people were interviewed and 150 survey responses were collected, allowing us to extract representative data and validate qualitative insights with quantitative findings.

Defining the Problem

Pain Points

Grouping results by target audience allowed us to segment the specific needs, motivations, and frustrations of each user group—ensuring design solutions responded precisely to their realities and expectations. Farmers, urban consumers, and general citizens interact with EcoPunt in very different ways, so analyzing data separately made it easier to identify key issues and improvement opportunities for each user type.

Empathy Map

Empathy maps were created to deepen our understanding of each group and humanize the data collected during research. By visualizing what each user thinks, feels, says, and does, we could better understand their experiences and generate solutions aligned with their emotions and behaviors. This exercise helped design a platform that not only functions technically, but truly connects with users’ needs and expectations.

Personas

After developing the empathy maps, we created “Personas” to represent each user group through more detailed and realistic profiles. This step helped consolidate research findings and define fictional users based on real data, including their motivations, frustrations, and specific behaviors. These personas served as constant references throughout the design process, ensuring that every decision remained aligned with user needs.

User Journey Map

The User Journey Map helped us visualize each user’s experience interacting with EcoPunt, identifying friction points and opportunities for improvement along their journey. By mapping actions, thoughts, and emotions at every stage, we were able to detect pain points and design solutions to optimize the experience. Throughout the project, these maps were key in prioritizing improvements, ensuring seamless navigation, and validating that the platform truly addressed the problems uncovered in the research phase.

Ideas for a Solution

Key Points

After completing our ideation sessions, we generated a set of ideas that directly address the needs and challenges identified during the user research. These sessions allowed us to explore innovative solutions and prioritize those that best align EcoPunt’s functionality with the project’s goals. We now move into the design phase, where these ideas will take shape through wireframes and prototypes that optimize the user experience and ensure intuitive navigation.

Accessibility and Ease of Use

• Multiple simplified interface versions were proposed for managing baskets and orders, highlighting shortcuts and streamlined flows without unnecessary steps.
• Key concerns from both farmers and consumers regarding accessibility were organized and prioritized based on urgency and impact.
• Ideas were generated for interactive tutorials and in-app support to reduce the learning curve.

Transparency and Product Trust

• Detailed profile cards for each farmer, including information about their production methods.
• A direct messaging system between farmers and consumers.
• A dedicated section featuring farmers’ stories with testimonials and production photos.
• A proposed system for verifying organic products with quality tags and certification seals.

Availability and Product Discovery

• An interactive calendar showing real-time market schedules and product availability.
• Personalized notifications to alert users about nearby markets and available products.
• Advanced filters to search for products by type, market, or farmer.

Logistics for Shopping and Pickup

• Lack of delivery options was identified as a major barrier for some users.
• The pickup system was simplified by consolidating all collections at the market while keeping scheduling flexibility.

Education and Sustainability Awareness

• Creation of an educational section within the platform featuring content on responsible consumption.
• A dedicated “EcoFans” section with articles, videos, and tips on sustainability.
• Identification of key topics users wanted to learn about, including sustainability, environmental impact, and local economies.

Design

The ideation sessions provided a set of key solutions based on the user needs and pain points identified during research. With these ideas organized, the next step was to structure them logically and functionally within the platform. We started by creating the Site Map, ensuring that the information architecture supported intuitive and accessible navigation aligned with the defined user flows. This process helped us establish content hierarchy, define main sections, and ensure each feature was correctly positioned before moving into visual design.

Site Map

Paper Wireframes

Before diving into detailed screens, we started with paper wireframes to sketch out initial ideas and explore different ways to present information. Since EcoPunt was a project built from scratch, we experimented with structures inspired by conventional e-commerce flows: step-by-step registration and checkout processes, and familiar navigation patterns. These early sketches helped us visualize the initial architecture and identify opportunities for improvement before moving on to digital formats.

Digital Wireframes

Once the initial paper wireframes were validated, we moved to the next step: digital wireframes. At this stage, we began consolidating the general structure and defining key interface elements such as visual hierarchy, spacing, and navigation flows. This process was essential for translating early ideas into a more precise and functional design foundation before moving into interactive prototyping.

Prototype

Lo-Fi Prototype

With the digital structure in place, we moved forward to low-fidelity prototyping, integrating basic navigation and key user flows. This phase allowed us to simulate core tasks and observe how users responded to real-use scenarios. By keeping the visuals minimal, we prioritized functionality, validating the clarity of flows, action points, and information organization before transitioning to high-fidelity design.

Usability Study

To evaluate the user experience of EcoPunt's low-fidelity prototype, we conducted a usability study focusing on three key aspects: the clarity of the reservation flow, the perceived trust and transparency of the basket page, and the users' understanding of the registration process. Through tests and interviews, we identified communication gaps that could cause friction or drop-off. These findings guided crucial improvements before moving to the high-fidelity prototype, ensuring a clearer, more trustworthy experience aligned with EcoPunt’s values of proximity and transparency.

Findings and Improvement Opportunities

Hi-Fi Prototype

Based on insights gathered from the usability test, we refined the design and implemented the high-fidelity prototype, integrating strategic improvements driven by user feedback. This final version offers a warmer, more emotional, and accessible experience, with enriched content to foster trust, reduce friction, and humanize the interaction. The reservation flow, information hierarchy, and clarity of the registration form were optimized to deliver an intuitive, visually cohesive, and socially meaningful platform aligned with the project’s values.

Test

Impact of Implemented Improvements

The updates made based on the low-fidelity study findings had a very positive impact on user experience. Key task completion rates increased, especially for users with low digital literacy. Participants also reported a higher sense of trust in the platform due to improved content clarity and streamlined flows.

• Clearer Basket Reservation Flow

  
  A detailed summary was added before confirmation to show users what they were reserving, when, and where to pick it up.
  
  

  KPI:
  ✓ 87% of users rated the new info block as “very clear”.
  ✓ Confusion about the reservation process dropped by 60%
  ✓ Perceived trust in the process increased by 45%

• Stronger Transparency Perception

  
  Informative dropdown sections were added to the basket page (health benefits, type of farming, cultivation methods).
  
  

  KPI:
  ✓ 72% of users said they felt more confident before reserving
  ✓ 68% interacted with at least two information blocks
  ✓ +40% time spent on product page

• Reduced Registration Errors

  
  The design clarified the difference between signing up and logging in for existing users.
  
  

  KPI:
  ✓ Navigation errors reduced by 55%
  ✓ Sign-up completion rate: 95%
  ✓ Average sign-up time: 38% faster

• Strengthened Brand Identity

  
  Warm, inclusive microcopy and headers were introduced, reflecting the tone of local markets and human connection.
  
  

  KPI:
  ✓ 91% of users rated the tone as “friendly” or “authentic”
  ✓ +30% in user intention to return
  ✓ “This platform feels different”: spontaneously mentioned in 5 out of 8 interviews

• Empowered Low-Tech Users

  
  All flows were simplified, removing unnecessary steps to support non-digital users.
  
  

  KPI:
  ✓ 100% of low-tech participants completed their tasks
  ✓ User drop-off rate during flows: 0%
  ✓ 85% of producers said they “felt capable of doing everything alone”s