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Case Study: Exchange Nepal




Project Overview:

Exchange Nepal is a platform designed to help people give away or exchange unused items. The main idea is to create a space where people can easily list items they no longer need and find things they could use, all without involving money. The app is targeted at people who want to give away or swap items, like students or families, while promoting sustainability and helping users reduce waste.



Problem Statement:

Many people have items lying around their house that they no longer use. These items often end up stored away or thrown out, even though they could be useful to others. The problem arose when a friend of mine was moving to a new place. He had a lot of items he didn’t need, and there were other things he wanted, but he didn’t know where to give away or exchange his old things. I realized there was no platform that focused solely on helping people give away or swap items. This inspired me to create Exchange Nepal, a platform where users can donate or swap things with others in need.



Target Audience:

The primary users of Exchange Nepal are people who:

  1. Want to give away items they no longer use.
  2. Are looking for free items or wish to exchange things they don't need for something more useful.
  3. Do not wish to involve money in the transaction (no buying or selling).
  4. Could be anyone from students  to families, or even individuals who want to declutter and help others.

User Persona: 

  • Name: Sashin Shrestha
  • Age: 23
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Occupation: Student

Sashin has many unused items in his room, such as books, old gadgets, and furniture. He is environmentally conscious and wants to give away items to people who need them. He also wants to exchange some expensive things, like his old laptop, for something he can use in his new home. However, he is unsure where to list these items. Sashin needs an easy-to-use platform where he can upload items, wait for responses, and connect with people who are interested.

User Goals:

  • Find Hidden Treasures: Discover items like furniture, books, and electronics that he could use.
  • Give with Purpose: Donate things like old electronics or furniture to people in need.
  • Chat, Connect, collaborate: Engage with other users through real-time messaging for a more personal transaction.
  • Support Sustainability: Be part of a community that encourages reuse and reduces waste.



Research & Insights:

I began by researching online platforms offering similar services, but I found that no single platform existed that focused purely on exchanging or giving away items for free. While I found some Facebook groups dedicated to this idea, they came with their own set of problems:

  1. Users were giving away damaged or unusable items.
  2. There was no way to communicate easily with other users.
  3. Listings were cluttered, with no categorization or easy way to search for specific items.

Further interviews and discussions with users revealed that they would prefer a platform where they could list their items with detailed descriptions, upload pictures, and specify what they wanted in return. They also wanted a feature to directly message the person who posted an item.



Key Features of Exchange Nepal:

  1. Listing Items: Users can create posts offering items they want to give away or exchange, with specific details and pictures.
  2. Searching for Items: Users can search for specific items they need or want to exchange.
  3. Messaging: A real-time messaging feature allows users to connect with each other directly.
  4. Categorization: Items are categorized (e.g., Electronics, Furniture, Clothing) for easier browsing.
  5. Uploading Item Photos: Users can upload images of the items they want to list, making the posts more informative and attractive.
  6. Commenting: Users can comment on posts to show interest or ask questions.
  7. Notifications: Users receive updates when there are new listings or when someone responds to their post.



Design Process:

  1. Problem Identification: The process began by identifying the need for a platform that focused solely on helping people give away or exchange items without involving money.
  2. Brainstorming: I explored different design ideas, features, and colour schemes to come up with a design that would be both functional and simple to use.
  3. Component Creation & Experimentation: I experimented with various components, colours, and layout options to see what worked best for the platform.
  4. Final Design: After several iterations, I arrived at a simple, clean design that would solve the problems identified during user research.
  5. Prototyping: Once all the screens were designed, I created a prototype to simulate the user experience and flow.



User Flow:

The user flow is designed to be simple and intuitive. Here's how the process works:

  1. Discover Exchange Nepal: Users learn about Exchange Nepal and either log in or explore as a guest.
  2. Feed Section: Once logged in, users are directed to the feed section, where they can browse listings of items categorized by type (e.g., Electronics, Furniture, etc.).
  3. Searching & Browsing: Users looking for specific items can search or browse the feed to find what they need.
  4. Listing Items: Users wanting to list their items click on a post option, fill out the details, upload pictures, and submit their listing.
  5. Messaging & Commenting: Users can message the poster directly or comment on the post for more details.
  6. Post Interaction: When an item is clicked, a larger image is displayed along with all the details, comments, and a direct messaging option.



Screens & Mock-ups:

  1. Login Screen: Simple and welcoming login screen with options to log in or explore as a guest.
  2. Feed Screen: A feed of items available for exchange, with easy-to-navigate categories.
  3. Search Screen: A search bar that allows users to find specific items they need.
  4. Listing Screen: A form where users can enter details about the item they want to give away or exchange.
  5. Item Details Screen: A larger view of the item with details, comments, and the option to message the person who posted it.



Usability Testing (To be Conducted):

The usability testing will be conducted once the design is finalized to ensure that users can easily navigate the platform, list items, and find what they are looking for without confusion. We will focus on:

  • Ease of Use: Are users able to easily list items and search for items they need?
  • Communication Features: Are users able to message and comment on posts without issues?
  • Category Navigation: Are the categories intuitive and easy to navigate?



Conclusion:

Exchange Nepal is a community-driven platform that solves the problem of unused items by allowing people to give them away or exchange them with others. With a simple, user-friendly design, the app makes it easy for people like Sashin to list, discover, and communicate about items they want to give away or exchange. The platform encourages sustainability and helps reduce waste by promoting the reuse of goods.