Challenge
The original Discover template had limitations such as small asset images, a dropdown variant shelf without images, and accessibility issues. These impacted brand satisfaction, user engagement, and conversion rates.
- Restricted Visuals: Small product images hindered effective showcasing.
- Limited Media Support: No support for video and GIF formats.
- Inflexible Branding: Limited customization options.
- Accessibility Issues: Background fills caused problems.
- Poor User Experience: The variant shelf lacked images, making it less engaging.
Solution
The project tackled both legacy issues and introduced future enhancements. Effective communication of new features and improvements was essential. We developed detailed spec sheets, comparison charts, and visual aids to emphasize the benefits and enhancements of the new platform.
Strategic decision tree for V1 vs V2 video implementation We collaborated with the Account Coordinator (AC) team, who work most closely with our platform users and business stakeholders to create a decision framework for adding video support while managing legacy customers. The tree maps out our approach: assess legacy customer count, determine deprecation strategy (less than 10 customers = deprecate V1, more than 10 = create guardrails and validation), and implement product-level vs view-level video features. This systematic approach helped us reduce onboarding effort while strategically transitioning customers to V2's enhanced capabilities.
Communicating Feature Enhancements vs Legacy
- V1 (Legacy): Limited visual impact and creative control.
- V2 Reduced: Optimized for retailer button visibility and premium aesthetics.
- V2 New (Default): Designed for maximum visual impact and creative control.
Notion Preview: Tracking Research and Communication Utilizing Notion, we tracked and documented ideas, problems, and solutions. This facilitated effective asynchronous discussions and ensured all team members were aligned.
Prototyping and Testing for Quality Assurance Utilizing Figma, we prototyped and tested the platform flow, ensuring clarity and intuitiveness.
Enhancements for Ease of Use We prepared detailed component specifications for engineering, ensuring accurate and effective implementation of the new features.
From Research Insights to Detailed Iterations Analysis revealed critical needs: Enhanced creative control, standardized aspect ratios, clear migration paths, and intuitive asset management.
Uncovering and Fixing Bottlenecks We prepared detailed specifications for engineers, clearly distinguishing between product settings and view settings.
Future Concept This image illustrates a future concept for the MikMak platform, showcasing potential enhancements and new features.
Results
- Enhanced Visual Appeal: Support for high-quality images, videos, and GIFs allowed brands to create more engaging and dynamic product displays.
- Increased Creative Control: Flexible display options and customization features empowered brands to tailor the shopper experience to their specific needs.
- Improved User Experience: A streamlined asset management workflow and intuitive interface made it easier for brands to create and manage their Discover experiences.
- Better Mobile Optimization: Responsive layouts ensured a consistent and engaging experience across all devices, leading to increased mobile conversions.
- Greater Platform Adoption: By addressing the limitations of V1 Legacy and providing valuable new features, the project drove increased adoption and utilization of the MikMak platform.
- Clear Specifications and Guidelines for Video: We established best practice specifications for video performance, balancing high performance with flexibility. Videos should be up to 250MB, with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:5, or 16:9, frame rates between 15-30 FPS, and bit rates from 516 kbps to 2 Mbps. Resolutions should be between 1080x1080 to 1920x1920 pixels, with MP4 as the preferred format. Videos should be 3 to 180 seconds long, with audio at 128 kbps / 44 kHz.
- Scalable Architecture: The new platform architecture successfully scaled to handle high-volume traffic, allowing brands to maintain their unique identity while benefiting from optimized templates and proven patterns.
Learnings & Next Steps
- Balancing creative freedom with usability is crucial.
- Asset flexibility must pair with an intuitive interface and clear guidelines.
- Prioritizing seamless migration ensures smooth user transitions.
- Iterative design allows for continuous feedback and platform refinement.
- Clear communication and validation prevent user errors.
- Optimizing for all devices ensures a consistent user experience.
- Future development will focus on advanced analytics integration.
- Enhanced automation capabilities and expanded customization options are planned.
- AI-powered recommendations will further empower brands.
