Strategy – Amanda Beemer Design – Matthew Noe Producer – Katherine Bovee
Mercari is an online marketplace where everyday people can buy and sell (almost) anything, without ever having to meet in person.
It is a market leader in Japan, and quickly gaining market share in the US by taking on incumbents like eBay and Poshmark.
Our team had partnered with Mercari on a wide range of projects – what began as an out of home campaign led to a design system for online ad units, which evolved into the creation of brand and social campaigns.
Before long, we were also redesigning crucial aspects of Mercari’s web and mobile app experiences.
One of the most critical redesigns was a series of transactional emails that alert sellers when their item has sold, inform buyers when their item has shipped, and notify both parties of next steps to ensure a smooth transaction.
In order to get a firsthand account of the experience, the project team “bought” and “sold” various items from our studio to one another.
Then, we did an empathy mapping exercise to tease out user needs for both buyers and sellers for each stage of the transaction.
The empathy mapping exercise gave rise to a modular email system that adapts based on transaction stage and user needs.
In each email, these components are arranged so that the most relevant information is the most prominent, and next steps are clearly displayed.
We also added a molecule that highlights where the item was purchased or shipped from, to remind the email’s recipient of the person on the other side of their transaction.
Designing a system rooted in empathy for our users enabled us to elevate the email experience, facilitate smoother transactions, and set the bar for other redesign projects.
Experience
Strategy Director – BASIC® Associate Strategy Director – Huge Strategy Lead – Nelson Cash Senior Strategist – Freelance Organization Design Consultant – Habits at Work
Clients
The Tech, FICO, Indeed, All Raise, Mercari, Google Fiber, ICF Next, The Federal Reserve, Walmart
